Definition: Pain & Suffering

PAIN is the consequences of being a finite being in an almost infinite universe. These consequences include sickness, aging, and death. (Refer to the story about Siddhartha’s experiences the first time he leaves this father’s palace.) You have some minor control over this by having a moderate life style: good diet, exercise, not smoking, and general congeniality. However, these only moderate or delay these consequences. Other possible scenarios include tornadoes, floods, plagues, Vikings, and extinction-level asteroids. We may discuss these in later.

SUFFERING is what we as sentient beings generate ourselves, usually by conscious and unconscious fear, greed, anger, egotism, and just general overthinking. We actually have the possibility of controlling these, unless you were born into a meat-suit that continually bathes your brain in really bad chemicals, but this takes a life time of work and is generally too costly for most people to attempt.

Don’t worry, there is plenty of JOY in life too.