human beings without work go to seed, page-12

Human beings, women and men, young and old, who in life indulge in idleness or who retire and then live the life of leisure by way of only doing nothing fall into a serious identity crisis as a rule.

the 'identity crisis' is not related to not working

instead, the 'identity crisis' is due to spending a life cultivating an 'identity' that is not actually anything real

this phenomena is something very subtle but represents the core of Buddha's teaching about the reality of the genesis human suffering

when Buddha taught:

From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging. From clinging as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress & suffering.

the word 'birth' refers to the 'birth' of 'self-identity'


There are these five clung-to-aggregates, friend Visakha: form as a clung-to-aggregate, feeling as a clung-to-aggregate, perception as a clung-to-aggregate, fabrications as a clung-to-aggregate, consciousness as a clung-to-aggregate. These five clung-to-aggregates are the self-identification described by the Blessed One."

The craving that makes for new becoming [of self-identity] — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming: This, friend Visakha, is the origination of self-identification described by the Blessed One."

Culavedalla Sutta

very few are in a position to investigate, let alone comprehend, this process of the mind's own creation


He assumes consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness. He is seized with the idea that 'I am consciousness' or 'Consciousness is mine.' As he is seized with these ideas, his consciousness changes & alters, and he falls into sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair over its change & alteration.

Nakulapita Sutta