Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
fridge freezer realisation
ThailandTom
Veteran
To remove my thoughts from those evil pesky trolls, I want to post something real quick which happened today.
I was going to grab some fruit from my fridge freezer and as I opened the door I had a sudden realisation. It isn't anything major or mind boggling, quite simple in fact but I had never noticed it in this way previously.
I was for some reason contemplating pain and suffering, I think because at the moment I have this annoying mouth ulcer
Everyone has probably had on at some stage, but the pain is so ANNOYING! Anyway, I thought that obviously pain is there to let our brain know something is wrong, that there is a problem with a part of our body. Also, pain teaches us not to do something again that caused us pain, for example grabbing an electric fence.
I then thought about emotional pain, it is a form of pain after all. Maybe the pain of splitting up with a partner or getting stood up by a friend. Would you go as far to say that this pain is also there, built into our human nature to remind us not to do something in specific again or that something is wrong?
Of course, being buddhist I am aware to a certain degree of the causes of pain and suffering, but I considered if this was built into our nature in some way. It's just that this type of pain we almost disregard or ignore the signal. If you know the electric fence will zap you as it hurt the first time, you won't grab it again, if your previous relationship hurt like hell, you will enter another one anyway lol..
Just a silly little thought, tom
I was going to grab some fruit from my fridge freezer and as I opened the door I had a sudden realisation. It isn't anything major or mind boggling, quite simple in fact but I had never noticed it in this way previously.
I was for some reason contemplating pain and suffering, I think because at the moment I have this annoying mouth ulcer
Everyone has probably had on at some stage, but the pain is so ANNOYING! Anyway, I thought that obviously pain is there to let our brain know something is wrong, that there is a problem with a part of our body. Also, pain teaches us not to do something again that caused us pain, for example grabbing an electric fence.I then thought about emotional pain, it is a form of pain after all. Maybe the pain of splitting up with a partner or getting stood up by a friend. Would you go as far to say that this pain is also there, built into our human nature to remind us not to do something in specific again or that something is wrong?
Of course, being buddhist I am aware to a certain degree of the causes of pain and suffering, but I considered if this was built into our nature in some way. It's just that this type of pain we almost disregard or ignore the signal. If you know the electric fence will zap you as it hurt the first time, you won't grab it again, if your previous relationship hurt like hell, you will enter another one anyway lol..
Just a silly little thought, tom
0
Comments
Nickidoodle Jellybean
JB,
In the case of breaking up with someone, the suffering wouldn't come from the action if it is done with compassion. The suffering would arise from the attachment to the relationship, not the "breaking up". Breaking up is just an eventuality of all unions, because through death or disinterest every one will eventually end. Knowing and accepting that brings more preciousness into the moment, in my opinion.
With warmth,
Matt
But anyway, I was referring to human nature, a normal person as the dalai lama referrs to. Someone who is unskilled, untrained and still asleep
I like this thread btw, it's not too crowded with lots of people...
Hint hint to anyone thinking of posting who hasn't already posted in this thread
Nickidoodle Jellybean
Certainly the person might experience pain, but the person breaking up with them is not the source of suffering.
For instance, if two people were in their back yard and one noticed that a tree was dead, and says "this tree is dead, I would like it removed from the back yard" it is not in the decision to remove it, or the observation that it is dead that is the cause of suffering. It is the other's drive to have a live tree in their backyard. Now, its perfectly possible that one or both were negligent, and that the tree could have flourished in other circumstances such as closer observation and more intimacy/nurturing... but if it is dead, it is dead.
Suffering arises when we cling to that tree as though we'll make it alive through our intention. That is simply not how it works, and it is better to let go, and use it to fertilize other relationships.
With warmth,
Matt
With thanks,
JB