Facing Suffering

Zhou Guoping

Suffering is inevitable in life. Suffering refers to events and situations that cause great suffering. It includes natural and man-made disasters that are irresistible to individuals, such as encountering troubled times or famines, suffering from life-threatening serious or even terminal illnesses, and the death of loved ones. It also includes major setbacks in personal social life, such as lovelorn, breakdown of marriage, and career failure. Even if some people are lucky in both aspects and do not suffer much, they still cannot avoid the suffering that all people must endure sooner or later - death. Therefore, how to face suffering is a major life issue before everyone.

People often regard suffering as a purely negative thing in life that should be completely denied. Of course, suffering is different from taking a proactive risk. Taking a risk has the pleasure of a challenge, and we are always forced to endure suffering. But as a negative aspect of life, does suffering always have a completely negative meaning in life?

Suffering and happiness are opposite things, but they have one thing in common, that is, they are both directly related to the soul, and both involve the evaluation of the meaning of life. Normally our soul is asleep and wakes up when we feel happy or suffer. If happiness is the great joy of the soul, which comes from a strong feeling of the beautiful meaning of life, then suffering is suffering because it shakes the foundation of life and attacks people's confidence in the meaning of life, thus making the soul In great pain. The meaning of life is only the object of the soul. Whether it is affirmative, doubtful or negative, as long as it is true, the soul must be present. No matter how tragic the external event is, if it does not shock the soul and become a spiritual event, it cannot be called suffering. A thing that can awaken the soul and put it in a painful but vital state of tension must have some spiritual value.

Most of the time, we live in the external world. We are busy with trivial daily life, busy with work, socializing and entertainment. It is rare that we have time to think about ourselves and life. However, when we encountered bad luck, our busy bodies stopped. Bad luck interrupts the life we ??are accustomed to, and at the same time provides an opportunity, forcing us to distance ourselves from the outside world and return to ourselves. As long as we make good use of this opportunity and are willing to think, we will gain a new perspective on life. Ancient Roman philosophers believed that adversity inspires wisdom, and Buddhism regards the understanding of suffering as the starting point of enlightenment, both of which are profound in their own way. There is an inherent tragedy in life, and it would be superficial to ignore it. Of course, we must be careful not to lose sight of the world because of this. I believe that a person who still loves life after all the ups and downs must have many treasures extracted from pain hidden in his chest.

Suffering not only improves our awareness, but also improves our personality. Suffering is the touchstone of personality, and the attitude towards suffering can best indicate whether a person has inherent dignity. For example, if a person is lovelorn, as long as the person who is lovelorn truly loves the person who abandoned him, it is impossible for him not to feel great pain. However, some people who have lost love will give up on themselves and feel depressed, some will turn against them, and even commit murder and revenge, and some people will endure the pain silently with self-respect and respect for other people's feelings. There will be personality problems in this process. huge difference. Of course, everyone's personality is not static, and his attitude towards pain itself is also shaping his personality. Whatever sufferings he may suffer, as long as he remains alert to the freedom of his attitude, and encourages himself to bear them with perseverance and nobility, he improves his character more effectively than ever.

All suffering is irreversible. However, in most cases, this only refers to the irreversible loss of some important value, but at the same time, there are other values ??in life that encourage the sufferer to endure the suffering at hand. For example, even if a lovelorn person is completely disappointed in love, he will still live for his career or for the relatives who love him. However, there is a kind of suffering in the world that is not only irreversible in itself, but also means the destruction of all other values, so it is impossible to draw the courage to endure it from other aspects. In this desperate situation, if suffering still has meaning, then this meaning lies almost exclusively in the way of suffering itself. During World War II, a man named Frank was imprisoned in Auschwitz. Those who were imprisoned in this concentration camp had almost no hope of coming out alive. What awaited them were gas chambers and crematoria. Frank's parents, wife, and brother did all suffer this fate. But Frank survived extremely accidentally, and he wrote a very touching book about his experiences and thoughts in the concentration camp. Faced with the prospect of almost certain death, the reason why he was not destroyed by the inhuman suffering in the concentration camp was precisely because he found the meaning of life in the way he endured suffering. He said it well: To endure suffering with dignity is a real inner achievement, because it proves that man has at all times an inalienable spiritual freedom. In fact, each of us will eventually face a kind of suffering without any future, that is, death, and enduring death with dignity is indeed the last great achievement of our spiritual life.

Awakening Harmony

"Nothing creates each other, difficulty and difficulty complement each other, long and short contrast to each other, high and low resemble each other, sounds and voices harmonize, and front and rear follow each other." This sentence of Laozi reveals The opposition between nature and society is harmonious and accommodates each other. Today's word "harmony" is probably derived from this.

