Suffering

I will attempt to bring forth in the mind a broad look at suffering in the human condition as I write this from the comfort of my warm home sipping on a hot cup of coffee. I cannot speak of the horrors and continuing atrocities currently blanketing portions of the globe or what life is like for the humans who have to endure life without a home, food and clean water but this might shine a light into the darkness which fuels such hideousness.

Why humans suffer?

Suffering arises from our resistance to the natural flow of life. Humans suffer because we live in a state of duality--dividing the world into categories such as good and evil, desirable and undesirable. When we cling to certain outcomes or reject others, we set ourselves up for disappointment. Our identification with a separate ego-self, disconnected from the larger universe, is the root of this resistance. The illusion of control is a major source of suffering. Alan Watts once stated " We suffer because we confuse what is real with what is merely a concept." The ego's insistence on permanence in a world that is constantly changing creates anxiety and dissatisfaction. It also fosters the need for control and approval keeping us locked in a cycle of desires and fears creating suffering.

Sadhguru addresses suffering by focusing the mind's role in creating it. He teaches that suffering in not inherent to life but is a product of how we manage our thoughts and emotions. Humans suffer because they are identified their psychological drama--thoughts, emotions, and memories--rather than experiencing life as it is in the present moment. The human ability to imagine and project into the future or dwell on the past can be both a blessing and a curse. When the mind is out of control, it generates suffering. The attachment to the body, possessions, and relationships can lead to suffering. The mind is constantly creating unnecessary suffering by replaying painful memories or imagining worst case scenarios. This "psychological suffering" is distinct from physical pain, which is a natural part of life.

Eckhart Tolle explains that human suffering stems from living in a state of psychological time. The mind creates a false sense of self, or ego, by identifying with thoughts, memories, and projections into the future. This identification with the "thinking mind" generates a sense of incompleteness, and this incompleteness leads to suffering. Tolle often describes this as the "pain body," an accumulation of unresolved emotional pain that continually resurfaces and perpetuates suffering. Most human suffering is caused by either living in the past, which leads to regret or guilt, or in the future, which leads to anxiety and fear. The ego is never satisfied in the present moment because it is always seeking fulfillment through external circumstances, which are temporary and unreliable. This creates a cycle of dissatisfaction and suffering.

Rupert Spira approaches suffering from the perspective of awareness and perception. Suffering arises from the belief that we are separate individuals living in a world of objects, distinct from other beings and from the universe. This belief in separation is what creates suffering, as it leads to feelings of isolation, fear, and lack. Spira explains that when we identify with the body and mind (the finite self), we are constantly seeking happiness through external objects--whether relationships, achievements, or material possessions. Because these external things are temporary and limited, they cannot provide lasting fulfillment. The search for happiness outside ourselves perpetuates the cycle of suffering because it reinforces the false sense of separation.

Is suffering real?

Suffering is both real and not real. It is real because we experience it, but it is not real in the ultimate sense because it is a product of the ego's illusions, the mind's projections, and our attachment to impermanence. By shifting our awareness from the ego to a more expansive consciousness--whether through meditation, presence, or compassion---we can transcend suffering and discover a deeper, more abiding peace. Suffering is real on the level of experience, but also as an illusion created by the mind. Suffering is the product of identification with the ego, which is a false construct. From the perspective of pure awareness suffering is not real. It is a mental construct that dissolves when we are fully present and connected to the deeper reality beyond the mind. Our true nature is not the body or mind but infinite awareness, which is always at peace and inherently free from suffering. The experience of suffering is like a dream; it feels real while your in it, but when we wake up to our true nature, we realize that it was never real in the ultimate sense. The root of suffering is ignorance of our true identity as pure awareness. Suffering can also be a teacher that pushes us towards spiritual growth. Suffering could lead to a deeper understanding of life's transience, we can use suffering as a motivation for personal transformation.

How can we transcend suffering?

The only way I have found which works for me is coming back or rather awakening to the present moment. This has been a challenge at times especially when I get lost in thought drifting into the past or pining on the future. I use practices like mindfulness, walking meditation, and martial arts to assist in cultivating a state of presence in the "Now". In the present moment I see suffering as opportunity for growth and a deeper insight for understanding myself.