I have been asked many times in the past week or so, and many times prior to what it is that I write at the end of every email I ever send?
In one way or another, I remind myself in my closing signature to be aware before I hit the send button that the words I am about to send can be words that might bring joy or they might bring pain and suffering so beware. Those little words that remind me that all life is suffering are just a little pause before sending.
It was the Buddha all those years ago who taught that "All life is suffering. All suffering is caused by desire. Eliminate desire and you will eliminate suffering. Do this by following the Four Noble Truths."
I am aware that this is never as simple as it sounds and I have spent many many hours discussing with students those very words.
Of course, during my life, I have suffered much because of my sensitive skin asthma and pain caused by arthritis. I am not alone in this and ending desire will not change this, but it does, in fact, help me to live with it.
I heard somebody on the radio in the early hours of the day asking the question, "Why does God allow Christians to suffer?"
There was a very long discussion about free will and such.
It all could have been summed up so much quicker by simply asking, "Why not?"
In one way or another, I remind myself in my closing signature to be aware before I hit the send button that the words I am about to send can be words that might bring joy or they might bring pain and suffering so beware. Those little words that remind me that all life is suffering are just a little pause before sending.
It was the Buddha all those years ago who taught that "All life is suffering. All suffering is caused by desire. Eliminate desire and you will eliminate suffering. Do this by following the Four Noble Truths."
I am aware that this is never as simple as it sounds and I have spent many many hours discussing with students those very words.
Of course, during my life, I have suffered much because of my sensitive skin asthma and pain caused by arthritis. I am not alone in this and ending desire will not change this, but it does, in fact, help me to live with it.
I heard somebody on the radio in the early hours of the day asking the question, "Why does God allow Christians to suffer?"
There was a very long discussion about free will and such.
It all could have been summed up so much quicker by simply asking, "Why not?"
Someone asked C.S. Lewis, "Why do the righteous suffer?" "Why not?" he replied. Why should anybody be immune from the ways of life?
Helen Keller said, "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."
Suffering surrounds us day by day. Rejoice in the days we are free from it and make sure that each day we do our best not to add to it and if we can play a part in eliminating lets us do so.
Have a marvellous day.
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