This blog is optional. What I write here in no way is specific advice for your situation. I want you to decide for yourself. I'm happy if you decide for yourself.
Yes. The Dhamma of Buddhism is the path to the end of suffering (or so sayeth Buddhism). It's both simple and complicated. Simple because it is about being free of craving... to achieve the end of suffering. Complex and intricate because clinging and suffering come in so many different flavors.
I'm pretty darn committed to the path, to understand and loosen every single flavor of that suffering and clinging. It's not easy. And so what I write here is my exploration, my field notes, my map. Your map will probably look quite a bit different. May you meet good mapmakers along the way, to help you fill in your blind spots.
What I'm trying to say with this post is: I'm not saying you need to agree with me. This is true in two distinct ways. (1) you might not be trying to end all suffering. You might have a different goal. And if that's true, don't try to apply what I am sharing. It will be the wrong medicine. (2) even if you are trying to end all suffering, your path may be different. According to the Buddha, all paths must go through the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Like you need discernment/insight and you need concentration. But the exact sequencing and obstacles and the words you will use to describe--- all that will vary.
I am writing this, spurred by reading Group, by Christie Tate. I enjoyed it a lot. It is a wonderful path, with lots of overlap to what I've learned in Buddhism. But ultimately, it's not about ending all suffering in the Buddhist (monastic?) sense. But it has many lessons of learning to be comfortable in one's own mind, of listening to our internal machinations. And that is no small thing at all.
