chapter 27 - Suffering

Actually suffering does not exist at all. It is manifested in the mind through the function of the senses and the ego attached to all the perceived names and forms, and perceives the objects as suffering.

The world we are living in or the happenings around us and in our life as well as all the thoughts in the mind are neither suffering nor not suffering.

They are just being what it is, but the intellect and the ego categorized them into suffering and happiness.

Suffering and happiness only exist in the perception of those who are still under the influence of the mind, the intellect and the ego.

When the lower self is attached to and identified itself with the mind, the intellect and the ego, the body, the senses and the worldly experiences in life, then the lower self is identifying and associating with everything that the mind is perceiving.

The consciousness of this type of people is conditioned by the information and judgment coming from the function of the ego and the intellect. Thus whatever the six senses perceive will go through the process of identification and categorization from the intellect and then the ego will assert likes and dislikes in the mind, and generate craving and aversion towards what it likes and dislikes.

The lower self that is identified with the mind and its functions, will comprehend what is happening as either good or bad, happiness or suffering, and generate likes and dislikes, craving and aversion.

For those who already know what is actually happening in these perceptions of names and forms, and they detached themselves from the mind, the intellect and the ego, they are not affected by the terms and conditions that the mind and its functions trying to tell us, '‘this is I’', ‘'I am good'’, ‘'I am bad'’, ‘'this is happiness’', '‘this is suffering’', ‘'I am happy'’ and ‘'I am sad'’.

When a person is awakened from this delusion, he will find that his happiness has nothing to do with all the things outside. His gives no value to the word ‘'suffering’'. He stops categorizing things into good and bad. But it doesn’t mean that now he can does whatever he wants, such as hurting other people or being evil or immoral. He will have total self-control over his thoughts, actions and speech, and not being over-powered by what the ego wants and doesn't want, likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees.