Not Quite Empty or Full

The Buddhist dogma “all life is suffering” is sometimes misunderstood. I understand why, it sounds very tragic, like a mother tucking in her child and saying, “goodnight dear, sleep well because everything is going to be awful in the morning”. But, to many on the path of enlightenment, it is a statement of reassurance. That we all must suffer is (at the same time) an unfortunate truth, a common ground we walk upon, and a reason to rise above.

When Buddha says, “all life is suffering” he could also say, “all glass will break”.

We are all going to be sad or sick some of the days, and like the glass, our bodies are going to break someday.

Your favorite glass shouldn’t be kept on the shelf just because it’s going to break. If you don’t drink from it, then you have no right calling it your favorite glass.

Likewise, your love and life should not be kept hidden because it is fragile, because you could get sad, or because you might break someday.

Fear of pain is suffering’s darker companion. The anticipation of misery is an evil that keeps us in distress when we need not be. Akin to toting around a heavy umbrella everyday, because who knows? It might rain.

Fear of suffering can be reduced through knowledge of pain as a passing eventuality. You are going to suffer, but don’t focus on it when you’re not suffering, acknowledge it when you are, and then move on afterward.

Accepting suffering gives you power over fear. If is rains, then it rains, and you get wet, so what? If your glass breaks, then it’s gone and you’ll get a new one.

Photo by Quinn Dombrowski