Embracing Suffering: The Road to Enlightenment and Service
The journey of life often brings with it suffering. But do we understand its place, or do we simply demonize it and avoid it? Bentinho Massaro sheds light on this aspect of existence. Let’s dive into it.
Life is filled with both pleasure and pain. As Ben points out, simply being born – the act of incarnation – is itself a journey through pain. However, this pain isn’t arbitrary. Instead, it serves a purpose. Just as gold is refined through fire, our souls undergo purification through suffering. The aim is not to run away or drown in despair but to use this pain for a greater good – for service, for alignment, for spiritual growth.
There’s a profound saying among spiritual seekers: “Let me become empty.” This essentially means emptying ourselves of ego, of the limitations that bind us, and opening up to the vastness of our true nature. The Bible touches upon this concept in Philippians 2:7: “Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Embracing suffering isn’t about glorifying pain or seeking it out. It’s about understanding why it exists. Ben suggests that when we chose to incarnate, we were in a state of immense love and light. In such a state, suffering is quickly forgotten, its intensity blurs, and we are filled with an overwhelming desire to serve.
This perspective shifts the narrative of suffering from a mere challenge to an opportunity. An opportunity to refine ourselves, to find the underlying intention for our existence, and to live up to that intention. By seeing our life and its inherent challenges in this light, we can start appreciating where we come from and align ourselves with our true purpose.
In the end, the key lies not in evading suffering but in understanding it. It is an invitation to go deeper, to align with our spiritual selves, and to serve with a heart full of compassion. As the famous martial artist Bruce Lee once remarked, to control oneself, we first have to accept ourselves, flowing with who we are, accepting every part of us, and then refining and purifying our intentions.
So, the next time you find yourself in the throes of suffering, remember Ben’s wisdom. Use it as a tool, a purifying fire, an initiation into deeper layers of understanding and compassion. And through this, find the light within the darkness, transforming your pain into a path of enlightenment and service.