The Illusion of Suffering

We usually attribute our suffering to something outside of ourselves...to other people, situations, external influences. “I’m suffering because life isn’t going the way I want it to” or “because I’m not the person I wanted to be”…but suffering is really caused by certain patterns of thinking. Most human beings are completely identified with the “image of themselves” that they have in their mind. And that view (which is nothing more than the ego) is always looking for happiness, but is relatively short-lived (it is fleeting). So it’s important to examine, to look into your sense of “identity”, and realize that your ego is based in separation. It is the assumption that you are separate from others and from life. This is why your ego is always looking to “add to” you. A conglomeration of beliefs, opinions, ideas, and everything you’ve been through in your lifetime has absolutely nothing to do with who you truly are at your essential nature, which is conscious spirit (life). That is who is reading this now, the awareness, or consciousness…not the beliefs, opinions, ideas, and past that is in your head. Those are only thoughts. So be the awareness of those thoughts, but no longer identify with them.