Life is suffering...

...give me the calmness
to accept the things
that I can not change
and the courage
to change the things
that I can change
and the wisdom
to distinguish one from the other

Buddha taught us that the First Noble Truth of Dukkha is "Life is suffering." Not just physical suffering, but also emotional and psychological suffering. Dissatisfaction, disappointment, even love itself, causes us to suffer throughout our days.

Birth; decay; illness; death; hate; separation; love; happiness; loneliness; frustration; fear; embarrassment; worry; guilt; disappointment; anger; revenge; clinging to our existence... all is suffering.

This is the truth of life - life includes pain. Pain is not a unique experience; that we all feel pain is part of our shared human experience, an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied, no matter how hard one might try. Beyond our ordinary ideas regarding the importance of avoiding our neverless inevitable pains, the real uniqueness lies within how each human individually deals with, and learns from, their pain. It is the suffering that is optional. We all chose how to react and respond to our life experiences. Some choose to get lost in their misery and paranoia... stop clinging - free yourself.

Wisdom teaches us that we don't have the means neccessary to change those around us, or to even judge whom needs to be changed, it is a wasted effort. If we are lucky enough, we just might learn how to change ourselves, and perhaps in doing so affect so positive change in our world as a result.

Soak up life. Meet adversity and challenges head on. Take risks, take your chances. Learn from the pain that develops our character as we mature. Reconcile your problems within yourself so that they no longer exist for you as problems. Grow stronger. Remember, there is peace in acceptance.

In acceptance, one accepts.