Suffering

This last weekend, I worked 20 hours, partied every night, worked out everyday, and did my homework. Looking back on it and after sleeping in as much as I could get away with this morning, I have to say that, although it was painful at times, it was good. Much of it was suffering. Much of it was fun. I valued both. However, I am coming to value the suffering much more than I have in the past because I am finding that it truly is important.

Everyone suffers. Everyone feels pain. Form the starving orphan in Sudan, to the sex slave in Cambodia to the freshmen at Berkeley during finals week. Some suffer more, but there is no reason to feel sorry for the fact you suffer even if your are privileged. It is inescapable.

Because of its unpleasantness and its universality, there have been many different methods developed to cope with it. Some, perhaps most, try to avoid it. A few think they deserve it and wallow in it. A few more try to redirect it, which is still just trying to avoid it. A few others try to detach themselves from it.

All of these responses are fully understandable. However, I hold that they all fall short of taking into account the full reality of human development. As I said, everyone suffers. The approaches I have described to this fact are all attempts to escape or limit this. Even those who feel it is their lot in life are trying to make it easier by making sense of there situation. But still no one gets out of it. A different approach all together is needed to take into account the fullness of reality. To turn it all on its head, accept it and press into it. Do not run from it and do not think you deserve it. Do not Detach you self from experience to escape it. Doing this is like selling your soul. Do not try to side step it or just role with it and pretend it doesn't matter. It does. Or it can. The experience it self can be redeemed if the person experiencing it is redeemed. This redemption can expand out from this person to encompass all of reality. I will say it again.

Everyone suffers. What makes us different is that our suffering is meaningful. We accept it and in so doing accept humanity. As we are redeemed, so we can transform the experience and further redemption. We bring life into death. We resurrect reality. We transform all negative and positive energy and render it as a prayer to the divine.

By this we accept our true selves and our true places. We bring order to chaos. We make useful that which is useless.

Acknowledge, welcome and surrender all things.

Let your life be your prayer.