Another take on addiction
August 4, 2008
Zen Master Yasutani, in his “Eight Beliefs in Buddhism”, said that a person commits suicide because he cannot live in the way in which he would like. At first glance, this seems a little cold-blooded; such a selfish explanation for a devastating act which can hurt so many people.
But when we think about it, we realize that it is true.
When someone is in such suffering, despair, pain or anger that they decide not to continue living, they are not accepting their life just as it is is at this moment.
They want something other than what they ended up with. They also are not accepting the possibility of change, either in their circumstances or in their own responses.
I think Yasutani could have extended his observations to addiction.
Notwithstanding physiological and biochemical changes which can eventually occur in the body, each addiction begins with one wilful act.
It is usually an act which we choose because it takes us away from life as it is just right now.
If we feel empty and unsatisfied we may try to fill the hole with shopping or gambling or eating. If we experience ourselves as not smart enough, funny enough, interesting enough – or just plain not enough – we may try to change the way we are through drugs or alcohol.
