Know Your Way Out
The First Noble Truth in Buddhism is quite memorable and pretty damn depressing, "Life consists of suffering, pain, and misery". Don't stop there with your studies of Buddhism, it gets way better!! This sentiment is repeated over and over again in numerous philosophical schools. The origin of the concept, "All life is suffering" likely dates back to the earliest of spiritual practices. Thankfully most schools of thought give us instruction on the way out of life's suffering.
One way out of the cycle of suffering comes from Realization. The practice of realization is simple but getting to a place where it is simple can be difficult and can take years of practice. There is a sense that it is simply lying to yourself in effort to convince your mind that any suffering that is experienced can be easily overcome by accepting the misery and it's inevitability. We even use phrases such as, "It is what it is" and "Sh*t Happens". This line of thinking is not incorrect but only half of the practice. So, if one half of the practice is accepting that suffering is inevitable then the other half is knowing that any suffering can be overcome. The way out of suffering through realization is both knowing that suffering is bound to be experienced and to use the experience of suffering as a lesson. In lessonizing (you read that correctly) a less than desirable experience there are two potential outcomes. The first has an effect on the lower self that deals directly with this physical existence. Through the lesson we might learn what to avoid or how to alter our future actions and we may just avoid any future, similar suffering. The other effect is placed upon the higher Self, the Self that is the Spirit. It is in the following and becoming the lesson that clarity of the Spirit can be realized. We awaken to a deeper sense of our being through understanding, refining and following the lesson.
At the end of the day it's simply a choice we make. Does the misery experienced drag us down into deeper states of suffering or can we lessonize the misery so that we may overcome and elevate ourselves and our Spirit.
