Suffering

Suffering (Skt. दुःख, Dukh) is a state of the mind.

Suffering is absence of bliss.

There can be many definitions of this terms, but in general any undesirable or negative state or activity of the mind is suffering.

Suffering can take many forms.

Kinds of Suffering

There is no one who is not familiar with suffering. The main culprit behind this very unpleasant state of being is ignorance, which his the root cause of suffering.

Physical Suffering

Pain is the main form of physical suffering. There can be many more, such as disease, disability, deformation, and even ugliness of the body. Poverty is the main cause of physical suffering. Hunger, insecurity, diseases and wars are a direct result of poverty. However, even rich people are not free from pain and decay.

Mental Suffering

Presence of negative emotions and negative thoughts is mental suffering. This severely affects the quality of life. Extreme form of mental suffering include mental diseases of various kinds. Milder forms include unfulfilled desires, non-acceptance or rejection, lack of love. It does not matter how healthy the body is, and it does not matter how rich or powerful a person is, mental suffering is always present, which overshadows any bliss.

Negative Suffering

This is the kind which is undesirable. We know the cause of suffering and we do not want it, we make efforts to eliminate it.

Positive Suffering

This is the tricky one. One does not know the source of suffering, and actually wants it. Such as addictions or relations or attachments of various kinds. It seems as if these things are a source of pleasure, while in fact they are the ones that are the cause of suffering. Fulfilment of desires and pleasure are often classified as positive suffering.

Even the pleasure is a suffering, because it is soon going to swing, it is dual. And bondage is a certain consequence of actions oriented towards pleasure. Bondage leads to nothing but suffering.

Taking a birth in the physical world in a human or animal form, is a good example of positive suffering.

Freedom from Suffering

Knowing that suffering is an illusory state of the mind causes detachment from it. One is disidentified with it, as soon as this realisation happens, ending the suffering permanently.

On the path of knowledge, end of suffering is often the first fruit. It is instantaneous and permanent. The best way to end it is by realising your true nature. Know that you are a witness of all mental activities, whether positive or negative. Our essential nature is bliss, which is devoid of both happiness and suffering.

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