Bernadette, I have heard of individuals who suffer the way your friend does.
In the future there may be drugs or therapies to help her.
Then her pain will be no more the extreme example of suffering that it is now.
There are so many degrees of suffering in this world. It is pointless to compare them.
When one is suffering physical pain or suffering pain of heart, one is suffering.
We who have escaped the clutches of the Watchtower Society have to make up not only for lost time in finding our true and core beliefs, but we have to undo years of cult programming and dark religious dogma.
Pain, suffering, unhappiness........all contained, all locked in the mind of the one suffering
While outside water shimmers and sparkles and leaves dance on branches and big white clouds float
peacefully by.
Anewme
A Challenge - An Illustration to explain suffering????
by IMHO 15 Replies latest watchtower bible
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anewme
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bernadette
While outside water shimmers and sparkles and leaves dance on branches and big white clouds float
peacefully by That's beautiful.i agree we all have different thresholds to pain and different types of pain. Hopefully as you say, there will be new pain relief therapies and medications (its marvellous though what we do have).
Meanwhile each day is new day
bernadette
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belbab
The shortest sentence in the Bible:
Jesus wept.
belbab
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JamesThomas
Kid-A:
Just curious, JT, is this an illusion also? Place your hand on a hot burner and you will quickly recognize the true nature of your physical reality. Suffering (whether it be psychological or physical) is ENTIRELY real, leading to depression and/or suicide in many cases. For most people inhabiting reality, fluffy "Jack Handy" koans about the illusion of self and suffering amount to jack squat. Emotions and sentience have physical and chemical correlates and the individual and his/her physical reality creates the self and feelings generated by the self.
Yes, this is the story the mind has generated. Thoughts and memories arise, and then it is typed on a keyboard and posted here on the forum. This is all unquestionably accepted as concrete truth and reality. Now, courageously step out of the loop. What witnessed these thoughts as they were being typed? What sees everything believed to be "self" and "reality". Shift precious attention and awareness out of thoughts and stories, and into the vast pure depths of what sees it all. No fluffy jack-handy koans, but rather nakedly raw, sincere and earnest, acutely aware investigation into self and reality beyond and deeper than all that is believed to be true. Stop reading books and read yourself.
That said, the natural expression of phenomena continues. The body feels pain. The emotions feel sorrow, anger and joy. However, the suffering of a broken entity, ends. Closer than ALL phenomena, thoughts, stories and beliefs of individual self and universe, there is the purity and wholeness you truly and really ARE. But don't believe me. Realize this; clearly see this. Use that wonderful, intelligent conscious-awareness to do some real investigation into Reality. Believe nothing. Follow no one.
j
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JamesThomas
Bebu:
Why should you even have to explain this to anyone? Isn't it a bit ironic?
Yes, seems to be. Is this a valid reason to discount serious investigation into innate wholeness?
What I am referring to -- the actual conscious realization of the wholeness and purity of Self -- is a radical shift of reality which makes a liar out of the mind and it's interpritations of "self and reality" up to now. Little wonder the mind quickly and easily comes up with excuses to discount all mention of innate wholeness.
It is important to not judge this, but rather just watch the dynamics of the mind. So that in this watchful awareness -- even of the minds discounting of innate wholeness -- there is examination happening, and things being exposed.
What can happen is that the entire construct of what the mind has presented as "self" and "other", is seen for what it is. When what is false is identified, then what remains -- is true.
Please do not put too much merit in words. What sees the words? Look deeper, here.
j
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tetrapod.sapien
okay, apart from what JT has already expressed so well, i will give it a shot.
suffering is not what you think it is. suffering is actually a positive experience, if you can learn from it. but if it comes to you again, you do not run from it. that would we like skipping school! we should strive to come to an acceptance of suffering, and in doing so, it no longer is suffering!
an illustration as you requested:
suffering is like the water in a glass, and the glass is your mind. when you realize that the water is not poison, but that you can gain something from it, you can have it as such, or even add some koolaid for taste. if you find water in the glass agaian sometime, ask yourself how it was that you put water, or allowed someone else to put water in it again, but drink it down! you'll grow!
it would be folly to wait around for someone like god to come and empty the glass for you. but people who do not think they can learn from suffering often do just this.
there was a well known zen buddhist master who was diagnosed with cancer. when his students asked him why he was not upset at this "bad news", he replied something to the effect: "if i suffer, it will not be with pain and agony. if i suffer, don't worry about me, it is just Suffering Buddha."
acceptance transforms suffering into a miracle. fear of suffering is truly the painful thing, since fear is agony over the future. and the future doesn't exist. don't let your mind fool you.
peace,
tetra