This should be obvious since the historical Buddha lived in India almost 26 centuries ago. According to modern psychology (not to mention ancient Buddhism), therein lies the difference between pain and suffering. Pain vs. In turn, this philosophy points out that there’s a “noble eightfold path”, or 8 ways to end suffering, that should be practiced freely so that peace and harmony prevail in our lives. Recovery from chronic pain distinguishes between the actual pain and the suffering it causes, and focuses on achieving relief from that suffering. We can call this second arrow suffering. Loving Kindness Meditation To Boost Compassion 12 Comments. The Second Truth is that this suffering is caused by selfish craving and personal desire. However, as it spread out in Asia, local beliefs often got mixed in with the philosophical teachings. Buddha then asked, “If the person is struck by a second arrow, is that even more painful?” ... With the second arrow comes the possibility of choice.” Pain vs Suffering. Buddhism: Four Noble Truths. Hinduism and Suffering. So we cannot escape pain in our lives. It’s so important to acknowledge and explore our feelings. Contemporary translators of Buddhist texts use a variety of English words to convey the aspects of duḥkha.Early Western translators of Buddhist texts (before the 1970s) typically translated the Pali term dukkha as "suffering." by Ron Kurtus (revised 6 October 2018) The basis of Buddhism is a doctrine known as the Four Noble Truths. Pain is pain, and it’s bad enough. There's a quote from Buddha, which states that 'pain is inevitable, suffering is optional'. Buddhism is a philosophy, not necessarily a religion. The graphic above has the distinction not only of attributing to the Buddha something he never said, but also of having a picture of someone who is not the Buddha. Suffering — … He’s Budai (Chinese) or … Continue reading “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” According to the Buddha, our reaction is equivalent to being shot by a second arrow. Pain is a natural phenomenon of existing, but at the same time, suffering is something we create in our minds for ourselves. Pain motivates behavior that will help heal, repair, or improve. In Buddhism there is a teaching known as The Two Arrows. It goes something like this. I love this story because it’s a reminder that painful things happen in life – this is the 1st arrow. If we don’t, they get buried and continue to plague us As a life-saving alarm system, pain keeps us focused on distress, for the purpose of relieving it. Suffering. Yet it's a point lost on many people who get stuck on the definitions of English words used in translations. 10 Buddhist Teachers Weigh In On Suffering. the historical Buddha, Gautama. (No argument there, right??) 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