Suffering: When the ego-mind/body and the soul-child-heart are at odds
What does one do when ego structure is a barrier to our vulnerable heart?
The ego body/mind has created and maintained structures and defenses to protect us. These barriers are old, created at a time when everything was pretty much “life or death” for a young and vulnerable developing human being. In addition to these ego structures, as adults, we must work with – and through – our soul/inner child – structures as they are also impediments to human maturation and the soul’s journey toward greater realization and freedom.
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Key Insights on Suffering
- The comment reflects the universal desire for something deeper in our lives. The speaker explores the struggle of connecting with their feeling heart and dismantling ego structures to perceive reality with compassion, love, objectivity, and openness.
- Structures do not necessarily limit life but form our experience, allowing for limitless exploration and inquiry.
- Being honest and open to our emotions and experiences allows us to connect more deeply and understand the real dynamism within us.
- Embracing the process of self-exploration and allowing it to unfold naturally leads to deep knowledge and awareness of our situation, ultimately bringing about positive transformation.
- The transformation process involves letting go of the search for the perfect technique or methodology and embracing what truly needs to change within ourselves.
- Embracing change and allowing ourselves to be transformed is necessary for personal growth and development.
- Spiritual transformation involves rewiring the brain, as neuroscience confirms the connection between biological, psychological, and spiritual aspects of transformation.
A Deeper Understanding of Suffering
Understanding and resolving suffering is not a simple task. It involves a fundamental transformation that doesn’t merely mean transitioning from unhappiness to happiness. Understanding suffering requires transformations that we ordinarily don’t think about and that our minds can’t easily conceptualize.
The causes of our suffering are so intrinsic to how we live that once we recognize them, we can no longer believe that it is unfair that we suffer. Suffering is simply a symptom of incomplete knowledge, lack of realization, and lack of complete awareness. We experience a lack of awareness, realization, and knowledge of suffering. As we understand this, our attitude toward suffering changes: it is no longer something bad happening. We realize that something we don’t understand remains to be seen.
Our suffering is a symptom, a sign coming from our nature, the deepest guide. Our suffering beckons us closer to the truth and shows us the way to peace. Through our suffering, our true self tells us that there is more to realize. Our suffering is connected with our guidance, and it’s better not to try to silence it. The only approach to suffering is to understand it. Suffering is silenced in the final silence, in the Absolute.
The duality of our mind creates subtle suffering or longing. This duality is between existence and nonexistence. We believe that existence and nonexistence are two things. This belief can lead to profound sorrow and deep sadness that fills the whole universe with deep, dark sadness and longing. This sadness is connected to our love for existence.
The belief in individuality, separateness, and ego boundaries causes suffering. As a separate individual, one can’t help but be insecure, always surrounded by forces beyond oneself. This insecurity, fear, and helplessness of being a little, separate entity in a world of greater forces is the condition of every individual.
As long as one lives according to any ideal, there is suffering. This suffering can lead to maturity if experienced deeply and with understanding. A mature human being is someone who feels deeply that, at the deepest level, there is happiness and harmony but who also knows that desiring happiness and harmony cuts him off from reality.