Suffering is the first rule of life

[Spiderman]

I can't sleep. I'm in too much pain from surgery. I find relief from my suffering by offering it up to my spirit-guides and meditation on the sufferings of Christ. I've also been googling what wise people say about suffering.

Wise men in every tradition tell us that suffering brings clarity, illumination; for the Buddha, suffering is the first rule of life, and insofar as some of it arises from our own wrongheadedness, our cherishing of self, we have the cure for it within. Thus in certain cases, suffering may be an effect, as well as a cause, of taking ourselves too seriously. In my readings I came across a Zen-trained painter in Japan, in his 90s, who said that suffering is a privilege, it moves us toward thinking about essential things and shakes us out of shortsighted complacency; when he was a boy, he said, it was believed you should pay for suffering, it proves such a hidden blessing.

As I've said before, my suffering makes me more humble and compassionate. It leads me to think about the agony others are in and want to relieve that pain.

Suffering sucks, I dread it, hate it, want to be euthanized to get away from it, but it teaches me so much and makes me a better, stronger, and wiser person.

Anyway, I love you Buddha, Ghandi, Jesus, mother Teresa, Saint Faustina, Bernadette, and all noble minds who acquired their wisdom and purity through tedious daily bitter martyrdoms. ((Hugs))

 

[Journeyholic]

I can't sleep. I'm in too much pain from surgery. I find relief from my suffering by offering it up to my spirit-guides and meditation on the sufferings of Christ. I've also been googling what wise people say about suffering.

Wise men in every tradition tell us that suffering brings clarity, illumination; for the Buddha, suffering is the first rule of life, and insofar as some of it arises from our own wrongheadedness, our cherishing of self, we have the cure for it within. Thus in certain cases, suffering may be an effect, as well as a cause, of taking ourselves too seriously. In my readings I came across a Zen-trained painter in Japan, in his 90s, who said that suffering is a privilege, it moves us toward thinking about essential things and shakes us out of shortsighted complacency; when he was a boy, he said, it was believed you should pay for suffering, it proves such a hidden blessing.

As I've said before, my suffering makes me more humble and compassionate. It leads me to think about the agony others are in and want to relieve that pain.

Suffering sucks, I dread it, hate it, want to be euthanized to get away from it, but it teaches me so much and makes me a better, stronger, and wiser person.

Anyway, I love you Buddha, Ghandi, Jesus, mother Teresa, Saint Faustina, Bernadette, and all noble minds who acquired their wisdom and purity through tedious daily bitter martyrdoms. ((Hugs))

In Islam,

You will become closer to God when you suffer. If you are patient, He will reward you immensely.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I take suffering as being a fact of life. I don't revel in it or make it out as being something special or nessessary beyond what it is. I try not to cling to much on such things. Just that it's there, for which it comes and goes.

Knowing that helps makes things a little bit easier during it's onset, duration, and dissipation.

 

[Spiderman]

In Islam,

You will become closer to God when you suffer. If you are patient, He will reward you immensely.

Amen to that!

 

[Spiderman]

I take suffering as being a fact of life. I don't revel in it or make it out as being something special or nessessary beyond what it is. I try not to cling to much on such things. Just that it's there, for which it comes and goes.

Knowing that helps makes things a little bit easier during it's onset, duration, and dissipation.

Perhaps I glorify it too much. that is the way I cope with it to avoid another suicide attempt.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Perhaps I glorify it too much. that is the way I cope with it to avoid another suicide attempt.

It seems if pain and suffering is understood better, facing it directly, and knowing what it is for what it is with experience, can help immensely in dealing with the effects pain and suffering brings to a person.

I think the first step is in knowing pain and suffering is there, and is a natural aspect of life.

Maybe a reason why it's in the forefront of the Four Noble Truths.

 

[Lucian Hodoboc]

I can't sleep. I'm in too much pain from surgery.

I'm sorry to hear that. What kind of surgery did you have? Did they not give you any painkillers for your recovery period?

In my readings I came across a Zen-trained painter in Japan, in his 90s, who said that suffering is a privilege, it moves us toward thinking about essential things and shakes us out of shortsighted complacency; when he was a boy, he said, it was believed you should pay for suffering, it proves such a hidden blessing.

Except that if the suffering is too great it can affect the ability to think properly and can cause brain fog, depersonalization, anxiety, panic attacks and all sort of experiences that make thinking about essential things difficult or even impossible.

 

[Stanyon]

Do you have a codeine drip? if so have you been visited by what I like to call the codeine demon? The codeine demon is basically a completely normal humanoid hallucination except it has no head, not as if it were beheaded but as if it were born that way, it seems a fairly common experience among those who have to use it.

