Growing out of suffering

The inspiration for this article comes from a question that one of the author's friends recently asked. She asked the author something like this; Her friend was going through strong menstrual pain, and she wanted to know if there are any natural substances that one can use to alter one's state of consciousness in order to ease the immense pain. 

Now, of course, this question may be limited to females experiencing a certain kind of pain, but in fact, it can apply to all of us. We can consider any kind of pain and suffering, and we can apply the same antidote.

Thus, the author answered something like the following...

Using poison as medicine

We have all been in pain before, all of us. Sometimes it is just a little headache because we had a beer or a glass of wine too many. Sometimes it is a terrible toothache or migraine, or it can be something even more serious and painful. So, how do we beneficially use this? Saying that we can use the experience of being in pain beneficially may sound insane! But seriously, it is possible. Let's discuss!

Sure, we can do something to reduce our pain. It would be rather unskillful if we are sitting with a life-threatening pain or illness, and we don't check up on it. Our lives are precious, and we should treat it as such, never taking it for granted. However, we can use this pain to transform our minds into vehicles of compassion.

When we have pain, we can consider how much pain our mothers must have had carrying us around in the womb, and how much pain every mother goes through, when giving birth. With this in mind, we can use the pain to create a strong sense of compassion for all the mothers walking on this Earth.

Further, when we have pain, we can use this to think of the pain that the homeless people must be enduring, pains of extreme cold or hunger. Thus, we can generate compassion for them too.

When we have a headache, we can think of those people that have brain tumors, and suffer from terrible headaches day after day. We can also think of those that are abusing or addicted to substances like alcohol, which also causes terrible headaches. Instead of judging them by their actions, think of what is driving them to want to escape from their reality so badly. Again, generate compassion.

Any kind of pain we experience, we can transform this into compassion, we can use this extremely precious opportunity to open our hearts, to reach out to those around us, and to feel interconnected. See, pain comes as a blessing, helping us to shatter the illusion of separateness. 

It comes and goes

Additionally, we can say and see clearly that pain is impermanent. It was not there before, it is here now, and it shall pass too. Thus, it teaches us about impermanence. When we are experiencing pain, we can use this time skillfully. Instead of completely being absorbed by the pain, feeling so sorry for ourselves, we can contemplate impermanence.

See, like the pain, everything else in life also comes and goes. Our bodies, our state of mind, our jobs, our health and wealth, they change all the time. This life and everything in it, it is all bound to impermanence. Thus, we can learn to let go of grasping, to let go of clinging to ideas and concepts and objects. When we check up, we shall actually realize that the pain and suffering we experience from attachments and desires are way worse than the pain we have from a headache or any other physical pain.

Physical pain comes and goes, but our attachments and desires keep us in bondage with endless suffering. It keeps us in Samsara.

Life as a teaching

To conclude, we want to say that we can definitely not simply brush off pain like it is nothing. There are really severe illnesses and diseases, and they are to be taken with all seriousness. Life is precious and we need to take care of this body, which is a temporary vehicle for our consciousness.

However, we want to use each and every moment skillfully and mindfully, in clarity. Seeing each moment of unhappiness and suffering as a teaching and as a lesson. Through this, we can transform our minds into great vehicles of liberation for ourselves and others!

Like a tree, growing from brown soil and transforming into something beautiful, we can similarly use suffering, to grow and develop the mind into a peaceful space. 

Similar articles on this blog:

All about compassion - 24 June, 2020
Understanding impermanence - 25 February, 2020
Cherishing others - 19 May, 2020