“SUFFERING – PART OF LIFE “

Born Into Suffering: A Path Toward Peace

We are born into a life of suffering — and it’s only through accepting that truth that we can begin to experience real peace in this world.

This isn’t about being negative or cynical. It’s about being honest. From our first moments, suffering is part of the package. Think about it: we get jostled around for months inside the womb — flipped upside down, squeezed tight, blood rushing to our tiny heads — then we’re pushed out into a cold world, away from the constant nourishment and warmth we’ve always known. Suddenly we feel hunger, separation, and discomfort for the first time… and we cry.

We may not remember those moments, but our nervous systems do. They set the stage for how we learn to cope. From an early age, suffering becomes something we just live with. We fall and scrape our knees. We lose our toys. We feel left out. We experience grief in small, confusing doses — each moment shaping our emotional foundation.

And yet, there are times when our pain feels so personal, so intense, it seems like no one else in human history has ever felt it. Whether it’s the death of a loved one… or something simple like watching our ice cream fall to the ground as a child… or those dark nights of the soul when we’re sick and think we might not make it — suffering hits everyone differently, but the feeling is universal.

As we grow older, we develop strategies to cope. Some are healthy. Others just help us avoid the pain. We distract ourselves. We self-medicate. We bury our emotions under work, food, substances, relationships — anything to keep from sitting still with the ache. Even when we get help from a doctor or therapist, there’s still one unavoidable truth: we’ve got to face our pain head-on if we ever want to truly heal.

Sometimes, all we need is to be heard. Just having someone listen — really listen — can shift everything. And sometimes we need more than that. We might need guidance, therapy, or a community that can hold space for our healing. None of that makes us weak. It makes us human.

Understanding the roots of suffering helps us navigate it — both in ourselves and in others. The Buddhist path teaches us that desire, craving, and attachment lie at the heart of most suffering. We want things to be different. We resist what is. We grasp for what we had, or what we think we deserve. And we forget the Four Great Realities:

1. You will age.

2. You will lose the people you love.

3. You cannot avoid sickness when it comes.

4. You — and everyone you know — will die.

Those are hard truths. But once we stop fighting them, we stop adding extra suffering on top of what’s already there. We start living in alignment with reality.

Change is constant. We know that. But the degree to which we suffer often depends on how we think about the change. Fear plays a major role — fear of loss, fear of not being good enough, fear of the unknown. But fear isn’t the enemy. In fact, fear can be a powerful motivator. It can wake us up. It can remind us what matters. It can move us to act in ways that align with who we really are.

When we realize that many of the things we’re stressed about today won’t matter in a month — or even tomorrow — we gain perspective. Suffering shrinks when we zoom out.

And here’s something essential: we have a responsibility — to ourselves and to others — to take action. Sitting in suffering without movement, without expression, without presence, only deepens it. But when we choose to do something, even one small thing, we begin to transform it. Action cuts through helplessness.

Right action, born from clear seeing and mindfulness, is a healing force.

That’s why presence matters. That’s why mindfulness — paying attention to how we live, speak, treat others, and treat ourselves — isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the foundation of peace. When we’re present, we stop reacting and start responding. We make better choices. We cause less harm. We listen more. We slow down enough to feel our life instead of just surviving it.

So yes, suffering is part of this life.

But so is healing. So is compassion. So is truth. So is grace.

When we understand suffering, we stop fearing it. When we face it, we stop being controlled by it. When we accept it, we start walking the path to peace.

Not a perfect life. Not a pain-free life.

But a meaningful one.