SUFFERING...

The following is a question posed for a Philosophy class essay, that seemed worth posting here:

'First Noble Truth - Suffering"

My Teacher has said, “those that know how to suffer, do not suffer.”  For a long time this would ring, resound in the mind.  What both the Buddha and myTeacher are pointing to, is to allow the suffering in.  Do not run from what is knocking at your door, it would not be there if you hadn’t asked for it to come.  It comes to your call and then you tell it, “Go away, not now, it is too painful, I am too busy, come again another day.”  And so that is what it does, because suffering always does what you ask it to.  This contemporary Western version, is saying let it in.  Don’t wait another day.  Let the pain in, let the hurt in, let it in to you all the way.  No more running, it has come to rest in you.

As you begin to let suffering in, the more you stand there and let it have you, all the way, no running, trying to fix or make it better, but to just let it devour you; the more you begin to see that those that know how to suffer (allow suffering in, to be); do not suffer.  Those who run from suffering; suffer.  Just like my Teacher and the Buddha could not give this gift to anyone, it is for anyone to receive that is willing to do it.  It is easy to say, oh I will let it in.  But when it comes, it comes with the big guns, it comes with what one would call real “pain” attached to it.  It maybe the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job or a place to live.  It will not be something that you can just casually brush away, but sit with it.  You have now been made aware that you have the ability to let it in.  Not fix it or run away or make it better, but accept it, and let it in as the gift that will empty you.