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
Gratitude
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a time to reflect on what we are thankful for. While its origins are tied to the harvest and the blessings of the year, Thanksgiving also serves as a moment to pause and appreciate the connections and abundance in our lives. But gratitude, at its essence, is Read the full article…
14. Is This Me, or Is It My Brain?
I use my brain, but who is ‘I’ without a brain? Is a brain an instrument of ‘I’? If this is the case, then is ‘I’ a kind of homunculus that is present somewhere in a separate box in the brain? In the Middle Ages it was thought that this was indeed the case. For Read the full article…
From Inner Dissociation to Many Why’s
The COVID era reminded me that most people usually do not profoundly look at themselves even though it’s what they would profoundly want. Why such a seeming contradiction? The religions-exercise Around 80% of people on the planet believe in a conceptual religious phenomenon — for instance, some God with a name or a face or Read the full article…