Buddhism frequently speaks of overcoming dissatisfaction and discontentment, as if these experiences are always undesirable. In certain respects, however, discontentment is necessary. No matter what we have achieved in the past about which we may justifiably feel proud, we should not be satisfied with that but should look to develop and improve ourselves further. This is an ongoing process. We should have the enthusiasm to want to go further and further in relating to others and developing ourselves on a spiritual and psychological level. Our normal experiences of dissatisfaction, incompleteness, deprivation, privation, or sense of lack can and must be sublimated into spiritual ones. We should never be satisfied with our spiritual progress, thinking, ‘‘This will do,’’ or ‘‘That is enough.’’ We should always have hunger for deeper, higher, richer experiences on the path.
Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche
from the book The Essence of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its Philosophy and Practice
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