Suffering as Path to Enlightenment
This is no reason to seek out suffering for its own sake. Nevertheless, if suffering is present, it can be seen as an excellent occasion to continue one’s most valuable path.
Any suffering, physically or emotionally
What turns physical pain into mental suffering can mainly be regarded as profoundly emotional.
In this wholeness of pain and suffering, a path can be found toward human depth. The main challenge lies in looking beyond the immediately given. For this, focusing attention to the concrete situation is crucial. At the same time, it “does not matter.” Any suffering can be an entry to self-transcendence.
Suffering as teacher
Listening to the teacher’s heart ― if the suffering is there, one can go with its flow. Not resisting it shows the way to deeper understanding and wisdom.
One needs to do this in order to know this.
Then – and only then – the suffering teaches us the profound way out of suffering. That is not like any other way. It brings us into contact with our clinging ― thereby the root of ego.
But, but, but doesn’t count anymore.
What really hurts
Meanwhile, what really hurts is a drawing in two directions:
- The total self, drawing toward transcending the mere-ego.
- The ego drawing in the opposite direction.
This causes tears in the soul ― hence, suffering. Through these tears, Enlightenment (The Eastern one, sunyata, nothing special) shines.
Following the path
Not pushing away the suffering, the path lies in accepting the ego in interdependence with the total self.
Thereby, accepting the pain in a profound way of acceptance. The REL of AU-REL-IS points to the relaxation of this bringing together of opposites. Ego and total self find and accept each other. Thus, they don’t hurt each other anymore.
At peace, at last
At peace, one can find the direction that has always been the aim. Of course, this is not the direction toward inside the suffering, but through it.
The aim is the path.
The suffering is the path.
But the aim is also what the path leads to: continual progress on the road to Compassionate Enlightenment.
The path itself is the Enlightenment.
Related Posts
Awakening to Subconceptual Processing
‘Awakening’ in the sense of this blog is a universal experience — an opening to deeper layers of reality beyond ordinary ‘conceptual’ perception. Although often explored through the teachings of the Buddha (literally, ‘the Awakened’), this is not limited to any specific culture or belief system. It represents a profound shift in how we perceive Read the full article…
Agents and Expected Rewards
This is a story from expectation to motivation. Any motivation is eventually the expectation of ‘reward,’ be it a concrete one or more abstract; be it deeply value-based or more superficial. The simple case looks like conditioning. You may read first about what agents are. An agent acts upon a reward by learning from it Read the full article…
Comfortably Numb
In a fight between mere-ego and total self, being/staying numb can be the most comfortable option. I encounter this mindset frequently ― unfortunately, also in scientists. Please read first about mere-ego versus total self. Where’s the numbness? The numbness here lies in avoiding any fight by surrendering to mere-ego before the fighting starts. Even deeper Read the full article…