What is the role of suffering in spirituality?

[Mongu9719]

Why is the concept of suffering so central to spiritual teachings. People say that suffering can lead to enlightenment which allows to escape suffering. This is a good example of a strange loop. The further you flee from suffering the more you suffer. This is an example of paradox. Are there any other aspects of suffering that should be discussed. I would like people’s thoughts on this issue.

[Malken]

They're so central because spiritual teachings are humanity's main coping mechanism. 

The type of suffering that leads to enlightenment is somebody who is super depressed/suicidal eventually the self has had enough and enlightens/disappears.

The second type of suffering is deliberate as in, purposeful purification of your heart. Deep self awareness/self questioning.

[Nahm]

@Mongu9719

It’s the opposite. Not escaping anything, seeing exactly what it is, understanding it, and no longer doing it. 

The last thing you’d want to do is start believing suffering is a strange loop. 

The is the ox justifying itself. 

[zeroISinfinity]

Ok understood Reiki but I do not understand tango. Can't go corona. Tango feels better (such a lie, you are just shy of reiki master, that's not true, ok it is ) so go there. 

Take my healing hand and dance with me. (oh I see what you've done, yeah kinda I have some sneaky wisdom I guess) 

See no suffering possible. 

Edited March 19, 2020 by zeroISinfinity

[Nahm]

@TheGreekSeeker Give it a google.  Share what ya find here. 

[pluto]

Echkart Tolle was asked: Is suffering really necessary?

Yes and No.

If you had no suffered, there would be no depth to you as a human being, no humility, no compassion. You would not be reading this now. Suffering cracks open the shell of the ego, and then comes a point when it has served its purpose. Suffering is necessary until you realize it is unnecessary.

 

 

[Forestluv]

@Mongu9719 What if enlightenment includes suffering?

[DrewNows]

suffering is buffering 

some software programs are more susceptible to problems. Thankfully we aren’t just the software, reprogramming happens  

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by DrewNows

[zeroISinfinity]

What suffering just saw  hippie chick observing trees in park in midts of empty city. So nostalgic so nostalgic for suffering. Will scream why? All you man you are all of it Infinite Love thing. Not even in reverse is possible now.Asked for reiki master not this. When I ask for hippie I get ordinary blondine. I mean c'mon God. 

So nostalgic. ?

Never unlock this thing ❤️ lesson learned. 

Entire thing is epic joke.Endless joke. 

Ok write on holon. Love hippie things love love stuff love all good people. 

(4 points for abuse, making love with ME don't know anything else) 

Edited March 19, 2020 by zeroISinfinity

[Nahm]

@TheGreekSeeker Nice. At this point, I’d say it’s the mind. ‘Spotting’ it, is to initially  ‘realize’ there is something more to reality, to life. Something unseen & unheard, but there is something more. Then there is ‘discovering’ awareness in the direct sense, and that awareness is aware of the finite mind, which is the beginning of the ‘wrestling’. That could look like equanimity, then ego backlash, etc, for a while. 

It could also be said that there is another ‘spotting’, and that is that the finite mind, or ego, is the ‘source of suffering’. (That it is not in or of the world - in the sense it could be credited to circumstances and others, but my own)

[Nahm]

@TheGreekSeeker

Yes, but not a collision of two, Mind appearing as such, that the assumption is there is the second, “mind”. Mind assumes. A neat little way to ‘see’ this, is to make a fist with your left hand and cover it with your right hand. Now remove the left hand. The remaining right hand implies there is something in the center, but there is Mind (Nothing). It is Mind which wrestles, as it forgot itself (aka “birth”). 

Also, there is no source of unhappiness and misery. This would be like covering a flashlight, and saying there is a source of darkness. It is only the forgetting which leads to the implication of any duality, whatever duality as a word might be applied to. 

The ‘can’t win the battle’ & ‘there never was one’, yes indeed. Very nice. 

(The explainations seem a bit different, as I am trying to ‘speak to’ your question while mindfully respecting the courage of the op, in making the thread)

[zeroISinfinity]

Mind=Awareness=Now=Unlimited Being=Real you, no self,God,Infinite Consciousness, Soul. 

Can feel you finally ok with it. Hippie chick and a dog. That dog has to get a medal that's for sure. Mundane=Infinite Intelligence 

Edited March 19, 2020 by zeroISinfinity

[Nahm]

@TheGreekSeeker Mind can forget itself, as it does, but to “suffer for gain” is going well beyond forgetting. It is the adding of a narrative which is not resonating, with Mind. It implies something is wrong with Mind, and suffering must occur to ‘fix’ Mind. Mind simply does not suffer, does not experience suffering, does not know what suffering is. Mind is too busy loving Itself. That’s really it’s gig.

[zeroISinfinity]

@Nahm Love Reality=Love MYSELF  that means that? 

Just curious nothing to it. I really do not care about insights, non duality anymore it's ok to be no self. 

@TheGreekSeeker Other animals people this forum all you. Wake up.If you are MIND=Actuality what are you NOW? 

[Nahm]

@TheGreekSeeker

There’s no separation, which is ‘why’ the “identity” is created. Identity is created in-directly, not directly. Like “oh, well, I’m not a tree”. You are a tree, but you forgot ‘who’ you are. In the ‘instant Mind’ scenario, there’d be no experience / creation.  Animals are of the opposite case, they are entirely ‘connected’. The sneakery of thought is such that we often miss that claims on behalf of the experience as an animal, is nothing more than a ‘human’ projection. Humans and animals are not the same in this way. Animals are what you’re calling the de facto state of Godliness. There’s no (in the spiritual sense) “devil” in the animal kingdom. If there was though, it’d be the cuckoo bird. 

[tedens]

11 hours ago, Mongu9719 said:

Why is the concept of suffering so central to spiritual teachings. 

So far, probably no one knows it, but it certainly works.

[Nahm]

@TheGreekSeeker A human doesn’t realize it is something lessor either. 

[Mo0ngrass]

For me, learning from suffering seemed to be the only way to help me grow and find wisdom. Understanding that I am the cause of all suffering I experience, provided the radical push I needed to free myself from old habits and ignorance. 

Life still brings hardship and bliss but now there is less resistance to what is and I come to life's table with a calm, loving mind and have a sense of inner joy that is always present in the background. Coming from this loving perspective my physical experiences have started to manifest more positively. I am careful, reflective with my thoughts and am excited for what life brings. 

Love.

[Spaceofawareness]

I think suffering leads inevitably to looking internally. Without suffering, if all is going to plan, wants and needs being satisfied, the world is exactly as we have been lead to believe, as are we, a person with goals, wants and needs. When suffering happens, we become more aware of the source of suffering, wants, needs, attachments. As we become aware of these, they become more amplified, offering the opportunity to not be identified with them.