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I can't get over it.

naturelovernaturelover
edited November 2010 in Buddhism Basics
I can't get over how I'm discovering the truth of Buddhism in my own experience. I've observed that most people suffer, and I wish they knew also that there are ways to suffer less and maybe someday not at all.

I've also discovered that people who suffer (more often than I'd like) impinge on my life and push me in the direction of suffering myself. It's still hard for me to generate compassion for these individuals and to detour my own suffering with mindfulness and meditation.

But I feel that I'm moving in the right direction, and that has me smiling for the first time in a long time.:)

Comments

  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Awesome! :D
  • jcizzle209jcizzle209 New
    edited October 2010
    That is very inspiring! I'm new to buddhism as well, and I'm noticing everything you said in my own life as well!

    Thank You!
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited October 2010
    nature lover wrote: »
    I've also discovered that people who suffer (more often than I'd like) impinge on my life and push me in the direction of suffering myself. It's still hard for me to generate compassion for these individuals and to detour my own suffering with mindfulness and meditation.

    How exactly does this happen for you? The suffering of others, if anything, pushes me in the other direction. Yes, it's hard to watch others suffer in ignorance of the way out of it, but that's not for you to be concerned with. Imagine, before you discovered the dharma, how your situation might have impacted someone else who was Buddhist. Does that matter much to you? That person(s) was/is on his/her own path, as are you.

    Generating compassion for those who are suffering is part and parcel of the path. It is precisely *because* they are suffering that we seek to generate compassion for them. Their suffering shouldn't cause you to suffer as well, or push you in that direction. When you say it impinges on your life - how so? Do you feel overwhelming sadness at their suffering? I can completely understand that, but the suffering of others impels me to meditate and seek the path even more, so that ways of helping them will become more apparent to me. And some have, I assure you. It just takes some time and insight.

    Best of luck on your journey. It's a heck of a ride :)
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    edited October 2010
    Mountains wrote: »
    Generating compassion for those who are suffering is part and parcel of the path. It is precisely "because" they are suffering that we seek to generate compassion for them. Their suffering shouldn't cause you to suffer as well, or push you in that direction. When you say it impinges on your life - how so? Do you feel overwhelming sadness at their suffering? I can completely understand that, but the suffering of others impels me to meditate and seek the path even more, so that ways of helping them will become more apparent to me. And some have, I assure you. It just takes some time and insight.

    Word.
  • jcizzle209jcizzle209 New
    edited October 2010
    nature lover wrote: »

    I've also discovered that people who suffer (more often than I'd like) impinge on my life and push me in the direction of suffering myself. It's still hard for me to generate compassion for these individuals and to detour my own suffering with mindfulness and meditation.


    Well, the way i see it, maybe nature lover is talking about the agressiveness of other people directly or indirectly aimed at us, which is a part of their suffering, and that it makes it easier for us to fall off the path and not stay present or compassionate in the moment of that situation.
  • naturelovernaturelover
    edited November 2010
    Mountains wrote: »
    How exactly does this happen for you? The suffering of others, if anything, pushes me in the other direction. Yes, it's hard to watch others suffer in ignorance of the way out of it, but that's not for you to be concerned with. Imagine, before you discovered the dharma, how your situation might have impacted someone else who was Buddhist. Does that matter much to you? That person(s) was/is on his/her own path, as are you.

    Generating compassion for those who are suffering is part and parcel of the path. It is precisely *because* they are suffering that we seek to generate compassion for them. Their suffering shouldn't cause you to suffer as well, or push you in that direction. When you say it impinges on your life - how so? Do you feel overwhelming sadness at their suffering? I can completely understand that, but the suffering of others impels me to meditate and seek the path even more, so that ways of helping them will become more apparent to me. And some have, I assure you. It just takes some time and insight.

    Best of luck on your journey. It's a heck of a ride :)
    Thanks for the post and the good wishes. Generating compassion for others is one of the challenges I face in Buddhism. But the good news is that the suffering of others does inspire me to meditate even more and to do the best I can in clearing my path of obstacles.
  • naturelovernaturelover
    edited November 2010
    SherabDorje wrote: »
    Word.
    Inscrutable.
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