Our Suffering ...

“Suffering is part of our training program for becoming wise.”

— Ram Dass

Dear Friends,

I was spending time with my dear friend Roshi Joan Halifax some time back discussing this new world order, and said to me:

“Well, one way to see it is that it is all suffering.”

This phrase has echoed in my mind ever since.

Even those at the highest levels of power—whether billionaires like Elon Musk or world leaders—are not immune to suffering.

Musk has openly shared his struggles with depression and his use of ketamine to shift his mental state. Meanwhile, on the world stage, we see leaders caught in cycles of conflict, missteps, and memory lapses, like when Trump called Zelensky a “dictator” and later forgot he had done so. These, too, are forms of suffering.

And then there is the suffering that is undeniable and immediate: millions of people around the world unable to access food and medical care, as international aid is disrupted or halted. The Clinton White House had its scandals and untruths, as have nearly all administrations in every country.

Everywhere we look, suffering persists.

And we too are a part of that suffering.

The Buddha story of Kisa Gotami touches on this. A mother, struck with unbearable grief after losing her child, came to the Buddha for help. He offered her a task: to find a mustard seed from a house that had never known death. She searched but soon realized that no such house existed.

Her healing didn’t come from changing her circumstances—it came from realizing she was not alone in her suffering. Loss is universal.

Neither presidents, nor the world’s richest man, nor political power can shield anyone from suffering. Money, intelligence, and influence cannot prevent it.

So let’s have healthy debates, speak our voices when needed, and also see our shared humanity. As Ram Dass used to say, “We are all just walking each other home.”

And as we walk, hopefully, we can work to reduce and limit suffering as best we can. Pema Chödrön reminds us:

“The only way to end suffering is to look at it directly and not turn away.”

Easier said than done. But what is the other option?

We can either turn away from suffering, deepening our divisions, or we can meet it with open eyes and open hearts, as best we can. Humanity’s future may depend on this choice.

News and Wisdom 2.0 updates are below. With gratitude,
SOREN

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