Suffering and self inflicted suffering

Suffering is inevitable and is part of life.  Perhaps, we could say that life is suffering.  Birth is pain, death is pain and living happens through pain.  While pain is just part of life and is actually a very important part of growth in many ways, there also exists pain which we inflict on ourselves, and this is where we can improve through Spiritual practice.

Imagine an arrow hits you.  You feel pain.  If you receive another arrow on the same spot, you feel more pain, perhaps doubled.  If you receive a further arrow on that spot, the pain is more than a hundred times.  The second and third arrows represent our resistance, complaining and mental struggle after that we have received initial suffering from life in the form of the first arrow. So, there’s no denying that there’s suffering in life.  The wise will know that one shouldn’t make things worse through the battling of the mind. So, when good happens to you, take it with a smile.  When bad happens to you, take it with a smile as well.  This is called the middle way.

Just looking at things with equanimity doesn’t solve the problem though.  We need to put in the work.  There is a famous zen tale about the disciple who asked the master about how to overcome suffering.  The master asked the disciple to push a boulder to the top of the mountain which the disciple did.  The student collapsed as he reached the top of the mountain.  The student laid unconscious for a while.  When the student got up, the master pushed the boulder with a stick.  Then, he told the student to bring the boulder back to the top of the mountain. 

What’s the essence of the story?  The only way to overcome suffering is to face it till the end and after that you’ve conquered it, there will be another suffering which will surface.  Why is it like that?  Well, that is because life is suffering, whether you like it or not.