The Truth about Suffering

Pain is inevitable, but not all suffering is necessary

Pain is inevitable, but not all suffering is necessary.

Photo by VITALIY ANOKHIN on Unsplash

We often create our own suffering.

A man has unsuccessfully tried to catch a monkey that was stealing food from his village. The animal was too smart and fast for him.

Just as he was about to give up, a wise old man shared a secret trick. Following the instructions, the hunter cut a portion off the top of the coconut, leaving a small hole in the center just big enough to fit a monkey’s hand. He placed peanuts inside the hole. And then he tied the coconut to a tree.

When everything was ready, he left. The next morning, just as the old man had advised him, the monkey was captured — his hand stuck inside of the coconut.

The monkey was a victim, not of the trap, but of his unwillingness to let go. The hole was big enough to release his empty hand, not a fist full of peanuts — he simply had to release the peanuts. But he didn’t.

The root of our suffering is attachment. When we can’t let go, we create self…