Quote:
Originally Posted by Angela  Me, too! The people who are most effective in time of conflict, from what I've seen, are the ones who generate peace -- even if it's *only* inner peace.  (that was kind of a joke. Get it? *ONLY* inner peace?  )
And I agree with you that wounds can (not must) last awhile, and that the experience is not removed by change of mind, or even by time. Pain might linger, and memory is a very handy tool. It's the suffering that's extraneous; the suffering can be transcended in the blink of an eye.
Do you understand the difference I'm talking about when I say that you can feel pain and choose not to suffer? I've talked about it before, but it seems like you might think when I say "suffering" that I'm using it interchangeably with "pain." |
I do understand what you mean by feeling pain and choosing not to suffer e.g. giving birth. The pain is intense (
) but not lingering and no suffering, although that is debateable ha ha.
However, the suffering from e.g. 9/11 is on a much deeper and wider level. The survivors and families are changed forever. It becomes ingrained. There are children without parents. Parents without children. This is permanent. It may not look so obvious as time goes by because it becomes a way of life.
I don't know if you would have heard of 'Woomara detention centre' over here in Australia, where asylum seekers were kept for several years. A government decision. There were suicides and hunger strikes.
A documentary on the guards at Woomara revealed how the experience had affected each of them. Some had broken marriages. Some had PTSD. Some became racist. Families were torn apart. Most could no longer work. Believe me, they are suffering and god knows how much suffering was inflicted on the 'prisoners'. This whole situation was a spin off from 9/11. FEAR of terrorism. And it goes on........................
Angela, no-one suggests you should not feel positive. Your life experiences have brought you to where you are. It works exactly the same with negative. Life experiences dictate and create suffering. It is real. It is valid. Your attitude, as strong and as positive as it is, comes across as dismissive of others' suffering.
Personally, I find acknowledgemnet of someone's suffering releases the negative. It has to surface. If it is suppressed by trying to be positive, it festers and expands. When this occurs the negative energy becomes much stronger than the positive, even yours. It happened to me. I went down for 10yrs.
Angela, your posts have pushed my button since I joined this forum and now I know why. I can remove it now. You are a gift to me, Angela. Thankyou.