| Chungsoo J. Lee |
| A philosophic and religious corner |
Life is dukkha
Life is "dukkha" (suffering or out-of-joint). This is the first teaching of
Buddhism. “Dukkha” in Pali refers to wheels whose axles are off-centered, or
bones that had slipped from their sockets. Life is out of joint, something has
gone awry or wrong. Hamlet, too, says: "Time is out of joint," to which Jacques
Derrida commented in depth. Christians, too, say: "Life is fallen." But fall
implies the height from which one falls, thus refers to an ideal life (the Garden of
Eden, paradise, New Jerusalem, Communism, etc.). But did the Eden ever
exist? Will the New Jerusalem ever come? Will Messiah ever come or did he
ever come? Certainly everyone longs for the coming of Messiah. Even if He
had already come, He is yet to come, says Christians. Certainly, He must come
because life is still dukkha. Let's celebrate the coming of Messiah in this advent
season.
"The one who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus!"
12/02/2010
Buddhism. “Dukkha” in Pali refers to wheels whose axles are off-centered, or
bones that had slipped from their sockets. Life is out of joint, something has
gone awry or wrong. Hamlet, too, says: "Time is out of joint," to which Jacques
Derrida commented in depth. Christians, too, say: "Life is fallen." But fall
implies the height from which one falls, thus refers to an ideal life (the Garden of
Eden, paradise, New Jerusalem, Communism, etc.). But did the Eden ever
exist? Will the New Jerusalem ever come? Will Messiah ever come or did he
ever come? Certainly everyone longs for the coming of Messiah. Even if He
had already come, He is yet to come, says Christians. Certainly, He must come
because life is still dukkha. Let's celebrate the coming of Messiah in this advent
season.
"The one who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus!"
12/02/2010
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