Today's fast-paced life makes us ignore the true feelings and warmth. When we step forward In it, it is not difficult to feel that everything is for the pursuit of personal interests. Abaddon, described by Molière, is a stingy loan shark. He lives only for money, and there is no warmth or warmth in him. When someone When he was told that the money box had been stolen, he actually shouted like crazy: "My poor money! Without you, everything is over for me! I can't live anymore!" What's even more ridiculous is that there is a story in "The Scholars" The rich man refused to close his eyes and die for a lamp grass! Wealth is very important! But is it really important to that extent? If so, why would there be "a thousand pieces of gold are gone and you will get them back"? Abnormal mentality gives birth to It is also a deformed behavior, and even extends to the entire society! Wang Rongguan in the Jin Dynasty rose to the prime minister, and his family was extremely wealthy. He was rich and powerful! But he was so stubborn that he had high-quality chestnuts and was afraid that others would get the seeds. So he "patiently" drilled a hole in each chestnut and took out the core! It was ridiculous, but when I thought about why this happened, it turned out that I had long forgotten or simply didn't have the harmony between gains and losses between wealth and people. There are losses! So they fall into gains and losses, and troubles follow. The poor people are like small fish in a dry pond, they can only rely on the moisture exhaled by each other to maintain life! "Tai Chi creates two righteousnesses, two righteousnesses. Yi and the Four Symbols, the Four Symbols produce the Bagua "Yin and Yang are in harmony. There are many disharmonious things around us, and we are unable to change them one by one. But we can change ourselves! There is a public service announcement, and parents are asking whether it has been long. The eldest son asked: "When our parents get old, will they take care of us like we do now?" The child's childish words said: "I will send you to a nursing home and let the uncles and aunts there take care of you." The picture suddenly changed. Turning to the scene of the parents sending their parents to a nursing home... Another scene cuts to the scene where the parents took their parents back home. The final theme came out - to create a harmonious family. Use a small family to affect everyone, and harmony is there. As you can imagine, when people around us are filled with all kinds of pure interest relationships, intrigues, intrigues, and guarding against others, our spirit can withstand long-term tension. If so, it will lead to a The result - the psychiatric hospital will be very popular! This huge country with a history of five thousand years of civilization has many people who have seen harmony! Lao Zhuang's "let nature take its course and govern by doing nothing" is the harmony between man and nature. " In the Book of Songs, "Throw a peach and repay a plum" and Cao Zhi's "They are born from the same roots, so there is no need to worry about each other" and "The Analects of Confucius·Yan Yuan" says "... We are all brothers in the four seas, so why should gentlemen worry? Even if there are no brothers, it is all about harmony between people, and the harmony between people and money that "comes back even after all the money has been spent"!...

Nowadays, a harmonious society is being built in an all-round way. As modern people, how can we There is no concept of harmony: "the old will die, the strong will be useful, the young will be able to grow, the widowed, the lonely, the disabled will all be supported" - a harmonious society! How far are we still looking forward to its arrival? …

In any case, the greater the pain, the greater the joy that follows.

————Augustinius

No one is more unfortunate than the man who has never encountered misfortune, because he has never had the opportunity to test his abilities.

————Seneca

Extreme pain is the final liberator of the spirit. Only this kind of pain can force us to achieve enlightenment.

————Nietzsche

The appearance of thin willows falls in autumn; the quality of pines and cypresses is still lush after frost.

————Gu Zhenguan

People should think more in difficult times. If you think too much, you will find a solution.

————Munir?6?1 Nasuf

If life deceives you, don’t be depressed or angry! Tolerate things for the time being when things don’t go your way: just believe it! Happy days will come.

————Russian? 6? 1 Pushkin

Keep corals away from the erosion of rough waves? That would undoubtedly ruin their beauty. A little red face appreciates what hard work has left behind! The passing of suffering is the arrival of sweetness.

————Goethe

If you suffer, thank life, that is the feeling it gives you; if you suffer, thank God, it means you are still alive. People's misfortunes often become their knowledge.

————Aesop

Pain can destroy people, and the people who suffer can also destroy pain. Creation requires suffering, and suffering is a gift from God. One of the great qualities of outstanding people is their perseverance in the face of adverse and difficult encounters.

————De?6?1 Beethoven

Things in the world are never absolute, and the results completely vary from person to person. Suffering is a stepping stone for genius... It is a fortune for capable people, but it is an abyss for the weak.

————Balzac

The most exquisite gems have been polished by craftsmen for the longest time. The most precious carvings receive the most blows from chisels.

————Anonymous

Pythagoras, "The whole sky is a harmony."

Li Shangyin of the Tang Dynasty's "Miscellaneous Collection": "All women are harmonious, not too harsh." Sima Guang of the Song Dynasty, "Gusou Murders": "The person who is more valuable than Shun is his ability to harmonize his relatives with filial piety." Everything is prosperous for the family and everything! Harmony is precious and harmony is beautiful! Family affection produces happiness, and civilization brings harmony. ——Hugo The gentleman is harmonious but different; the villain is harmonious but not harmonious. A gentleman is harmonious but will not blindly agree. A villain will only blindly agree but will not be harmonious. Friendship is a kind of harmonious equality.

——Pythagoras

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