The etymological meaning of the word “suffering” is to “bear under,” like a burden. Our attachment to suffering creates a burdensome tension in our lives. It’s an idea, suffering, that gets reinforced in the society’s attraction to what’s not working, and as we identify with conditions in our experience. We believe that we are alone and unsafe, exposed to the negative conditions of life, and that we need protection. Suffering is a contradictory and frustrating attempt to feel better, to feel connected. What we seek is the lifting of the burden.
Some of us blame ourselves for those conditions, or more often we blame others. We blame ourselves for what we call mistakes or omissions, but we blame others to release ourselves from responsibility for something that is uncomfortable in our lives. We see others as the source of our burdens.
We think we deserve a life without challenging events or conditions. When we resist the opportunity to experience our pain, we lose the opportunity to be grateful for our lives! Yes, grateful for who we are – sentient beings who express love even in the face of pain. Our burdens can easily be lifted when we let go of false beliefs about our worthiness. When we suffer, we allow our thoughts to control our life experience.
Suffering is a mind trick that keeps us wary of living. It robs us of the opportunity to live fully, to live mindfully in the present moment. We can let go of the illusion of separation from others that fuels our sense of being alone and vulnerable. Others are mere reflections in the mirror – stunning reminders of an interdependent, holographic universe. We are never alone. We are always in the presence of Spirit, because there is no place where Spirit does not exist.