50 Classic Essays You Should Read in Your Lifetime

Author: Huang Zhipeng / Country:
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Suffering and Joy in Life
What is suffering? Poverty? No; frustration? No; aging? Death? None of these. I say the most suffering in life is carrying a sense of future responsibility. If one knows contentment, poverty is not suffering; if one is content with their lot (not harboring excessive hopes), frustration is not suffering; aging, illness, and death are inevitable parts of life, and a person of wisdom sees them as ordinary and not truly suffering.
However, everyone who lives in the world has duties to fulfill every day. If these duties are left undone, it is as if thousands of pounds of weight are pressing on one’s shoulders—nothing could be more suffering. Why? Because of the reproach of conscience, there is nowhere to escape. If one fails to do what they promised, fails to repay a debt, fails to repay a kindness, or fails to apologize after offending someone, they may even avoid seeing that person’s face. Even if they avoid seeing them, the shadow of that person seems to haunt them day and night. Why? Because they feel guilty and because their sense of responsibility toward that person has not been resolved.
This is not only true for one person but also for family, society, the nation, and even oneself. Whenever one has received a benefit from someone, they have a responsibility toward that person. Whenever one has a duty to fulfill and the strength to do so, they have a responsibility toward that duty. Whenever one makes a decision to do something, it is a covenant between the present self and the future self, and it adds another layer of responsibility to oneself.
With this responsibility, conscience constantly watches over one. If a day’s duties are not fulfilled, the night is spent in suffering. If a lifetime’s duties are not fulfilled, even death is a painful journey to the grave. This kind of suffering is not like ordinary poverty, illness, aging, or death, which can be accepted with equanimity. So I say, if life has no suffering, that is fine; but if it does, there is nothing more severe than this.
Turning the page, what is joy? Naturally, completing responsibilities is a joy in life. As the ancient saying goes, "like shedding a heavy burden"; as the common saying goes, "a stone has fallen from one’s heart." At such moments, the lightness and happiness are beyond words. The greater the responsibility, the longer the time spent fulfilling it, the greater the joy when the responsibility is completed—like the boundless sky and sea, with peace of mind, the joy is even greater.
Generally speaking, in this world, joy that comes from suffering is true joy. One must understand the suffering of responsibility to know the joy of fulfilling it. This cycle of suffering and joy is one of the fascinating aspects of a vibrant human life. However, suffering and the reproach of conscience are self-imposed when one fails to fulfill responsibilities. Conversely, if one fulfills responsibilities everywhere and at all times, they will experience joy everywhere and at all times. The power of happiness lies within oneself. This is precisely why Confucius said, "No matter where one goes, they remain content."
Yet why did Mencius say, "A noble person has lifelong sorrow"? Because the more virtuous or heroic a person is, the greater their responsibilities. Moreover, they often take upon themselves all kinds of duties, never letting go of the burdens on their shoulders. Zengzi even said, "A heavy burden and a long journey—death before completion—is not far off?" The sorrow of benevolent people for the people, the sorrow of great men for the nation, the compassion of sages and Buddhas for all sentient beings—even if it is said that they suffer their entire lives, it is true. But because they constantly fulfill their responsibilities, they constantly experience the true joy that comes from suffering. So in the end, they are still happy, not suffering.
Some say, "Since suffering arises from responsibility, if I shirk my duties, won’t I be free from suffering forever?" This is not the case. Responsibility must be resolved to be gone, not simply dropped. If one could remain forever like a two- or three-year-old, with no responsibilities, there would be no suffering to begin with. But as one grows older, responsibilities naturally press upon one’s shoulders—how can they be avoided? There are only differences in size. Fulfilling great responsibilities brings great joy; fulfilling small responsibilities brings small joy. If one tries to avoid them, they are only throwing themselves into suffering, from which they can never be freed.
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