Once, there was a farmer who went to see the Buddha.
He had heard many wonderful, incredible and amazing stories about the Buddha - how the Buddha is an Enlightened One, a Great Teacher, a Compassionate being, an All-Knowing One, etc etc.
Like all of us, he has some problems in his life which he hope and expect the Buddha to help him solve.
Farmer : I like farming. But sometimes it doesn't rain. When it rains, sometimes it's not enough , and my crops can't grow. Take last year for example, we nearly starved. Then, there are times when it rains too much; so I don't have the kind of yield I want.
The Buddha nodded his head in quiet acknowledge to the farmer's complains, and listened patiently as the farmer continued.
"You know, I'm married. She's a nice lady, a good wife. I do love her but sometimes, she nags so much! And sometimes, I feel I'm tired of her, our relationship, and I want out. I want to have a change. I want to feel excitement again ........"
"I also have children ........ they are good children. It's just that sometimes they don't show me enough respect, the respect I feel they should. And then there's ........"
The farmer went on and on, pouring out all his life's problems to the Buddha, as the Compassionate One listened quietly.
After he had finished, he looked expectantly at the Enlightened One, hoping for an answer which would put everything right.
However, to his astonishment, the Buddha replied flatly, "I can't help you."
The farmer was shocked.
"What do you mean you can't help me?! You are the Buddha, for goodness sake!" cried the farmer.
"It's true I'm the Buddha. But it's also true that everyone got problems," the Buddha calmly replied.
"As a matter of fact, all of us have 83999 problems.
Each one of us.
And there's nothing we can do about it.
If you work really hard in solving one of them, perhaps you can fix it.
But even if you do, another one will pop up immediately to take its place.
Take for example, you're going to lose your loved ones one day.
And even yourself, you're going to die some day.
That by itself is a problem. And there's nothing you, I, or anyone can do about it."
"Huh?! I thought they said you are a great Teacher!" the farmer shouted angrily.
"I thought you can help me! What kind of help is that? What kind of teaching is that? Of what good and use is your teaching then?!"
"Maybe to help you with your 84000th problem." said the Buddha quietly.
"84000th problem? What 84000th problem? What is the 84000 problem?" asked the farmer, puzzled, confused and lost.
"Your want to not have any problems." was the Wise One's reply.
And that, by the way is the good and use of the Buddha's Teachings - to stop our complains and dissatisfactions and discontentment with life, and to see life as it is - Suffering.
"Life is suffering.
Life is a joke.
Suffering is a joke.
If you can look and laugh at Suffering as you would a joke,
You suffer no more!"
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"Happiness follows sorrow,
Just as sorrow follows happiness.
When one no longer discriminates between happiness and sorrow,
One realises Freedom."
- The Buddha
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"My teachings is not to come and believe,
But to PRACTICE."
- The Buddha"Whatever method we adopt to overcome our problems, it is impossible to gain complete satisfaction in our lives until we train our Minds and reduce selfishness and craving.
The Teachings of The Buddha give us a very clear exposition of how to understand the nature of human problems, and how to overcome them."
- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda
