Sorry, Mr Buddha!
Freedom from Suffering (Dukkha) is not my aim !!!!
At the cost of my Buddhist friends getting cross with me, I had to write this letter to you, Mr Buddha.
Life is never kind, but it is not harsh, either! It is a mixed bag; you never know what the next moment will bring. Pain seems to be so entwined in our lives! Just like you, I couldn’t stand people suffering, and I wished I had a magic wand and could swoosh it around and make things better for everyone. Sometimes, I felt like running away as well to sit under the shade of a Bodhi tree, but it felt like running away from what is, so I kept looking for it in the midst of this mad-mad world. You may be surprised to know that I eventually found my own Bodhi tree right here, in this world!
But my Bodhi tree gave me a different message.
It said, what’s wrong with suffering?
What would happiness even mean without sadness?
My Bodhi tree says we should not aim for freedom from suffering but leverage it to know ourselves better.
The purpose of life is not to alleviate suffering but to use suffering to realize one’s authentic Self.
A caterpillar does not know that it has the potential to convert into a beautiful butterfly; it goes through great pain to metamorphose into a butterfly. If, during the process, the caterpillar decides to become Buddha and stop all suffering, it will never realize what it is capable of! The caterpillar has full faith in life; it does not question the suffering but goes deep into it with full faith and finally emerges, transformed into a version it may not even have imagined. There are innumerable examples in nature to show that suffering is not evil. Suffering brings the sufferer face-to-face with potential! Potential to realize who it really is.
Unless we suffer, we will not know who we are and what we are capable of. We are far more complicated than a caterpillar, which means we also have a far greater potential to realize the ultimate truth. We are not just this physical body but a complicated mix of physical, astral (emotional, mental and intellectual bodies) and causal bodies. Each layer (kosha) affects the other; we are a Whole made up of these interconnected bodies/ layers/ koshas, each influencing and affecting the other. The aim of life is to understand these various aspects of our Self. As we realize and figure out our Self, we will also realize and figure out the universe.
Look at suffering for what it is — the next stage of growth in your life. Celebrate the process because you will soon become a better version of yourself. Since you are much more complicated than a mere caterpillar, there is no end to your potential; you will be given the opportunity, again and again, to keep transforming till you become/ realize your best Self which is embedded deep in your causal body.
How do you reach your causal body?? You can only move towards the unknown from the known. Hardships, pain, and challenges are on the same continuum as Joy, happiness, and fulfilment on this physical plane. By experiencing life across this continuum, you go deeper and deeper into your physical and astral bodies. How will you experience life in its full bounty if you run away to the Himalayas to find peace? You are not here to find peace but realize your Self!
Now, when I see someone suffering (including me), I don’t want to swoosh it away with the magic wand, but instead, I ask you to swim deeper towards it and ask,
What is the universe trying to tell me?
Where am I feeling the pain?
Can I name the ‘feeling’?
Recognize the emotion, and go deep into it. Do not divert yourself with frivolity, numbing your senses with social media, unnecessary positive thinking, music, and alcohol or by running away to the Himalayas or to a Bodhi tree!
Instead of running away or struggling to get out, jump into the ocean of your emotion and let go. Just like the caterpillar, trust life! As you emerge out of the ocean, which you will, you will be transformed.
You will be closer to your authentic Self.
And the process will continue.
The universe is in no hurry; the more you run away from suffering more it will come to you. The sooner you make peace with the process of suffering and growth, the easier this journey will become. And in the process, you will achieve ‘fulfilment.’
My Bodhi tree handed me a magic wand as well, a wand that can help everyone go deeper into pain and emerge transformed. It is made of — Awareness, Acceptance and Faith.
No, my dear Mr Buddha, I don’t want to end suffering anymore; I want people to embrace suffering and discover the butterfly within.
Give me a shout if you want my magic wand — Awareness, Acceptance and Faith. It goes a long way in putting you in touch with your Self.
