What Is The Root Cause Of Suffering?
Life is suffering, this is the teaching of the Buddha. Why is it suffering? It must be that something makes this suffering. Yes, it is true; it is something rooted within, and when it is activated, it bursts out and gives rise to the fruit of suffering. Then we ask “What is the root of suffering?” The answer which the Buddha himself gave, in Itivuttaka, is that the root of suffering is desire, which consists of three roots; greed, hatred and delusion. If the roots of suffering are eliminated, life can be extremely happy.
What is next when the roots are already known? The answer is, to learn the method which can get rid of them and apply this method in life. What is the method mentioned? It is the purification of the mind. Why purify the mind? Because it is a producer which can create everything from small to big, so greed, hatred and delusion try to conquer some parts of the mind, or the whole of it. If the mind is pure, nothing can take root in it; as the Buddha said in Dhammapada, “Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow”. Take good care of your mind, then your life will be safe.
http://www.buddhapadipa.org/dhamma-corner/what-is-the-root-cause-of-suffering/It is interesting to me that the Buddha mentions purification of the mind. Although in this quote he does not specifically answer how one is able to purify the mind he does say if one speaks and acts with a pure mind happiness will follow. I have found that we can learn much about other people and ourselves by what they/we say and do. We do not have to react or even respond. We can just observe. We are able to express ourselves in and thru many vehicles. We may even share roles. However eventually who we are and what we are becomes apparent. Especially in our words and actions.
Once Sri Yukteswar gave someone (Kumar) in the ashram more authority than Yogananda. The devotee was unhappy because other devotees kept going to Yogananda for advice. Later Sri Yukteswar told him that he wanted to show him that having authority alone is not sufficient to be a leader. In the same way someone can be cast into any role and not be able to play that role effectively. This is a lesson for all of us. (See 'Kumar from the Autobiography' in another thread.)
Jitendra