Paul Lenda – What causes suffering? You could say it’s desire, attachment, and fear, and you would be right. However, other states of consciousness also lead to profound levels of suffering that could be avoided with a consciousness shift.

Siddhartha Gautama, aka Buddha, taught much when it comes to suffering. In the Dhammapada, which is a collection of Buddha’s aphorisms, there are four specific states of consciousness he calls out as leading to immense suffering.

Let’s go over these four and see how we can overcome falling prey to them.

“There is no fire like lust.”

In Buddhism, fire is sometimes seen in a harmful context. While it has the ability to purify, it can also burn. Continue reading →