 

[crossfire]

Chuang-Tzu spoke of Fasting of the Heart during times of suffering.



Fasting of the Heart

Yen Hui, the favorite disciple of Confucius, came to take leave of his Master.

"Tell me," said Yen Hui, "what is fasting of the heart?"

Confucius replied. "The goal of fasting is inner unity. This means hearing, but not with the ear; hearing, but not with the understanding; hearing with the spirit, with your whole being. The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing. The hearing of the understanding is another. But the hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty, to the ear, or to the mind. Hence it demands the emptiness of all the faculties. And when the faculties are empty, then the whole being listens. There is then a direct grasp of what is right there before you that can never be heard with the ear or understood with the mind. Fasting of the heart empties the faculties, frees you from limitation and from preoccupation. Fasting of the heart begets unity and freedom."

"I see," said Yen Hui. "What was standing in my way was my own self-awareness. If I can begin this fasting of the heart, self-awareness will vanish. Then I will be free from limitation and preoccupation! Is that what you mean?"

"Yes," said Confucius, "that's it! If you can do this, you will be able to go among men in their world without upsetting them. You will not enter into conflict with their ideal image of themselves. If they will listen, sing them a song. If not, keep silent. Don't try to break down their door. Don't try out new medicines on them. Just be there among them, because there is nothing else for you to be but one of them. Then you may have success!
It is easy to stand still and leave no trace, but it is hard to walk without touching the ground. If you follow human methods, you can get away with deception. In the way of Tao, no deception is possible.
You know that one can fly with wings: you have not yet learned about flying without wings. You are familiar with the wisdom of those who know, but you have not yet learned the wisdom of those who know not.
Look at this window: it is nothing but a hole in the wall, but because of it the whole room is full of light. So when the faculties are empty, the heart is full of light. Being full of light it becomes an influence by which others are secretly transformed."


Excerpt from The Way of Chuang Tzu
Interpreted by Thomas Merton

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I wouldn't call suffering a rule of life, though life has much suffering in it. But, it is pretty good for putting things in perspective, making us realize the things we take for granted, and it can make simple moments and pleasures more sweet (and make some things that normally shouldn't be much feel way too good, like softly messaging my bad knee feeling way better than rubbing a knee ever should).

 

[sun rise]

@PopeADope you are walking the hero's journey. To do one's best to face unasked for suffering is a hard road to walk on. I hope the following is helpful - first a short chapter of a favorite book "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden", then an echo from Kahlil Gibran:

Her dream began with winter darkness. Out of this darkness came a great hand, fisted. It was a man's hand, powerful and hollowed by the shadows of the wells between bones and tendons. The fist opened and in the long plain of the palm lay three pieces of coal. Slowly the hand closed causing within the fist a tremendous pressure. The pressure began to generate a white heat and still it increased. There was a sense of weighing, crushing time. She seemed to feel the suffering of the coal with her own body, almost beyond the point of being born. At least she cried out to the hand "Stop it! Will you never end it! Even a stone cannot bear to this limit... even a stone...!"

After what seemed like too long a time for anything molecular to endure, the torments in the fist relaxed. The fist turned slowly and very slowly opened.

Diamonds. Three of them.

Three clear and brilliant diamonds shot with light, lay in the good palm. A deep voice called to her, "Deborah." And then, gently, "Deborah, this will be you."

Chapter 24 of "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" by Hannah Green.

 

[Spiderman]

@PopeADope you are walking the hero's journey. To do one's best to face unasked for suffering is a hard road to walk on. I hope the following is helpful - first a short chapter of a favorite book "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden", then an echo from Kahlil Gibran:

Her dream began with winter darkness. Out of this darkness came a great hand, fisted. It was a man's hand, powerful and hollowed by the shadows of the wells between bones and tendons. The fist opened and in the long plain of the palm lay three pieces of coal. Slowly the hand closed causing within the fist a tremendous pressure. The pressure began to generate a white heat and still it increased. There was a sense of weighing, crushing time. She seemed to feel the suffering of the coal with her own body, almost beyond the point of being born. At least she cried out to the hand "Stop it! Will you never end it! Even a stone cannot bear to this limit... even a stone...!"

After what seemed like too long a time for anything molecular to endure, the torments in the fist relaxed. The fist turned slowly and very slowly opened.

Diamonds. Three of them.

Three clear and brilliant diamonds shot with light, lay in the good palm. A deep voice called to her, "Deborah." And then, gently, "Deborah, this will be you."

Chapter 24 of "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" by Hannah Green.

Excellent job!

