Your opinion on Suffering

Christian, a reader of this blog made a very interesting question: is suffering important for you to get some sort of enlightenment?
In my opinion it isn't necessary. As a Catholic, the example of Jesus is quite telling: he traveled all his life, having dinners, meeting people and yet we remember him going though "passion" , nailed to the cross in the last days of his life.
The same applies to other avatars of humanity, such as Buddha: they were enjoying life. But for some reason the idea has gone round about suffering as a justification for us to go to heaven, or to sacrifice to others.
All my work is based in sharing the best of life and transmitting your happiness to others.
I would like then to hear your opinion on suffering and this attitude towards the spiritual path.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• paulo
• coelho
• suffering
• catholic
• jesus

[runtubefantasy]

paradox

[yuetching]

I think suffering makes you feel so despaired and unbearable that suddenly u have suffered so much you feel you must get out of it no matter what and it pushes you to start to make changes x

[hegitty]

In my humble opinion, to suffer is basically a choice because pain is inevitable. But off course, as a human being it's really hard to deny the suffering, and to ease that people often do many things unconsciously. For example, blaming others, complaining or whining. But for me, I choose to suffer in silence. Because I don't want to burden others and I also don't want my emotion controls me. But too much suffer in silence will kill my body eventually :'(

[danceswithcrayons]

One question I had for many years was: 'If suffering is important, why do we feel sad when others are suffering and want to alleviate it?' Then, began to see my own suffering. (I had a problem about forgiving myself and that caused a cycle of suffering for many years) Through forgiving, my mind reconciled with the heart.

[janhanger]

You dont have to suffer by choice. Just go around meet people and somewhere along the road you will hurt, get scarred, wounded, suffer from pain emotionally. its part of life.

[khalYEbest]

@vincentirwin i totally agree that excatly what happens to a person after suffering life becomes alot better

[vincentirwin]

Personally speaking, my suffering which has been less than some and more than others has accentuated my enjoyment and gratitude of my pleasure.

When you have suffered to the point of hopelesness and prayed for an end to the darkness, yet survived - every ray of sunlight is a welcome explosion of life.

Somehow the mundane trivial problems of everyday don't seem so bad.

Suffering gives you perspective.

[glomdable]

Suffering too me when it happens feel's very bad, but through the suffering i now realize that it was the very force that i needed to push me to greater things in my life.. Suffering creates greatness if your willing to see it.

[HimMa14]

I wish I could understand spanish... his english is, to me, not good enough to really convince me of his brilliance like his books did...