Speaking about Pain

Are we becoming much, much too interested in and attached to the notion of pain?

Someone punches us in the nose, we fall and break a hip, an angry sound cuts us to the core, or a surgery never quite heals....the examples are infinite. But pain is a guaranteed part of human existence. Not special in any way. All of us will experience it at some stage of our life, in varying degree. And so it is.

The suffering is the holding on, the questioning, "Why me? Poor me. What is it, this pain? Explain to me the anatomy of these strange feelings called pain. Tell me about yours and I¡¦ll tell you about mine."

Pain is only pain, and it is not illustrious; it is distracting and destructive.

Enquiry has its place, especially since we enquire within. Inside, there is an endless place of power and revelation. Psychotherapy does such great, good work with wounds. We need to have access to such enquiry and insight.

But chronic enquiry too, may become addictive, and therefore more, chronically, painful.

Whether we have received pain from an athletic injury or from an assault of whatever kind, by the time we are able to name it, it's passed.

It's done.

We get hit. But then it's over.

Passed and done is nature's way. Past. And done.

As an example, I refer to Peter Levine's work and writing such as he described in his book "Waking the Tiger". Each and every day of an animal's life, these beautiful, powerful, indomitable beings risk being EATEN by a bigger one. That must be some kind of stress!!! Yet, each time they face a threat and escape it, or receive pain as a consequence of it, they rally, press on, and prepare for the continuance of their life, such as it is. Or, if they're dead, they¡¦re dead. And that's all.

Why are we so, so, so different in that we want to talk about our pain, and invite it in, and marinate in it? And condition our days by it?

Is it choice, I wonder? Do we choose to let pain linger, and to play with it? This is intoxicating, perhaps, but it is a false control of the situation.

The summer's heat comes and smothers us, and then it passes. What is the debate on this, apart from if we have taken off enough of our clothes during the time?

The eightfold path gives all of the technology we need to be rid of the thoughts that have no thinker. If a hurricane is on the horizon, we barricade our houses against it. If we are yet hit by storms and suffer great loss courtesy of the elements, we hurry to re-build, and to get on with it. Don't we?

Hurry then. Or go slow. But get on with it. Do not welcome suffering to sit with you for tea, afternoon after afternoon. Do not make yourselves (ourselves) a welcome host for pain and so much debate about pain. This pain guest will linger if we give it roost.

Carlos Casteneda has determined that choice and re-direction can be made in an instant. The Buddhah has given us infallible steps. Jesus Christ has said that he died already, that we may be free. What was the worth of his life...of all of their efforts?

Simply attend to your meditations, press on with your therapies. Do not intellectually deal in the research of your own bleeding. Just turn away. Choose, and continue. Well....anyway.......why not try, at least?

There is so much work to be done in our world and in our lives for the benefit of others. Our own personal pain may not qualify for humanity¡¦s ransom against the furtherance of our common objective...the END of all suffering.

May it possibly end with you? You?

How much of our suffering is a matter of choice?