History of Philosophy in Sixteen Questions: Why is Life So Hard?

This lecture explores the original impulse at the foundation of Buddhism to overcome human suffering by eliminating the causes of that suffering. Delivered by Wesley Cecil PhD. at FinnRiver Cidery in Chimacum Washington.
The Lecture handout and more information available at wescecil.com

[@Emig72]

Lol the baby track really helps me empathize with suffering. Brilliant!

[@demoncard1180]

Suffering starts early.

[@glennodell4003]

I love the teacher so much , I’ll put up with crying baby

[@LoudPaintings]

Unless this is Wes' own baby, this proves he's one hell of a guy. Knowing that he is recording this to put online in a lecture series and doesn't ask the person to step outside is amazing to me. In other lectures where cell phones are going off, he kindly mentions please turn them off. I'm really hoping there is a legitimate reason that the baby had to be there instead of just an inconsiderate attendee.

[@stevewhatnall]

The best translation of dukha that I've heard is 'unsatisfactoriness'. This helped me make sense of the 4 noble truths; suffering is not just major issues it's also all the little things that that don't go our way . . . .

[@Wingedmagician]

Thank you so much for uploading these. Keep looking forward to each one.

[@bebeezra]

_"Hey I have a great idea! Let's take the baby to tonight's philosophy lecture."_

[@Ignirium]

I'm glad they were able to go and they made the decision to go with the baby

[@bryanosbourne1781]

@@Ignirium ahoy me mateys! It be an internet troll!

[@axiomtv5481]

Kudos to that baby's parents for exposing it to philosophy at such an early stage.

[@jasminejeanine2239]

We're all the main characters in our own stories that we and our societies, famiies tell us to have then we get stressed and are overcome by guilt, shame, fear everytime when it doesn't go to plan. He's saying stay in the now, don't stress just BE.

[@ELTarTree]

A point in case for antinatalism

[@HxH2011DRA]

Indeed

[@johnkaufman6605]

Why would a parent/guardian be so inconsiderate to others. Usually when babies are brought to events like this, the parents/guardians leave the room with the child to comfort the child.

[@pillmuncher67]

How many Zen masters does it take to screw in a light bulb? Three. One screws in the light bulb, one doesn't screw in the light bulb, and one neither does nor doesn't screw in the light bulb.

[@dc74835]

Some Buddhists might tell you that the goal of Buddhism is to break all your attachments to the world. Ironically, this is probably a just view that people get attached to and beat themselves with. Ending the cycle of re-birth can be taken as letting go of taking your own experience personally. There is no need to create a sense of self in the middle of your experience. Ajahn Sumedho describes this really well in dozens of talks that you can find on KZbin. He has been a monk for decades and he is still full of personality and humour. He definitely hasn't become cool and detached. His teacher, Ajahn Chah, might have been fully enlightened and is usually described as being full of humanity and warmth.

[@HxH2011DRA]

Easily the best lecture on this channel.

[@NevetsTSmith]

why hello there person who frequents cockshott's channel.

[@HxH2011DRA]

@@NevetsTSmith ello mate

[@PajPobTsuasVaj]

I love all your videos.

[@FuzelSayed]

Thank you professor

[@pinosantilli8297]

Stop that damn baby from crying!

[@FuzelSayed]

Detach from the noise

[@jordanf451]

Why he sounds like Alan Wats here?

[@danstan8346]

I keep getting attached to that crying baby.

Good as always. I just wish someone had answers to aaaaall of these 😁 The truth is you are the only one. But that's what we don't trust and avoid at all costs. 😩 But that's where truth is. Your truth. Taking responsibility of our own truth is our own job here in my opinion but I am designed by parents not to trust or listen to myself but oblige only to them to make it easier for them. So there is a block there.

[@bebeezra]

Your comment is extremely relatable. I came from a very similar upbringing. I was conditioned (brain-washed) that my father's way - *was the only way.* The problem with that conditioning is that even after you realize your parents are more clueless than you could ever imagine - much like a default setting - unless you're aware you will always seek for *_"the truth"_* (answers) outside of yourself which inherently makes you prey to the *_"TRUTH merchants"._* These could come in the form of so-called authorities, ideologies, philosophies, religions, self-help gurus, prestigious professors - anyone who embodies the _"parental archetype"_ to peddle their *"TRUTH"* fits the description. You mentioned you wished you knew all the answers. Coming from someone presumably much, much older than you, I have only had one question painfully answered and at great expense - *no one has the answers or the TRUTH.* Some have good answers, some have much better answers, but anyone who claims they have *_the answer_* or *_the truth_* is usually full of shit. Trust your Bull Shit detector, listen to it when it beeps and you'll be just fine. 👍🏻

[@bubbalandbeau9872]

Question 8: Why is life so difficult? ☸️ Buddhism

[@xpert9001]

if all i had to do was sit for 6 days, that would be amazing

[@xpert9001]

Im not sure i could do even that!!

