Buddhism

The second Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering, which describes the primary source of suffering. The primary source of suffering is clinging onto anything, understanding the reason for suffering allows one to realize the cause and work towards changing the ways in which they cling onto things. Clinging onto things are closely associated with wanting, craving, seeking, addiction, obsession, or desire. Clinging onto things lead to suffering in two possible ways. The first being the that clinging, itself, is a form of suffering as it is constricting. Despite the fact that the thing individuals are clinging onto giving them joy, "the craving itself robs the enjoyable experience of some of its savor" (Hanson 3). The second being that everything in life is constantly changing, nothing is permanent and as a result this can cause suffering. Since each and every moment is different and different aspects of human life are always changing, the human mind attempts to find aspects of his or her life to stabilize themselves. Human beings are chasing after aspects of their life to hold onto, in attempts to better understand and get a hold on life, this mindset was developed to help human beings survive (Hanson 3). However, these moments or attempt do not last very long as things are inevitably going to change. In addition to the two ways an individual can experience suffering, the Buddha also taught the four main points of clinging. The four main points of clinging are "To sense pleasures – which includes resisting unpleasant experiences, to the notion or sense of self, to views, and to routines and rituals", life is filled with displeasing experiences, however, human beings can control the amount of unpleasant experiences they have by choosing to let go of desires that they cannot experience and by not resisting unpleasant experiences that are out of their control (Hanson 4). Holding onto this desire only furthers suffering and majority of the time once a person has reached their desire they are left to discover that their desires do not bring them great joy. For example, someone may desire a life full of money, wealth, and fame, but once they attain this lifestyle the individual may find out that they are missing out on  some other aspect of life.The moment of satisfaction is typically short-lived in many cases. Life does offer moments of peace and joy, but the point Buddha attempts to make is that they all end with suffering in the end, everything that arises is eventually going to cease and there is no way around it (Hanson 5). Therefore, it is best to avoid clinging on to events, moments, places, and people. Instead, to focus on liberating oneself and one's mind from this cycle of suffering, through rebirth and death. Enjoy the experiences that are given, but avoid clinging to them.