Eight Worldly Concerns – The Buddha Dharma Series

Nobody’s life is perfect, we all have good and bad days. This is part and parcel of our worldly concerns. Sometimes the world is like a rose, all beautiful and fragrant. Other times, it is like the stem of the rose, all thorny and prickly.

An optimist will see the world as rosy, whereas a pessimist sees it as thorny. But realistically, the world is both rosy and thorny. A person who understands this point will not be seduced by the rose or become averse to the thorns.

Buddha taught that there are eight worldly concerns and if we are a realist we will understand that the pendulum swings both ways, sometimes they will be under the sway of the four concerns we believe to be desirable and sometimes the four concerns we think of as undesirable.

We have to accept that these eight worldly concerns are part of this human life. So, what are the eight worldly concerns? The ones we call desirable are gain, status, praise and pleasure. The four we call undesirables being loss, insignificance, blame and pain. It doesn’t matter if we see them as desirable or undesirable, they are all ultimately causes of our suffering.

We are all subject to gain and loss, not only of material things, such as our possessions, but also of our friends and family. We may go out a buy a new phone and it makes us very happy, until one day it is stolen, we then become sad – gain and loss. You may have, in the past, met a wonderful person who you get on really well with, but recently they died – gain and loss. If you are a businessman, you suffer from gain and loss on a regular basis. These are some examples of what we are subject to in our lives. I am sure you could think of hundreds more.

Reflection

Before you move on, do this reflection practice.

It is easy to see the suffering in loss but not so easy in gain. Reflect on a time you gained something you wanted, but now you no longer have it. Think of how you felt when you gained it, and then think of how you felt when you lost it.

Status and insignificance are another two worldly concerns that confront us in the course of our daily lives. Status comes in various forms, such as celebrities and politicians, or you may be highly regarded within your profession, or even a well-respected Buddhist teacher. Whatever the status, you can become attach to your public image and the prestige that goes with it. Even if we do not want to be famous, we still like to be looked upon in the best possible light. I am sure, if we are honest, we all like a bit of status, because who wants to feel unimportant or overlooked?

I expect we have all dreamt of our fifteen minutes of fame and we only need to look at reality TV to see that is true. Some people are world superstars and others are just well known in their own backyards, but whatever your status, it is important to see it as a fleeting thing. Very few people stay famous all of their lives, for most it is only a few years. So, to hold on to fame as though it is something tangible is going to bring you suffering.

Remember, status is just someone’s perspective. You may feel a person is very highly regarded, but for me, I have never even heard of them. So, to cling onto the notion of being famous is a fool’s game. Once we have reached the top, there is only one way to go.

Reflection

Reflect on your status, is it just a projection or is it something solid and permanent. I am sure you will see that it is a projection and nothing tangible, so by holding onto it you are cause yourself emotional and psychological suffering.

The next two pairs of worldly concerns are praise and blame. We all like to be told, ‘Well done!’ when we do something right. It makes us feel happy and gives us a sense of pride. Praise is like some sort of a drug we quiet happily get addicted to. Whereas, no one enjoys being blamed, even if they have done something wrong.

If we are able to face blame in an impassive way and remain calm even though people are saying some hurtful things about us, then we are dealing with this worldly condition in a constructive way. If we give very little regard to whether we are held in high esteem or thought of as a person of no influence, then we can be said to be rising above worldly attachments.

If we are able to keep our composure when we lose out, or are glorified as being a very special, talented person, this will help reduce any pride, jealousy or emotional hurt, even though it is not always that easy.

It is human nature to soak up praise and push away blame. We are all desperately searching for happiness and running away from suffering. I know when someone says something nice about me, I feel happy and proud, but if I am blamed, I can become all defensive and hurt.

Reflection

Reflect on these two states of mind and try to understand them as one of the same: impermanent and fleeting. This will help you stop getting attached to praise and running away from blame.

The final pair are pleasure and pain. This is where we are the same as animals; we chase after pleasure and run away from pain. I personally do not know anyone who prefers sorrow to laughter, or harm to happiness. This is just the way we are. It is like a bond that ties us all together.

Watching pleasure and pain arising in the mind and remaining open to them, without attaching to or rejecting them, enables us to let the concerns be, even in the most emotionally charged circumstances.

It is clear pleasure is what we aim for in life and not pain. But they are both things that come into being for a short time and then disappear. So, in that respect they are no different. Buddha’s advice is to not welcome them or rebel against them, just let them come and go. Allow the pleasure to arise and enjoy it while it is there but know it won’t last. The same for pain, you may be hurting now but it won’t last, so don’t get all emotionally tangled up in it.

Reflection

Think about how you chase after pleasure and turn away from pain. See that one can quite easily turn into the other. One minute we are happy the next we are sad, and vice versa. This will help you see the transient nature of them both and allow you to let then simply rise and fall away.

When we start seeing the eight worldly concerns for what they are, impermanent and fleeting, and watching the mind’s reaction to them, we will be able to prevent them from causing us to suffer. This is not just a meditation practice; we have to take it into our day-to-day lives. We need to understand that life is full of gain, loss, status, obscurity, blame, praise, pleasure and pain.

Someone is always going to profit and someone else will lose out; for every famous person, there are hundreds of others who are unknown; if one person is blamed, another will be praised; and what gives one person pleasure, will give another pain. This is the way of the world. It doesn’t matter if you are skilled in Buddha’s teachings or not. You will still be subject to the eight worldly concerns. It is how you deal with these concerns that differentiates you from others.

So, don’t see these worldly concerns as desirable or undesirable, see them as things that come and go, that are part and parcel of life. Don’t get attached to them or push them away, allow then to simple appear and then disappear.

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