When god gives us problems, it is to humble us and not to tumble us.
Treat all difficulties as divine surgery. Pain then becomes a training ground for one to be powerful. One has to become aware that the idea that most of our experience of pain is just an interpretation.
Learn to teach oneself as how to interpret in a powerful way and not a powerless way.
If one interprets difficulties as pain, one experiences them as pain. If one interprets difficulties as opportunities to grow, one will experience a great power within.
Learn to see pain patterns and you realise how you interpret patterns as pain. See your pleasure-driving patterns and understand whether your philosophy of pain and pleasure is wise or otherwise.
Human beings have energies. They have to be transformed and refined. If you don’t transform them it creates pain patterns and if you transform them it creates bliss patterns - patterns of joy and celebration. These energies have to pass through a refining process. Meditation helps to refine these energies.
When there is a negative thought immediately change it into a positive thought or be a witness to that thought. Don’t participate with it. You find that thoughts will slowly change.
Understanding pain wisely makes pain a spiritual door into the space of wisdom.
Pain is a gift from the divine to look into what is happening more deeply.
Pain is like a spiritual alarm telling us to look at life differently. When pain exists in the body we go to the doctor for a check up. It is like an alarm. Similarly, we need to treat psychological pain as an alarm that tells us – to delve into life more deeply. Then pain becomes a ladder to the power of alertness.
When one is alert, one can transform poison into medicine. A snake’s venom in the right combination is a medicine in the science of homeopathy. If one is not alert then even medicine becomes poison.
‘Who is a wise person?’ asked the student.
‘One who is happy, with or without external wealth; one who is not prisoner of hopes and desires. One who has the wisdom to transform pain into power,’ replied the master.
Understanding pain wisely makes pain a spiritual door into the space of wisdom
Swami Sukhabodhananda is the founder and chairman of Prasanna Trust