{"id":41943,"date":"2021-07-29T13:55:39","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T20:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nalandabodhi.org\/?p=41943"},"modified":"2026-04-22T09:37:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T16:37:52","slug":"suffering-and-the-interruption-of-suffering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nalandabodhi.org\/nl\/2021\/07\/29\/suffering-and-the-interruption-of-suffering\/","title":{"rendered":"Suffering and the interruption of suffering"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\tOne of the most effective things we can do when we see the gathering storm of our habitual tendencies is the practice of pausing, or creating a gap. We stop and take three conscious breaths, and the world has a chance to open up to us in that gap. We allow space into our state of mind. Meditation practice itself is a way to create gaps.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2014 Pema Ch\u00f6dr\u00f6n<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Recently, I experienced several exhausting work days in a row that involved a tedious amount of fact-finding and putting \u201cpuzzle pieces\u201d together to justify organizational expenses. This work was necessary in order to receive a significant COVID-19 Relief grant from a government agency. It was not the kind of fundraising activity that I \u201cnormally\u201d do. These times are different, and millions of individuals are doing things they don\u2019t \u201cnormally\u201d do for work, in life, in general.\u00a0<\/p>

My frustration arose from how difficult the process was. It seemed unnecessarily complex, convoluted, and confusing. Just when I thought I had figured everything out, carefully documented the expenses, and double-checked that I had all the right paperwork, the numbers didn\u2019t add up to the correct total. Argh! Back to the drawing board!\u00a0<\/p>

Life presents us with all kinds of challenges on a regular basis. Flat tires, lost glasses, unemployment, unexpected illness, the death of a human or animal loved one, more expenses than income, disagreements, taxes, a paper cut, a broken dish, a broken promise. It is impossible to stop these things from happening to us no matter our age, race, gender identity, finances, health, or position in life. The Buddha called this situation The Truth of Suffering. Suffering is inescapable.\u00a0<\/p>

If you are still reading this, thank you. You are heroic. You are not running away from suffering, perhaps because it is not your own. Perhaps, you are curious about it. I\u2019m writing about suffering because it is a constant in life, and it matters how I choose to respond to it. Do I curl up in a ball and cry? Sometimes.\u00a0 Do I escape into a TV show or movie? Perhaps. Do I call a trusted friend and ask for advice? Often. Can I find something that will make me laugh? Yes!\u00a0<\/p>

Sometimes, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, exhale, and just pause for a moment. I have gratitude for the present moment. I am grateful to have a job. I am grateful to have challenges to meet. I am glad that I persevered and finished my financial documentation challenge. I am willing to face the next moment not knowing what will come next. I am fine with that. I can handle it. I know how to pause and interrupt my patterns of suffering. Hooray! What a relief!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Exercise<\/h2>