The best way to suffer; for freedom

Solitude (circa 1890)  |  Frederic Leighton (English, 1830-1896)

Taking a look at suffering

I have to ask, what meaning do you give suffering? Do you even have a meaning for suffering?

I find that humans are very comfort/habit driven creatures who seek to experience more pleasurable indulgences in life.

Funnily enough, it is the Saturnian energy of struggle, obstacles, challenges, pain, suffering, etc that bring us the treasures we seek from life.

Success, lasting inner satisfaction, longevity, commitment, unwavering character, discipline, to name a few.

All of these treasures are actually born from the path that came from suffering. These are the treasures that we are divinely awarded for our willingness to face the pain, face the challenges and to rise above them.

So, if you ask yourself; how can I receive and “achieve” the treasures that I seek ; You would find that it is practically impossible to really have a steady, solid inner foundation for those treasures without going through hardship and suffering.

For example, the pathway to success is full of failure. Your dreams are on the other side of your (deepest) fears.

Resistance & understanding our human self

Resistance to what is within right now is resistance and energy towards lack of acceptance of “truth”.

I am defining “truth” as acceptance of your inner state.

For example; you are feeling miserable, but you’re trying to not feel miserable and distract yourself with aimless pleasures to resist the misery and fill it with something else.

It is typical, unconscious human behavior.

[There is nothing shameful about this, just awareness to come to, which I am sharing with you.]

Funny thing is that resisting said miserable feeling actually prolongs the misery.

Not accepting that you feel this way (the misery) isn’t going to release the feeling, it lingers in the background and we end up becoming frustrated in our quest to distract ourselves, which becomes a detached numbness from our inner state.

Are you following me?

Not wanting to suffer, ends up creating behaviors and actions that cause us to suffer more.

This is resistance; to deny what is right now in your inner state.

To be in alignment and attunement within is being connected to truth.

The further we stray away from this inner state & inner self (antar-aatma), the more we prolong suffering.

So, why do we resist?

We resist because we are afraid of pain and suffering. Nobody wishes to suffer, it sucks. But resistance to suffering, prolongs suffering.

We don’t want to suffer, and that causes us more suffering, haha.

How’s that for a cosmic joke?

If you move with courage and strength to face painful emotions and situations in life, you will come to find that walking through the fires of hell becomes a form of liberation.

It cleanses and purifies you. You come out all the stronger for it. Something within becomes more solidified, more embodied in virtues.

And it is actually acceptance of suffering as a part of human life, just like all the highs and joys are a part of human life, that creates freedom within.

Acceptance releases attachment.

The attachment (to not suffering) was causing further suffering. And once we realize this and move forward into the fear and resistance, usually still a little afraid but moving with courage, we need to face it once and we will come out of it reborn again.

And as I mentioned above, we will gain virtues which bring forth the treasures of life.

The strength I have gained from my suffering, I could not have without it.

I am stronger now, more courageous, more loving, more full of light, with better understanding of navigating fear than I was before it.

As you will be too.

Practicing non-attachment

I want to make this very clear, I am NOT advocating for unnecessary suffering, that we also do plenty of as humans.

Sometimes, we are actually attached to suffering because it feels more comfortable subconsciously.

It’s like being afraid of success, a very real fear.

If we look deeper at unnecessary suffering, you will find that it actually comes from an attachment to NOT suffering.

The irony?!?!

Seriously, humans are the most complicatedly complex creatures, mainly because we have a full spectrum of opposing emotions, which can co-exist simultaneously, creating inner chaos that disconnects us from our inner-self.

So to be clear, I am not advocating for suffering more than you have to.

If you find yourself doing that, you will need to practice non-attachment. I find that this is a powerful practice, one that you will be lead to practice when it is your time.

A powerful question to ask yourself is; is this necessary to experience or is there a better, soul-led way?

“Soul-led” being soulful, heart open, virtuous.

A few of those qualities are:

• Patience

• Courage

• Strength

• Self-reflection

• Honesty & integrity

What now?

Now, you go experiment.

Go play with this and practice in your own life. Start small. Face something that you are afraid to face.

Sometimes that “fear” doesn’t really feel like fear, more like discomfort, avoidance, restlessness, procrastination, dismissal.

Whatever comes up, face it.

And next time you want to run away or are feeling intense emotions, practice allowing yourself to suffer.

Suffer it once intentionally and you will reap the benefits for lifetimes. Not to mention, you will change the trajectory of your lineage if you have children. (We’ll explore more on ancestral karma in another article.)

Also, you are allowed to accept that you don’t want to suffer but you know that it is the best path forward, to face it. That’s okay, it’s our human nature to desire that, just move with courage.

Accept the suffering you are trying to avoid, which is prolonging your suffering, and it will lead you to freedom.

Let’s review

1. First we took a look at suffering & laid out that acceptance of suffering brings virtue.

2. Then at Resistance: understanding what this actually is.

3. We took a look at why we resist.

4. A very crucial addressing of non-attachment & unnecessary suffering.

5. And lastly, encouraging practicing intentionality with facing fears.

I asked you two question at the beginning, which I will ask again; what meaning do you give suffering? Do you even have a meaning for suffering?

I suffer so I may walk the path of truth & virtue, to my beloved. So I may honor the divine within me. I will gladly temporarily suffer so I may come into my eternal home, within my spirit & into union.

The question for practicing non-attachment is; is this necessary to experience or is there a better, soul-led way?

Love you

I hope you enjoyed this article.

Sometimes, I wonder how my thoughts, experiences, & wisdom gained will land with others. I think this article is probably my more bizarre sounding articles, lol. However it does, I hope that it serves you.

Much love to you on your journey.

Feel free to share your experience or thoughts with me below.

XOXO

Gurjot