Pain is inevitable

[cherydactyl]

The First Noble Truth declares unflinchingly, straight out, that pain is inherent in life itself just because everything is changing. The Second Noble Truth explains that suffering is what happens when we struggle with whatever our life experience is rather than accepting and opening to our experience with wise and compassionate response. From this point of view, theres a big difference between pain and suffering. Pain is inevitable; lives come with pain. Suffering is not inevitable. If suffering is what happens when we struggle with experience because of our inability to accept it, then suffering is an optional extra.

I misunderstood this when I started my practice and believed if I meditated hard enough I would be finished with all pain. That turned out to be a big mistake. I was disappointed when I discovered the error and embarrassed that I had been so nave. Its obvious we are not going to finish with pain in this lifetime.

The Buddha said, Everything dear to us causes pain. Those of us who have chosen relational life have made the choice that the pain is worth it.

-Sylvia Boorstein, Its Easier Than You Think, from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith
Tricycle's Daily Dharma: February 16, 2008

Comments

[cornellbox.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your 'daily dharma' postings; I haven't commented on them before, but sometimes they're just apropos.

[cherydactyl.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I mostly post them when they seem apropos to me, but it's wonderful to hear that other people find value in them!

[pattimst3k.livejournal.com]

I like them, too :)

[cherydactyl.livejournal.com]

Cool.

I guess my stealth campaign to spread humanist-Buddhist thought ought to be counted a success. ;-)

[cornellbox.livejournal.com]

Yeah. This just seemed timely and fitting, and it occurred to me that I ought to let you know that.

I'm aware of the wonderfulness of feedback, and far too often I'm working without any, myself. So I've been thinking that I ought to at least try not to perpetuate that, and participate and let people know I'm reading what they write.

So, again, thanks.

[evalerie.livejournal.com]

Oh I know you! Hi!

[cornellbox.livejournal.com]

Aha; Yes, I suppose I do know you, as well. Hello!

[cherydactyl.livejournal.com]

I should remember that too. I have for the most part successfully curbed my impulses to comment unhelpfully when I disagree...but sometimes I have skipped over commenting on things when all I have to say is IAWTC/P (I agree with this comment/post). I will have to watch that and see if I could/should comment more. :)

[surakofb5.livejournal.com]

(I'm going to get in so much trouble for this one, but it's the first thing that came to mind...)

"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something."

Joking aside, I do enjoy your daily dharma posts.

[cherydactyl.livejournal.com]

Why would you get in trouble? It's absolutely true. Westley is completely correct.

The quote I posted is about how we respond to pain. We can either create suffering (with a "why me?" attitude, for example) from pain, or use the information the pain provides appropriately (It hurts when I do this; Well, don't do that.) :-)

And thanks for letting me know you like them. I had assumed they were merely tolerated by most people on my f'list.

[surakofb5.livejournal.com]

It just seemed horribly inappropriate to respond to a serious post with something humorous. But as you say, Westley is absolutely right.

I've never been interested in religions involving deities, but some of the Eastern spiritual beliefs resonate with me. There's a great deal of wisdom in the quotes you post. One of these days I'll find time to do some serious reading on Buddhism.

[cherydactyl.livejournal.com]

One of the things I find that I like about Buddhism is that the line between "serious" and "humorous" is gone or at least very faint. There is truth in humor, and Buddhists seem to see that faster and more deeply than the average person. I would imagine many Buddhist monastics and other teachers would nod and smile when confronted with the PB quote you cite. Truth is everywhere.