Whilst ‘The Wheel of Sharp Weapons’ might be considered a fairly ‘advanced’ Buddhist scripture, its message is both logical and fairly simple. Let me try to outline its important points as I feel it might offer a valuable perspective on how to overcome suffering.
As human beings we suffer from conditioning. This is nothing more than learning to avoid that which caused pain or mental discomfort, whilst seeking pleasure and happiness. However, unless we are very fortunate, we can find ourselves in a state of chronic dysphoria, that is, an ongoing state of joylessness as we realise just how hopeless and helpless life can be.
Running away from that which causes discomfort and always seeking our anodyne (something which relieves this pain) can drive us into addictions and further cycles of misery. Sometimes it can seem there is no way out, and this can lead to thoughts of ‘just wanting it all to stop’, or even worse.
By recognising that it is our innate process of avoiding pain and seeking pleasure that drives this inner restlessness, we can, if we have the insight and bravery, find a way of reversing this inner turmoil. It does initially seem almost perverse to follow what is suggested in this scripture, yet, if one thinks about it, it does make sense.
Firstly, we must recognise our issues arise within our own minds. It is natural to seek pleasure and avoid pain, yet if we are to transcend both we must gain control of our innate instincts.
We distract ourselves by seeking trivial gains, such as prestige, wealth and power. Yet, even if we are successful, these ‘distractions’ are all temporary. Even the most successful people on the planet cannot avoid the suffering of illness, old age and infirmity. Beyond this we must recognise that all of us face death.
By recognising the ’emptiness’ of seeking distractions, we can learn to dismiss these and bring our fullest attention of what creates pain, dismay and suffering. This can be difficult and as we embrace our powerlessness we might enter the spiritual darkness of the Dark Night of the Soul. This is an honest recognition that our distractions, be they material or mental, cannot save us from our ultimate fate. We can feel hopeless and helpless, which is both painful and ultimately liberating.
Once we recognise our distractions are useless, we must face our suffering without flinching. But how can we embrace that which causes us fear, pain and misery?
It is beyond the scope of this essay to explain why embracing our suffering ultimately eliminates it – remember this is an advanced sutra and one must understand karma and the process of ‘becoming’, called Dependent Arising, to fully understand. Yet, even without the full theories I think one might grasp at its deep logic and still benefit.
Our suffering arises out of a certain ignorance. Our natural instinct is to turn away and flee from that which causes discomfort which prevents us from realising this ignorance. By resisting the temptation to avoid pain and suffering, we experience the opportunity to recognise this ignorance, which when recognised completely changes it.
Think about a young child going to see a doctor. For some this can be a frightening time. They can become really traumatised particularly if they need blood taken or some form of investigation that might be uncomfortable. Yet, once they are familiar with the doctor and no longer fear any procedure, they experience significantly less discomfort. The main point here is the role of fear in making a mildly unpleasant experience into one of abject terror.
We cannot directly remove the pain or discomfort of life, but we can modify it by recognising it is our fear that amplifies any unpleasant experience. It is our fear that tends to overwhelm us, and by deliberately challenging this fear we can, sometimes with miraculous results, transform any anticipated pain or suffering.
The Wheel of Sharp Weapons encourages us to abandon our distractions and question this fear, which arises through ignorance. By not turning away we learn to mitigate fear and through this, largely eliminate any overwhelming discomfort.
This doesn’t mean we should become masochistic, simply we should recognise the main problem is fear, and not pain or suffering. By standing our ground we face this fear and eventually recognise it is unnecessary and through understanding, eliminate it completely.
