Why Do We Suffer?

The Buddha, who lived around 2,600 years ago, was kind of like the world’s first psychologist. This guy was ahead of his time. While Buddhism is a religion, it is also a philosophy that can be used to help anyone live a happier, more peaceful life. In more recent times, science has started to recognize the usefulness of Buddhist practice. The psychology of Buddhism can also be seen in multiple modern theories of psychotherapy, and for good reason.

Buddhist Psychology believes our psychological state depends not so much on what we experience, but on how we relate to our experiences. It acknowledges that pain, whether physical or emotional, is an unavoidable part of life. All things in life are impermanent, which means they can cause us distress. However, as human beings, we tend to add suffering to the pain through our thoughts about it. Suffering is a result of clinging and aversion: pushing away what we don’t want and clinging tightly to what we desire.

However, there is the possibility to learn to observe and be with what simply IS, through mindfulness practice. With wise effort and energy, we can start to free ourselves from our unskillful thinking and behavior. In doing so, we can also begin to see that suffering stinks, yet it is also grace in that it shows us where we are still stuck. The beautiful lotus flower floats above the murky, muddy water; No mud, no lotus.