What Is Suffering?

Want to end your suffering? You may want to find out what suffering is first, then you'll have a head start on a remedy.

Grasshopper Notes are the writings from America's Best Known Hypnotherapist John Morgan. His podcasts contain his most responded to essays and blog posts from the past two decades. 

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"The Grasshopper" is the part of you that whispers pearls of wisdom that  seem to pop into your mind from out of the blue. John's essays and blog posts are his interpretations of these "Nips of Nectar." Others have labeled his writings as timeless wisdom. 

Most of the John's writings revolve around self improvement and self help. They address topics like:

• Mindfulness
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Transcript

What is Suffering?

I’ve always been intrigued by the Buddha’s observation on the cause of suffering: “Life is full of suffering, which is caused by desire and craving.”

But what is suffering?

I stumbled onto what I think is the answer many years ago when I parsed out the difference between pain and suffering.

I think I was reading a legal thriller at the time, perhaps a John Grisham novel. In there the jury awarded the plaintiff “X” amount of dollars for pain and suffering. I knew what pain was, but what was suffering? 

Suffering is thinking, and in this case, thinking about the pain.

Suffering is a conversation going on in your mind. It acts an insurance policy to keep whatever is bothering you in place.

As long as the conversation goes on, the deeper you get into the drama of suffering.

When we drift into drama, suffering gets stuck in a snow bank and spins its wheels.

So how do we get our thinking from going into drama and thus into suffering?

By noticing the conversation early on and interrupting it.

Reminds me of a story any golfer can relate to. You hit a bad shot (everyone does from time to time) and you go into reaction mode. Perhaps you depart from the King’s English and issue a few words from a Soprano’s episode. If it ends there, you’re in good shape. But if you extend the diatribe well into your round of golf, expect drama to be the result and suffering to be right on its heels.

I’ve mentioned him before but my favorite golf partner is my friend Chris. Both of us are weekend hackers, but we’re both no drama golfers. We hit our poor shot and have our disappointed reaction, and then we’re on to our next shot.Some folks I’ve played have more dramatic reactions. They hit the ball into the woods or water and their litany goes something like this: “Damn, I hit it in the water again. Those golfing lessons aren’t paying off, I must not be practicing enough. I’m such a lousy golfer. I don’t know why I keep playing this game. I suck so bad.” This suffering can go on for many holes, and even for the whole round and beyond if you let it.

But if you interrupt your thinking by noticing it, you create a space in your mind for less dramatic thoughts to enter - ones that are conducive for a more peaceful round of golf or any endeavor you’re engaged in.

Drama will ensue by continuing the conversation in your mind and suffering is the endless byproduct.

End your suffering by ending the conversation. It begins when you catch yourself in a thought loop and interrupt it. That means to notice that you’re going down a dead end trail and just stop. Get your bearings and then head down another path.

If you wrench your back, there’s probably something you can take for the pain. But to end suffering you have to interrupt your dramatic refrain.

All the best,

John