“Be still and know that I am God.”
The disciples were embroiled in a spirited debate about the root causes of suffering in human beings. Some have claimed that it was motivated by selfishness. Others are suffering from delusion. Others suffer from an inability to discriminate between what is real and what is not real. According to the Master, “all pain results from a person’s incapacity to sit quiet and be alone,” he explained.
That being alone in quiet is a worthy remedy to the weight of human sorrow is a universal reality that deserves to be recognized. When we are in pain, it is because external events have unsettled our feeling of stability; therefore, changing external conditions might alleviate the suffering.
Trying to get away from unpleasant emotions
When severe or negative emotions occur, there is a greater tendency to flee from the situation than usual. This could be linked to the belief that bad emotions should be ignored and not handled directly.
In truth, pain and suffering are inherent in the nature of things. There are interspersed moments of delight and enjoyment to the extent that no unfavorable state is long-term in nature. It is our responses to difficult situations that pave the road to our own growth and development.
Face your pain and you will be able to overcome it
When we allow experiences to go through us with unreserved patience, we are able to accept the unfolding events of life. When you resist pain, it presses against you with an overwhelming amount of force until you give up and surrender.
Despite how terrifying your darkest hour may be, it will never be able to dim the brilliant radiance of your existence. For example, dimming the lights inside your home to impose darkness when it is still daytime outside could be considered. It is nevertheless possible for light to permeate the darkness even via disguised drapes.
When we strive for something, crave for something, or expect something, we are placing barriers in our way of happiness. We never know what life will bring us, so we let go of predetermined results and place our faith in the fact that conditions will progress on their own.
The moment you begin to reject life, you are being called to surrender to the unfolding circumstances. When you submit to global wisdom, you become one with the natural progression of events.
When discomfort arises, allow yourself to sink into it rather than fighting it.
Have faith in your ability to conquer any obstacles that may emerge
Because your objection to life is represented by your opposition to life. It is your resistance to what is, rather than the pain itself, that is the basis of your suffering.
Have faith in your ability to conquer any obstacles that may emerge. You must put your faith in life and the invisible forces that are working together to assist you in the development of your particular tale.
Celebrate life while keeping in mind that the sequence of events is constantly changing. What appears to be an undesirable visitor may turn out to be your most valuable teacher. Anticipate that the groundwork will be built before anticipating the worst case scenario.
Make a conscious effort to be uncomfortable
To lean toward the discomfort of life and see it clearly, rather than to shelter ourselves from it, according to Pema Chodron, “the aim is to lean into the discomfort of life and see it clearly.”
Your life’s path is made up of layers, each of which is obscured by the weight of previous indoctrination. By allowing life to flow through us, we consent to the process of revealing those levels of ourselves. A similar phenomenon occurs when you confront a challenge and conquer it: a new layer is revealed.
Unpleasant emotions are not to be avoided, but rather to be welcomed
Unpleasant emotions should not be avoided, but rather should be welcomed. This does not imply that pain should be celebrated, but rather that it should be accepted as it arises, with the understanding that it contains a valuable lesson.
When we express our goal to move through pain, we activate the wisdom that will allow us to overcome unfavorable circumstances. When we avoid an experience, we are putting up barriers to the present.
Knowing that which you are resisting grows in intensity until you are forced to confront the truth in the middle of impossible circumstances.
You can either resist what appears or embrace it with a sense of trust and humility
At the very least, embracing life entails a commitment to the notion that whatever happens will happen of its own own. We have two options: either we oppose what is revealed or we embrace it with a sense of trust and humility.
What appears to be a danger at first is similar to thunder on a hot summer night: it is loud and confrontational, yet it prepares the ground for the approaching rain.
Every experience has a reassuring element to it that makes it worthwhile to share. Even in the midst of the devastation caused by a natural disaster, the human spirit must not be forgotten. The ability to rebuild one’s life on firmer foundations is a monument to our grounding legacy, which allows us to survive any unpleasant circumstance.
“We are concerned because we do not have confidence in our ability to deal with whatever occurs to us.”
“We are concerned because we do not believe that we will be able to cope with whatever happens to us. We are concerned because we do not have confidence that the way the cards fall will turn out in our favor.”
Appreciate everything that is
However, if we can get out of our own way and appreciate everything that is, everything will work out for the best. Because life is a self-organizing system, it continues to function regardless of our resistance to it.
Given the universe’s 14-billion-year history, it is reasonable to assume that the same force responsible for its creation has a good grasp on how the universe is organized.
In order to embrace everything that exists, we must broaden our understanding of suffering in order to coincide with the natural order of events.
When we spend some quiet time in thought on a regular basis, we are able to calm the mind and enable the voice of reason to emerge through the silence of everyday life.