 

[Spiderman]

Do you have a codeine drip? if so have you been visited by what I like to call the codeine demon? The codeine demon is basically a completely normal humanoid hallucination except it has no head, not as if it were beheaded but as if it were born that way, it seems a fairly common experience among those who have to use it.

I take hydrocodone. It helps a little. I haven't seen the demon lol

 

[Spiderman]

I'm sorry to hear that. What kind of surgery did you have? Did they not give you any painkillers for your recovery period?


0.

There was a bunch of scar tissue blocking my prostate so that a catheter could not be inserted into my bladder. they removed the scar tissue. Now I wear a catheter and am bleeding out of my penis. I take hydrocodone

 

[idav]

I can't sleep. I'm in too much pain from surgery. I find relief from my suffering by offering it up to my spirit-guides and meditation on the sufferings of Christ. I've also been googling what wise people say about suffering.

Wise men in every tradition tell us that suffering brings clarity, illumination; for the Buddha, suffering is the first rule of life, and insofar as some of it arises from our own wrongheadedness, our cherishing of self, we have the cure for it within. Thus in certain cases, suffering may be an effect, as well as a cause, of taking ourselves too seriously. In my readings I came across a Zen-trained painter in Japan, in his 90s, who said that suffering is a privilege, it moves us toward thinking about essential things and shakes us out of shortsighted complacency; when he was a boy, he said, it was believed you should pay for suffering, it proves such a hidden blessing.

As I've said before, my suffering makes me more humble and compassionate. It leads me to think about the agony others are in and want to relieve that pain.

Suffering sucks, I dread it, hate it, want to be euthanized to get away from it, but it teaches me so much and makes me a better, stronger, and wiser person.

Anyway, I love you Buddha, Ghandi, Jesus, mother Teresa, Saint Faustina, Bernadette, and all noble minds who acquired their wisdom and purity through tedious daily bitter martyrdoms. ((Hugs))

I am not sure suffering is the rule of life. Suffering is life's way of trying to tell us something is wrong. Essentially be sick means, cells are being destroyed at a faster rate than can be replicated. Our bodies are constantly building and replicating to keep us going which I would say is more a rule of life. There is the building and replicating that we call procreation, happens to be the opposite of pain, how odd that is.

 

[Journeyholic]

Amen to that!

Have you read any verses from Quran?

 

[Journeyholic]

Perhaps I glorify it too much. that is the way I cope with it to avoid another suicide attempt.

I would like to suggest you this one speaker.

I understand Quran more through him.

You may search on YouTube /Google :

Nouman Ali Khan

I can't sleep. I'm in too much pain from surgery. I find relief from my suffering by offering it up to my spirit-guides and meditation on the sufferings of Christ. I've also been googling what wise people say about suffering.

Wise men in every tradition tell us that suffering brings clarity, illumination; for the Buddha, suffering is the first rule of life, and insofar as some of it arises from our own wrongheadedness, our cherishing of self, we have the cure for it within. Thus in certain cases, suffering may be an effect, as well as a cause, of taking ourselves too seriously. In my readings I came across a Zen-trained painter in Japan, in his 90s, who said that suffering is a privilege, it moves us toward thinking about essential things and shakes us out of shortsighted complacency; when he was a boy, he said, it was believed you should pay for suffering, it proves such a hidden blessing.

As I've said before, my suffering makes me more humble and compassionate. It leads me to think about the agony others are in and want to relieve that pain.

Suffering sucks, I dread it, hate it, want to be euthanized to get away from it, but it teaches me so much and makes me a better, stronger, and wiser person.

Anyway, I love you Buddha, Ghandi, Jesus, mother Teresa, Saint Faustina, Bernadette, and all noble minds who acquired their wisdom and purity through tedious daily bitter martyrdoms. ((Hugs))

 

[Journeyholic]

I am not sure suffering is the rule of life. Suffering is life's way of trying to tell us something is wrong. Essentially be sick means, cells are being destroyed at a faster rate than can be replicated. Our bodies are constantly building and replicating to keep us going which I would say is more a rule of life. There is the building and replicating that we call procreation, happens to be the opposite of pain, how odd that is.

Suffering is a test from God.

Quran:

Al Mulk 67:2

 

[idav]

Suffering is a test from God.

Quran:

Al Mulk 67:2

The OP aligns with the first of the four noble truths in Buddhism , the first truth being "life is suffering pain and misery". Second being "suffering is caused by selfish desire". I was speaking more to the physical aspect rather than the spiritual.
Four Noble Truths of Buddhism by Ron Kurtus - Succeed in Understanding Religion: School for Champions

 

[Spiderman]

Have you read any verses from Quran?

Yes