Thursday, December 4, 2008

Suffering

We human beings are attracted to pain and suffering. We believe that suffering must be part of the human condition. Some of us dwell in pain, others may derive pleasure from pain, a few even go through pain into peace.
We imagine that pain is necessary, that suffering is inevitable. Pain can be seductive when it appears as something else, like self-denial or sacrifice or cowardice or guilt. We may think we reject pain in these guises, but we always find pain to be a part of our lives in some form. Most of us think of pain as a purifier, something to be respected. We even use pain and suffering to justify the one thing that should bring only joy: love.
Can you imagine what it is to live without suffering?

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