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Thread: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

  1. #1
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    The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    Namaste,

    I would like to touch on something that everyone struggles with. Change in life.

    Life is like that one flaky friend who you can never rely on, sometimes they'll be there for you in the most beautiful loving ways, some days they'll forget that you want to connect to them. Life is a constant state of flux.

    Further, at least across the atlantic, the emphasis on peaceful unchanging life is so poisonous because it rots the insides. We are so averse to sadness and suffering that we don't see its value and so it comes out at the worst times in the worst ways.

    For someone reading this who is afraid of pain and suffering, I want to tell you that you should embrace the sadness, and relish in the suffering. But not in a sado-masochistic fashion.

    What I mean is that you should not see suffering as punishment. That Which is outside of material reality exists in no dichotomy but the closest proxy for it is pure and unadulterated love and joy. Even those times when the darkness is coming from all corners, don't see this as punishment.

    Life being a constant state of flux means that no happiness, no sadness, no pain, no love is permanent. However, when one looks closely enough, when one realizes transcendence, one can see that although these things are different, they are also one.

    Ask yourself, when was the last time utter bliss changed you for the better? Barring realization and attainment, material bliss is a stagnant force. While we all desire comfort, it does nothing to improve our character, or our love for the world. Now ask yourself, when was the last time an insult or sadness made you actively try to better yourself? Made you push yourself to be the best possible you? I'll bet you can remember at least a few times where the darkness inspired you to embrace the light.

    Further, Life is suffering, no matter what, so if you embrace suffering like an old friend, treat it with due respect, feel bad when woes are beset upon you, then you will have attained to such a high state that happiness will be everywhere for you. Think of suffering as a way to make you the best person you can be, see insults as ways to improve and push yourself.

    That isn't to say that perpetual negative external events is necessarily a good thing. When you see past your own suffering, look to others, do your best with what you have to make others rise above their own pains. In this way the world improves, and although you will never remove pain and sadness, you will work towards creating joy.

    I apologize if that strayed and got very preachy towards the end, but I hope my point is clear.


    Have a good day everybody.

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    Namaste,

    Perhaps little more explanation or rephrasing is needed to augment the thought?
    Quote Originally Posted by Eric11235 View Post
    .......if you embrace suffering like an old friend, treat it with due respect, feel bad when woes are beset upon you, then you will have attained to such a high state that happiness will be everywhere for you. ....
    Does attaining the higher level of consciousness detach you from suffering/happiness, or does merely embracing suffering propel you to such a consciousness level, as implied above?

    Pranam.

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    Believer,

    I believe truly embracing suffering will help achieve the higher state. When you genuinely accept it into your heart, the rest will follow.

    Namaste

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    Namaste,

    If embracing suffering is liberating,
    Quote Originally Posted by Eric11235 View Post
    ...That isn't to say that perpetual negative external events is necessarily a good thing. ....
    Why is perpetuity of it not a good thing?

    Pranam.

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    Believer,

    Although one should embrace suffering. Before one can do that one has to be able to see the good in suffering. If the negative force that perpetuates one's suffering never lets up, how is that person supposed to see its value?

    I guess what i'm saying is that if all you are given is darkness, you will be confused by the light. and for some people that suffering reinforces negativity, hatred, and sadness without the knowledge of oneness. Sadness and pain are glorious gifts to man, but without knowledge of joy and bliss there is no way to know that.

    And that is why we must help others know some joy in their lives if they are to rise above the belief that suffering is bad.

    I hope that elucidates

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    Namaste,

    Eric, thank you for your offering; I am intrigued, how would you define Bhakti in relation to suffering, or change?

    Kind regards.
    Last edited by Mana; 30 March 2014 at 01:25 PM.

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    hari o
    ~~~~~~
    namasté


    I see it a bit differently... If we are within the human condition there will be pain. Pain is a emergency mechanism that informs that something is not right... Pain is inevitable they say.

    But suffering - comes from the mind, ego. It resides in the field of change, and imbalance. Suffering is optional, as it is the disturbance within the mind and provoked by thoughts of loss & fear, etc.
    And what is mind ? It is the field of thought. It comes when one awakens and subsides when one is asleep. Where then is its reality ? It is a nagging phantom that is destroyed when the mind is withdrawn. So, I say to myself why would I choose to embrace suffering ? It is rooted in fear. If I embrace suffering I am embracing the legitimacy of fear.

    iti śivaṁ
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    Namaste Eric,

    I agree with Yajvan's views. The ups and down in life are part of the game we are in. Pains and Joy keeping coming and going in life. The only thing permanent in life is "non-permanence" of everything.

    Mind can decide to get involved or be detached from the whole happening around it. If I am struck with a stick, pain is inevitable but whether I suffer or not depends upon my state of mind. It is within me to get detached from pain. Why should I accept suffering and torment my body and mind ?

    Lord Krishna advises practising Titikshaa i.e. even-mindedness in sufferings and joys. I have tried with some small steps and have found that it is not difficult to train mind to remain unaffected with changes in our surrounding.

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    Yajvan, Devotee

    Your points are well grounded and I appreciate them. I understand what you mean.

    I will try to give an example of what I mean.

    Yesterday I had a pretty unpleasant day, rains all day, rejection and just unpleasantness in general. This made me all sad.

    The external events caused me to suffer and I felt bad thereby.

    However, I let myself feel the sadness and pain of these things with the mindset that sadness and pain are a glorious gift to man, something that is unavoidable and beautiful. And because of that I was able to smile through occasional tears. I knew that what happened hurt me, whether I acknowledged it or not.

    So while your points on the nature of suffering itself are perfectly valid, I have to disagree, some things get to you. And even mindedness, while admirable, may not always be the best response to that pain.


    This is just my perspective on the matter. If you have counterarguments, I'd be glad to hear them,

    Namaste

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    Re: The Importance of Embracing Vicissitudes

    hari o
    ~~~~~~
    namasté

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric11235 View Post
    I knew that what happened hurt me, whether I acknowledged it or not.
    Eric, who is this 'me' ? In the winds of change me is the ego, this 'me' , 'I', that comes and goes. Yet one who is the avadhūta¹ this 'me' is like the moon seen during the day. It is faintly there, but completely outshined by the brilliance of the Self.

    So if I say I am a householder, I am a taxi driver, I am a musician, I am happy, I am sad, I am suffering - all this is pinned to the 'me' which is not the real 'you'.

    iti śivaṁ

    1. avadhūta - one who has shaken-off from himself worldly feeling and obligation , that upon which anything unclean has been shaken out or off. What is shaken off ? The smallness of 'me'.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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