It is the very first noble truth that Buddha taught, and it has been repeated by all of his followers since then. This truth is just one of the four noble truths, which are the essence of the Buddhist teaching.
Recognizing that suffering is integral to our lives and that there are other benefits to pain, such as the cultivation of wisdom and compassion, we become more accepting of our suffering. And when we truly accept grief and sorrow as inevitable, we actually suffer less.
Suffering serves a purpose and has roots in our evolutionary heritage. There are two types of suffering. The first level of suffering is part of our human condition, and we can't do much to change it. The second level of suffering is more insidious, pervasive, and harmful than the first.
We evolved to suffer in certain circumstances (e.g., deprivation of food, water, air, warmth, social rejection, loss of loved ones). Our suffering motivates us to change our behavior, when possible, in ways that enhance our chances of survival.
Embrace the fact that to live is to suffer. Without some degree of suffering, we would not evolve. We would become lost and listless. We would not feel the need to better ourselves, then become complacent and stagnant to the point of being motionless and lifeless!
Suffering causes our focus to turn inward, to face those parts of ourselves we might otherwise ignore. God can use suffering then to develop us into better people: the people who can love and enjoy Him forever (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4).
Many people have given up on happiness, because their lives are full of suffering and problems. But do not despair – mature, authentic happiness can only be found in such troubling circumstances. It is through suffering that many have found enduring happiness and become fully alive.
Where there is no suffering, there can be no happiness either, and vice versa. If we can learn to see and skillfully engage with both the presence of happiness and the presence of suffering, we will go in the direction of enjoying life more.
“The greatest sources of our suffering are the lies we tell ourselves,” he'd say, urging us to be honest with ourselves about every facet of our experience. He often said that people can never get better without knowing what they know and feeling what they feel.”
To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.
Results from the study indicate that people who experience more severe adversity are more empathic, leading to greater compassion and a higher likelihood of taking action to relieve the suffering of others.
Romans 5:1-5
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
It's easy to deem sadness as an inherently negative emotion and happiness as a net positive one. But, according to experts, feeling sadness is good to a degree, and can even give way to you feeling happier because you're more aware of and in tune with all of your real emotions.
God can only comfort us because he has suffered; he can offer mercy because he has experienced weakness and need. He gives to us what he first experienced. Paul's point that suffering does not produce comfort is not addressed here. Being comforted is the thing that equips us to comfort.
The Lord says, “'It is mine to avenge; I will repay'” (Romans 12:19 NIV). He wants us to trust Him to set things right and even the score. When we surrender our anger, we may still feel hurt, but that hurt won't express itself in active or passive retaliation.
When we are suffering, God is right beside us. Nothing can separate us from His love. He wants to show us His love through His church, and give us a purpose through His Word!
In the face of human suffering, rather than asking why, Jesus swung into action and healed all kinds of sicknesses; he raised the dead and consoled the afflicted and comforted the broken-hearted; he forgave sinners, liberated those in the power of the devil, and welcomed the oppressed and rejected (Cf. Matthew 9:35).
Second, you can rejoice in Christ, by recognizing that our suffering isn't in vain. That there is a purpose in our suffering. Through our difficult circumstances, God puts people in our lives with whom we can share the message of Jesus. Other believers may even be encouraged to do the same.
Rev. 21 Verses 1 to 4
He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; [4] he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.
They seem uncharacteristically angry, anxious, agitated, or moody. You may notice the person has more frequent problems controlling his or her temper and seems irritable or unable to calm down. People in more extreme situations like this may be unable to sleep or may explode in anger at minor problems.
I need to know that you care, that you love me, be my refuge from pain, replacing my distress with peace, and be my strength when I feel weak and find it hard to carry on. Help me not to fear the future but to boldly trust that you are in control when my emotions plunge me down, and when I am in despair.
Agitation or displaying anger, anxiety or moodiness. Withdrawal or isolation from others. Poor self-care and perhaps engaging in risky behavior. Hopelessness, or feelings of being overwhelmed and worthless.
At the heart of this system are the Four Noble Truths that are central to Buddhist philosophy: (1) Life is suffering, (2) attachment to desire causes suffering, (3) suffering ends with the attachment to desire, and (4) the Eightfold Path is the path to liberation from suffering.