Go BackDo people have to suffer before
they can seek the path of Enlightenment?
Q: Do You believe that people have to go through chaos and destruction, or much pain and suffering, before they can seek the path of Enlightenment?
A: People do not have to go through chaos and destruction, pain and suffering—before, during, or after seeking the path of Enlightenment, nor are they prerequisites for it. However, it just so happens that most everybody does. There have been very, very few exceptions to this, over the course of history. Look at it this way: Suppose you are a ball. The moment God drops that ball is the moment you enter Creation. Now, if a ball is falling, when does that ball begin its ascent? The answer is simple: when it hits the ground.
This explains the nature of human evolution on Earth. It is when you have hit rock bottom—as the inevitable result of all selfish pursuits for sense gratification (which people seek to numb the pain of feeling separate from God) and for material goals and gains (false gods), at some point in a given lifetime (and it is not this lifetime for everyone)—that the ball begins its ascent. And in this third-dimensional world of polarity, of duality, that does entail much chaos, destruction, pain, and suffering because all pain and suffering is caused by resistance to God’s will.
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Saturday, January 20th 2018 at 12:03 am |
I have suffered from a mental disorder for most of my life and it seems to intensify over time. It is a sort of inescapable torture chamber at times; however, over the years i have noticed that even though the pain and anguish seem to intensify there is a small spiritual voice in the back of my mind that grows louder over time, metaphorically speaking. It seems that the more and longer I suffer the stronger this feeling becomes, its a sense of freedom or weightlessness. I saw a documentary once about a man who was by a window in a burning building, the smoke and fire were encroaching on him, it was the most excruciating and distressing feeling and at some point he realized that he would have to jump, he said that the moment he jumped he felt the most liberating feeling imaginable. For that moment it seemed that he completely surrendered his whole being and felt free. He landed on a wooden structure and survived. I wonder if this is what buddhism aims to achieve, a total “letting go” of the world. I try to learn about Buddhism as a way relieve my anguish. I do believe in reincarnation and I would like to think that I may have set myself up in this life to suffer intensely for the purpose of liberating myself but I am conflicted because it is also my understanding that beings suffer because of passed karma, through my intense suffering I sometimes have some sense of guilt, I feel that I must be paying for suffering that I caused other people even though I have no recollection of it and don’t have a malicious type character, in fact most people describe me as being very understanding and sensitive. Im also confused about the idea that If suffering is an atonement for negative past deeds then It would follow that I should not attempt to relieve anyone from their suffering because they must go through it to liberate themselves and clear their karma. Should I not attempt to help people who are suffering as I have done in the past? I do also understand the concept of compassion in Buddhism also but they seem to contradict each other. Please let me know what you think regarding this and other points made throughout my email. I would really appreciate it.
Gerald