Holger:
Suffering is a misunderstanding? *)
*) [Just for clarification:
pleasure and pain are circumstantial (not in our control),
suffering is a story we add to our experience.]
Disclaimer, the following text is machine generated!
NoteBookLM:
Suffering arises from a misunderstanding of one’s true nature. Magdi suggests that suffering is rooted in the illusory belief in a separate, personal self, or ‘me’. This ‘me’ is often identified with the body, mind, personal history, and various roles (e.g., father, mother, son, daughter). This identification leads to feelings of limitation, lack, and separation.
Here are some key points about the nature of suffering from Magdi:
• Separation and Duality: The belief in a separate self creates a sense of duality, leading to unhappiness and negative emotions. This belief is described as the “unhappy dream of separation”. Suffering arises from the illusion of being a separate entity and from the perception of problems that belong to a personal subject.
• Identification with the Impermanent: Identifying with the body-mind, which is impermanent, leads to suffering1. The sources emphasize that you are not the body or mind that you perceive. Instead, you are the formless awareness that perceives them.
• The ‘Me’ Narrative: The habitual clinging to personal stories, past traumas, and identities reinforces the illusion of a separate self and leads to angst218. This ‘me’ narrative is a mental construct with no inherent reality.
• Resistance and Seeking: Suffering is also perpetuated by resistance to what is and by constantly seeking happiness in external things or future events.
• Ignorance: The root cause of suffering is ignorance of one’s true nature as formless awareness, instead believing oneself to be a limited, personal entity.
• The Illusion of a Personal Doer: The belief in a personal thinker and doer is also an illusion. The only true doer, thinker, and decider is consciousness itself.
The sources propose that true freedom from suffering comes with the understanding that one is not the limited, personal self, but rather the formless, universal awareness. This awareness is the very essence of being and is free from limitations. When one identifies with this awareness, suffering dissolves. This is described as a shift from “I am this and not that” to “I am neither this nor that, and I am this and that, without exception”.
Other points to consider:
• Causeless Peace: The recognition of one’s true nature as consciousness brings about causeless peace and happiness. This peace is not dependent on external conditions.
• Effortless Being: The true self is characterized by effortless awareness. There is no need to “do” anything to be that which you are. The effort arises when creating a ‘me’ story, separating oneself from the image or the screen.
• Letting Go: To be free of suffering means letting go of the habitual tendencies to resist, judge, and seek. It involves relaxing into the formless awareness and releasing the belief in a separate self.
• The Invitation of Pain: Physical pain and other challenges are opportunities to let go of personal identification and turn toward awareness.
• Freedom and Love: The understanding of one’s true nature as formless awareness reveals freedom and love. In this understanding, there is no separation, and all is recognized as one.
• Not a Thing: Consciousness is not a thing, but rather the formless reality of all that appears.
Magdi suggests that suffering is not an inherent part of reality, but rather a consequence of mistaken identification and a misunderstanding of one’s true self.
“This image depicts a serene and introspective scene of a figure lost in thought, surrounded by lush greenery and subtle mist, evoking a dreamy, symbolic atmosphere reminiscent of the works of Zdzisław Beksiński and Simon Stalenhag, with moody, atmospheric lighting.”
Created by mirko on Jan 13, 2025 using the Flux Schnell AI image generator model.
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