[@Dr_Mel]

"Old being 30". This is a pervasive misconception. People didn't die of old age earlier than they do now, infant mortality is what drove life expectancy down, and insipid disease was a common killer, but no one would call 30 "old" through most of history. All one needs to do is observe in paintings and written accounts that truly old people were not some mythical rarity. And it's not as if people turned wrinkly and grey in their 30s, either.

[@MexTexican]

Why did someone bring their baby? We are not interested in hearing it cry. We want to hear Wes Cecil!

[@demoncard1180]

It feels as though the only way to win is through non existence. This seems to me to be up with Kant at 10 points on the "I'm sorry, I can't let you do that, Dave."o'meter.

[@theshadedofinnsmouth6243]

I don't like to think of myself as an aspiring babykiller, but there are days.

[@guccigirl8510]

Or rather the mum/dad should not bring the baby inside..

[@Ignirium]

Sounds like you were suffering. what a funny thing to comment about while listening to a lecture on Buddhism lol. Also it's an innocent beautiful baby and i'd hope you love and respect life above being slightly annoyed during a small part of your day.

[@guccigirl8510]

@@Ignirium hahah i was also thinking the same but still while thinking about this i could not concentrate on the video.. And i think poor baby was suffering too without reason

[@bebeezra]

@@Ignirium *sanc·ti·mo·ny* _noun_ the action or practice of acting as if one were morally superior to other people.

[@johnkaufman6605]

@@Ignirium It is not the baby's fault. I think most people get that. Still it counts as a violation of the social objective that most people had in mind. A group of people congregate in order to hear Wes Cecil talk about philosophy. Does the parent/guardian have a right to interrupt the proceedings. Shounldn't they realize that consciously interfering with others enjoyment/interest in Wes Cecil's ideas is a violation of said people, and the speaker. Again; it is not about the baby, but the nature of the gathering.

[@peterthomasjones3675]

the baby was too much man

[@pinosantilli8297]

Who in the heck brings a baby to a lecture? What is this church?

[@michaelpinholt6039]

Pino Santilli my thoughts exactly.

[@Hnw761]

Seriously after 30 minutes didn’t the parent realize that it was inappropriate to have a baby at a philosophy speech.

[@VinnieMTG2024]

Life is hard for those who are soft

[@Jessesloveshack]

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[@HxH2011DRA]

U gud?

[@Jessesloveshack]

@@HxH2011DRA im suffering

[@HxH2011DRA]

@@Jessesloveshack have you tried some Epicurean philosophy?

[@Jessesloveshack]

@@HxH2011DRA Have you heard of the high elves?

[@HxH2011DRA]

@@Jessesloveshack no but I'm curious

[@N4DC1]

Seems like a lot of people who are negatively commenting about their transitory suffering from having heard the baby are missing the point. You are all focusing too hard on the baby sounds and hung up on it to the point that you are annoyed. So it's not the baby and its sounds that is annoying you, you are annoying yourself. :)

[@bebeezra]

Wrong on both your holiness. We are annoyed at the inconsiderate parents, and the comments are totally justifiable.

[@N4DC1]

Now you are just hung up on the parents.

[@N4DC1]

@@bebeezra lol

[@joesimaen]

How to hang up, be hung up, when, why, how much? Ah, philosophy.

[@bryanosbourne1781]

Haha what hypocritical irony. You moralize your position and take a _holier-than-thou_ stance against everyone for getting distracted by a baby crying during the lecture, yet you are equally distracted by all the comments about the baby crying.

[@koowasha]

Not the best lecturer on Buddhism. I am your fan anyhow.

[@mysticseer19]

The baby crying is so annoying….

[@axiomtv5481]

Good day, Mr Cecil. My name is A. Radical and I have written a book, W.I.L.D., What Is Life Definitively -- that uses logic to demonstrate that experience is a deliberate endeavor. The work is due out in early August and I would be honored if you would review it. Btw, you are also cited in the text.

[@joejohnson6327]

Do not reproduce & reduce the amount of suffering in the world.