On Suffering

 What is meant by “One becomes more conscious through suffering”?

     Suffering comes in all shapes and sizes.  Suffering is not necessarily desirable.  We can try to look away from it, try to suppress it, or try to put it on the shoulders of another being (divine or not).  Curiosity drives us forward to new innovations but suffering has the potential to make us more aware of ourselves and our capabilities.   But, if one speaks of suffering, it could seem like they are being dismissive of the horrible sufferings people might endure that may actually be counterproductive to awareness - sufferings possibly caused by others.  How do we navigate this?

     Suffering can induce greater consciousness in that we have the ability to look at suffering, understand that it is of human nature  - if not all nature - to endure some state of suffering.  Suffering can induce greater consciousness when we are experiencing suffering and are investigating our suffering to work our way through it.  How much of the suffering is induced by external causes?  How much of it is my own doing?  If I am unaware of pieces of my own suffering I am contributing to, how can I be sure whether or not I am a cause of suffering to others?  Would I even care?

     We have been thrown into this world and we have the choice to accept the world we are thrown into or come to some conclusion that the world is always against us.  Believing that the world is against us can lead us down a slippery slope to believe that the world is governed by some nefarious entity - something out there conspiring against our well-being.  If the world is against us, why should we give a shit about its well-being?  On the other hand, if I accept the world as it is, aren’t I more capable of cooperating with it for the benefit of both myself and it?  This world is that which I myself am alive in & thus if I reject its well-being, it seems that I inadvertently reject my own well-being.

     Through a balance of introspective investigation of my own suffering & some form of meta-analysis of the suffering of the world out there, I don’t end suffering as a whole, of course.  I do, however, learn to live with the acceptance that it exists & also put reins on my contribution to it.  Contemplating one’s own suffering as well as the suffering of others makes me more aware of both my humanity and their’s.  Of course, the power hungry ostensibly “dominant” types might see the masses only as pawns in their own game.  Can it be suggested that these types are aware of themselves?

     Perhaps, they might be aware of what they can get people to do.  They can utilize all the Machiavellian plays in the book to draw people towards them but their motive isn’t altruistic - it’s selfish.  Not that one shouldn’t think of their own well-being but to suppress others for one’s own gain is myopic in that, as I previously noted, they are also living in the world.  I suppose their money might set up pretty good protection from anything that might backfire when they intentionally distort truths; yet, at some point, the house of cards is going to be blown down.

     Whereas an individual of this sort may be aware of their abilities to play/use others, can it be said that they are fully aware?  Sometimes, one may think that most people are content in their gregarious ways and thus deserve to be mere pawns.  And so, one is left with a dilemma:  use one’s power for the good of the whole by attempting to increase the awareness of others or only for one’s own good (or their group’s good).  This is the difference between open-hand rule and closed-hand rule.

     And, if there is no consequence in an afterlife, what difference does it really make?  Does it really matter how aware one is?  I don’t know.  What I do know is that I am not interested in being a passive player in life.  Unfortunately, religions that teach people to reject this life in favor of the next have a way of causing their most ardent followers to live in such a passive manner - their reward is in the thereafter so why bother with the here & now?  How much more nihilistic can one get?

     So then, by seeking to be less passive and encouraging others to be more aware of themselves, it would be against my will to be the cause of the suffering of somebody else.  Even this notion of being the cause of another’s suffering must be broken down.  By causing someone suffering, is it truly of my own doing or is the suffering a sort of suffering induced by their own perceptions of me?  Those perceptions I cannot control.  The measure of autonomy I grant to someone (under my care) for discovering themselves, I can.

     Assuming I am in control of you, if I cause you to starve, or am abusive, or try my best to keep you from learning anything - conditioning you for my own benefit - that kind of induced suffering actually might prevent you from any awareness of self.  Out of fear, you may develop some form of escapism in your mind which in turn may exacerbate your inability to be more aware of yourself.  (On the other hand, if at some point you kill me, you may discover a part of yourself which you were never aware that you were capable of).

     As for myself, what can the very desire to control you be other than a projection of my need for control?  Perhaps, there was a time in my life when others stole any form of power from me and thus I felt no power except for when I sought to possess and control.  But, is this real control?  If I am not in control of myself, how I can be sure I am truly in control of that which I think I possess?  Or, what if out of my lack of control, I grow angry at you and punish you more severely for some perceived slight offense?  Wouldn’t I want to be more aware of my anger?  Where it stems from?  That way I could see that what you had done was really nothing at all?  

      Seeing my own suffering, I become more aware of why I suffer and thus have the ability to experience suffering without it affecting who and/or what I am.  By understanding, as Buddhism conveys, that everything is impermanent (even my thoughts), practicing non-attachment to these pasts sufferings that I thought were a part of me, over time, I discover the silliness of needing to control anyone.  That grants me clarity and it gives you the elbow room you need to discover who or what you are.

     So, when I say that suffering induces consciousness, I am not saying that we should cause the suffering of others.  That is a blind view of the matter.  While I can present a challenge to you to encourage deeper awareness (out of good intentions), I am simply stating that suffering in and of itself occurs and that it in and of itself presents us a challenge to motivate us to discover new ways of rising above.  This my friends is transcendence.  Do I still have struggles?  You bet.  But, my past is gone and I can only keep putting another foot forward; however, I need not live in fear of the unknown.  I get to embrace it.  Sadness may come but it doesn’t last forever if we can help it.