"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional"
#pv_diaries #stress #stressmangement #healing #suffering #philosophy #spirituality
A quote is attributed to three great people out there. "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional". It is attributed to Dalai Lama, Haruki Murakami, and M. Katheleen Casey.
Anyways, it captures the essence of today's post beautifully. 'Pain' is essentially something, that will accompany you, till you cease to exist. For example, there is pain in dental surgery, there is pain in learning a new programming language and so on. But once the dental surgery is over, it is time to "move on". It is fine. It was painful. It was uncomfortable. It was long. But, once it is over, one just needs to forget that and move on.
The choice to "cling" on that experience or memory and replaying it in the mind is a choice of "suffering". Yes, "suffering is a choice".
Suffering means "dukha", which is opposite of happiness (sukha).
There are three types of Dukhas:
1. Adhibhautika: Bodily pain. And the process of the birth starts with a dukha. Old age is also a dukha. Disease, hunger, thirst and all other bodily experiences are a source of dukha.
2. Adhidaivika - natural calamities like earthquakes etc.
3. Adhyatima - emotions and attachments generally lead to this type of Dukha. Desires, Ambitions lead to this type of dukha.
Now, I will take some renowned philosopher's quote, to share my (am i?, if i am, who am i?) perspective.
"Cogito ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am) is a (the?) very famous quote of a French Philosopher Rene Descartes. It means (I mean, it means) that there is something that exists, and it is the "self". When you doubt about your existence, who is that "who" doubts about the existence. Isn't it the proof of existence? It went on to become the foundation of the Western Philosophy.
That brings me to the Buddha's first noble truth, "Existence is the cause of suffering". Now that Descartes has already proven that I "exist" in the most meaningful way possible, it is "I" who suffer. It is "I" who feel the dukha. Many believe that the true translation of dukha should be dissatisfaction or stress. But, that may be discussed later. As one exists, the suffering is inevitable. So, what to do?
To that, the Buddha says, it is the attachment, that is the cause of suffering (The second noble truth of Buddhism). Clinging on to anything and everything leads to suffering.
The Buddha further emphasizes that once the attachment (carving) ends, the suffering ends. And he goes on to show the eight fold path to end that carving.
To that, a famous is quote is generally attributed to the Buddha is, "You become, what you think".
Conclusion:
If I connect all the above dots, here is my model to end the suffering:
0. You think. And therefore you exist. There is no way to deny the existence.
1. Existence is the cause of suffering due to the carving (attachment).
2. Purify your thoughts. It works on GIGO principle - Garbage In, Garbage Out.
3. Let go "everything" - even your existence - forget - forgive. Don't worry if that makes you look weak. Just do it so that you do not "cling" onto anything. That way, you will get rid of your carvings.
4. In the end, when you let go everything, you let go suffering too and make peace with the pain.
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