Advaita Vision

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Advaita for the 21st Century

The Cause of Suffering

Gina Lake

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Gina Lake photo

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Purchase Gina's book: 'Radical Happiness'

Visit Gina's Website

The following is an extract from the above book.

The egoic mind is the cause of suffering. Nothing more. Suffering only happens in response to a thought. We suffer because we think some­thing about what is happening, what happened, or what might happen. We create a story about what is, what was, or what will be; then we suf­fer over it. We particularly suffer over fears, which are negative ideas about the future, although any idea can cause suffering if it is believed.

Even positive ideas can cause suffering. Something as simple as, "I'm doing great" can cause suffering because there will come a time when the mind will declare, "I'm not doing great." Every positive thought has as much potential for suffering as a negative one because it carries with it the fear of losing what is desired.

In either case, whether we are thinking a positive or negative thought, we have thought the egoic self into existence. The mind creates the me through thought. Before thought, there was no egoic self, only the Self. This birth of the me is the cause of suffering. The two go hand in hand. The me and its story is about separation, and separation is painful. Anytime the focus is on the me, we suffer, whether the me is being painted positively or negatively.

We suffer not only because we make ourselves separate from others but because we make ourselves separate from the Self. However, this suffering is not a mistake; it is part of the Self's plan too. Suffering is what wakes us up out of the egoic state of consciousness. It is not only grist for the egoic self’s mill but a prod to awaken us to our true nature. Suffering is not a mistake.

Suffering is the result of our programming. We are programmed with a mind that generates thoughts (including the me thought), which cause suffering. However, we are also given a way out of suffering. Life is like a puzzle: We are being asked to find the solution to suffering. We look here and we look there for the way out: Is eating the way out? Is being busy the way out? Is having more money the way out? Is being famous the way out? Is having the right relationship the way out? No, no, no, no, and no. We eventually discover that none of these are the way out. Then what is?

After looking in all these directions and more, we begin looking into philosophies and teachings that might have the answer. Is psychotherapy the way out? Is meditation the way out? Is a vegan diet the way out? Is yoga the way out? Are affirmations the way out? No, no, no, no, and no.

When we are ready, a teacher appears who has found the way out. "You don't exist," the teacher says. "If that's the truth, I don't want to hear it," we say. And we go back to looking somewhere else. Finally, we run into the Truth enough times that it cannot be denied.

What a shock. What a blow. No me. What now? How will life be lived? You don't know. You drop all pretense of knowing and just let yourself not know. Not knowing is the natural state. However, this not-knowing is not a place of never knowing. Knowing happens; it just doesn't happen ahead of time but in each moment. It unfolds from one moment to the next. Who knows about the next moment? We only know about this one. This is how life is lived without the me. Very well thank you.

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Page last updated: 10-Jul-2012