A Monk Founder

Each of you is perfect the way you are, and you can use a little improvement.
- Shunryū Suzuki

Preamble

Should I become a founder or a monk? I know some of you can relate, as for a driven mind there's no in-between.

When one becomes aware of the four noble truth there arises a sense of personal moral responsibility to achieve enlightenment. Because why would you choose to pursue anything else if the only thing that keeps hurting you is solvable?

I've come to a realization that I will probably never escape suffering - and that's okay. The realization came to me at a cost, but the result feels like freedom.

Duhkha

The four sights have awakened Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) to the realities of human suffering (old age, sickness, and death) and have inspired him to seek a solution. This was approximately 25 centuries ago.

Both me and you are likely to be extremely privileged as I write this, but my personal belief is that personal suffering for most humans has come down since then.

That is to say, does one have to overcome dukkha?
Does one have the personal moral responsibility to do so?
What if one is fine with life the way it is?

What if everyone was a monk

Unfortunately, one must be unsatisfied with the world in order to make it better. Thus, a "founder monk" is an oxymoron.
The same unsatisfaction one is trying to overcome is essential for the other to exist.

Let's exercise a thought that tomorrow everyone becomes enlightened. Would this not quickly drive humanity to extinction? The mere desire to reproduce directly leads to attachment and suffering.

What if living with unsatisfaction is the only way to decrease everyone's suffering?
What if as humanity, we can continue to decrease it further?

That is to say, is this not the boddhisatva ideal?
Would you not trade a little bit of personal suffering for an attempt to make everyone's life better?
And if so, don't you have a moral responsibility to do so?

Approaching the middle-way

Answering those questions, the world is truly unsatisfactory and I think it's fine.

As long as one is not lost in dualistic views and the pursuit of egotistic desires, one may try to build for everyone's benefit.

Perhaps this understanding is within many practitioners that don't give up on the regular life to become monks. One might try to approximate the teachings as much as possible, without giving up to vows.

Getting closer to the middle way will help to distinguish the truth, not focusing on it too much will help you stay grounded, this seems like the most optimal of choices.

Tathata

Approaching the middle-way seems increasingly simpler when one arrives at "suchness"

It's funny because I think western thought has arrived at this concept on it's own, through stoic efforts and, unmistakably, memes. You know the power of "it is what it is"? Then you know tathata.

Although all dualities arise from the One,
do not cling even to this One.
When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way,
everything is without fault.
— 鑑智僧璨, 信心銘

This non-judgemental view on reality, when even suffering is appreciated, brings pure bliss and joy to my heart.

Conclusion

The Great Way is all-embracing,
not easy, not difficult.
Those who rely on limited views are fearful and irresolute;
the faster they hurry, the slower they go.

Clinging, they go too far,
even an attachment to enlightenment is to go astray.
Just let things be in their own way as they are,
and there is neither coming nor going
— 鑑智僧璨, 信心銘

Maybe giving up on nirvana would actually get you closer to it.