The real meaning of "Suffering"...

It has been quite sometimes that every night before sleep, Eeanne will send her loving kindness to herself, mommy daddy and sometimes someone that she knows. And usually it will end as this way:
"May they all be well and happy, May they all be free from all kind of suffering"

There was once Eeanne asked:
"Mommy...what is suffering?"

And mommy gave Eeanne an scientific answer which she just "oh.." but mommy is not sure how well Eeanne understand.

Here is a short message from Auntie Joyce about suffering which mommy finds is very meaningful, practical and inspiring.

Here is to share with Eeanne and all who read this blog....

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Whatever is happening to us now mirrors our past karma. If we know that, and know it truly, whenever suffering and difficulties befall us, we do not view them particularly as failures or catastrophes, or see suffering as a punishment in any way. Nor do we blame ourselves or indulge in self-hatred.

We see the pain we are going through as the completion of the effects, the fruition, of a past karma. Tibetans say that suffering is “a broom that sweeps away all our negative karma.” We can even be grateful that one karma is coming to an end. We know that “good fortune,” a fruit of good karma, may soon pass if we do not use it well, and that “misfortune,” the result of negative karma, may in fact be giving us a marvelous opportunity to evolve.

~ Sogyal Rinpoche (Rigpa Glimpse of the Day for Oct 15 2010)
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When we view suffering as something bad, we naturally react with a defiled mind. That makes the things appear far worse than it is, and become far worse than it was. Moreover it conditions new negative karmas. In our delusion and ignorance, we may fail to see that much of the suffering we experience is not the result of the old karmas or any external conditions, but the new negative karmas that we're creating in reaction to them.

However, if we see the suffering as it is, wisely, we see that it is simply part of the natural phenomena of causes and effects. Just as when a storm happens, instead of cursing it, we just look for shelter if we can, and it passes naturally.

~ Ayasma Kumara
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Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu