Practical Insight Meditation

It is a truism that nobody likes suffering and everybody seekshappiness. In this world of ours, human beings make allpossible efforts to prevent and alleviate suffering and to enjoyhappiness. Nevertheless, their efforts are mainly directed toobtaining their physical well-being by material means.Happiness, however, is conditioned by attitudes of mind, andyet only a few persons give real thought to mental development, while fewer still practice mind-training in earnest.To illustrate this point, attention may be drawn to thecommonplace habits of cleaning and tidying up one’s body,the endless pursuits of food, clothing and shelter, and thetremendous technological progress achieved to raise thematerial standard of living, to improve the means oftransportation and communication, and to prevent and curediseases and ailments. All these strivings are, in the main,concerned with the care and nourishment of the body, andit must be recognized that they are essential. However,these human efforts and achievements cannot possiblyalleviate or eradicate the suffering associated with old ageand death, domestic infelicity and economic troubles, inshort, with non-satisfaction of wants and desires. Sufferingof this nature cannot be overcome by material means; itcan be overcome only by mind-training and mentaldevelopment.