Deep hunger, shallow life

Intellectually, we can all admit that suffering is a fact of life. And yet, if given the choice, not one of us would like more of it.

At times, we fight it; other times we deny it. And sometimes, we just plain ignore it. However we choose to react, each is a form of resistance. Not one of those ways works all that well, at least not for long.

What if we stopped resisting instead?

The most difficult thing to do in moments of suffering is to stand tall. To observe and accept the reality of the situation. It is also the best thing to do.

The next right thing is to understand what is really going on, see what it has to teach you, and most importantly, your role in it.

It is only when you arrive at this openness to understand that you begin to get some clarity. Not a magic solution or an instant release, but clarity.

When we resist, we’re caught up in our reaction. It’s difficult to see things clearly. We don’t know what to do, and we can’t move forward. When we are willing to understand, the fog of our intense emotions starts to dissipate, and we can begin to make sense of how things are and what we can do next.

This is not an easy thing to do. You might fear that you are too small, and it will swallow you whole. It won’t. It will instead help you expand. It might be piercing and disquieting, but it will reveal an inner strength you didn’t know you had.

You also realize that if you don’t, you will forever chase things that will never satisfy.

Now you can identify the deep hunger you’re grappling with—the true source of your pain—and how you’ve been trying to stave it off with the shallow food borne of blind, reactive decisions. You’ll also see that it has done nothing to soothe your core appetite, and has led you here, suffering.

It is here that you begin to see the light, the possibilities.

In the valley of suffering, we can choose to lose hope and make camp for a comfortable albeit shallow life.

Or, we can shed the old self in that same valley so a new self can emerge. There are no shortcuts, only the ascent into a deeper life.