http://hinduism.about.com/od/selfdevelopment/a/pain.htm
How Hinduism Can Help You Cope With Pain
From HowToCopeWithPain.org
"Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain but for the heart to conquer it."
~ Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), poet, philosopher, first Hindu Nobel laureate
How Hinduism views pain and suffering
Suffering, both mental and physical, is thought to be part of the unfolding of karma. Suffering is seen as the consequence of past inappropriate action (mental, verbal, or physical) that occurred in either one's current life or in a past life. It isn't seen as punishment but as a natural consequence of the moral laws of the universe in response to past negative behavior.
Suffering Isn't Random
Hindu traditions promote coping with suffering by accepting it as a just consequence and understanding that suffering isn't random.
If a Hindu were to ask "why me?" or feel her circumstances weren't "fair," a response would be that her current situation is the exactly correct situation for her to be in, given her soul's previous action. Experiencing current suffering also satisfies the debt incurred for past behavior.
Pain is a Reality
Suffering is seen as a part of living until finally reaching 'moksha' or the complete release from the cycle of rebirths. Until reaching this state, suffering is always present on life's path. Hindu tradition holds that as we are in human form on earth, we're bound by the laws of our world and will experience physical pain. Pain is truly felt in our current physical bodies; it isn't illusory in the sense of not really being felt.
The Soul is Blissful
But while the body may be in pain, the Self or soul isn't affected or harmed. Arjuna, the warrior and seeker of wisdom in the Bhagavad-Gita, is told that "The self embodied in the body of every being is indestructible..."
"Weapons do not cut it; fire does not burn it,
Waters do not wet it, wind does not wither it.
It cannot be cut or burned; it cannot be wet or withered;
It is enduring, all-pervasive, fixed, immovable, and timeless."
As the Self isn't affected, there need be no concern over temporary suffering. Those of us in pain may gain comfort by viewing pain as only a temporary condition and one that doesn't affect our inner Selves.
Pain is Not Purely Bad
Pain and suffering aren't seen as solely bad, but as experiences that need to be viewed from multiple perspectives. Hindu traditions hold that all things are manifestations of God or Brahman, so nothing is only good or bad; Brahman encompasses everything. Everything, including pain and suffering, is given by Brahman. To view suffering as bad is to see only one side of it. Suffering can be positive if it leads to progress on a spiritual path. Some even embrace suffering as a way to progress on his spiritual path, to be tested and learn from a difficult experience.
Attachment and Detachment
"Attachment and detachment are concepts that in Hindu traditions relate to one's level of involvement in this world and to the power this world holds over one's state of mind. Attachment signifies over-involvement in this world, having desires for things that one does not have and clinging to things one has. Detachment is a positive state of objectivity toward this world, where relationships, objects, and circumstances hold no power over one's state of mind.
Perfect Detachment Leads to Moksha
Attachment is a primary stumbling block to achieving moksha (complete release from this world). Attachment perpetuates the "terrible bondage" that keeps a person in the cycles of samsara (rebirth). Only through recognition that the Self is not bound to this world of suffering can release be achieved. Perfect detachment creates a sense of equanimity or an even disposition in the face of either happiness or sorrow. When someone achieves perfect detachment, no problem or circumstance, including pain, can cause her to suffer. From the Bhagavad-Gita:
"Contacts with matter make us feel / heat and cold, pleasure and pain.
Arjuna, you must learn to endure / fleeting things-they come and go!
When these cannot torment a man, / when suffering and joy are equal
For him and he has courage, / he is fit for immortality."
How to Achieve Detachment
It can't be simply an intellectual understanding that the Self is part of God. It isn't escapist, pretending that suffering doesn't exist. One part of achieving detachment is to follow dharma (appropriate action), but to be unconcerned with the outcomes of these actions. In the Bhagavad-Gita, a seeker of wisdom Arjuna is told:
"Be intent on action, not on the fruits of action;
Avoid attraction to the fruits and attachment to inaction!
Perform actions, firm in discipline, relinquishing attachment;
Be impartial to failure and success - this equanimity is called discipline."
Next Page: How to Refocus Away from Pain
Author's Note: How our pain experiences relate to our spirituality/religion is a special interest of mine. Spirituality was an important way of coping for me when I was suffering due to pain, and one of the most important ways I grew as a person because of the difficult time I had. Because of this special interest, I'm writing a series of journal articles on how different religious traditions view pain and suffering. The first paper in this series looks at Hinduism, and will be published in the 'Journal of Pain, 2007.'
How Hinduism Can Help You Cope With Pain
From HowToCopeWithPain.org
"Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain but for the heart to conquer it."
~ Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), poet, philosopher, first Hindu Nobel laureate
How Hinduism views pain and suffering
Suffering, both mental and physical, is thought to be part of the unfolding of karma. Suffering is seen as the consequence of past inappropriate action (mental, verbal, or physical) that occurred in either one's current life or in a past life. It isn't seen as punishment but as a natural consequence of the moral laws of the universe in response to past negative behavior.
Suffering Isn't Random
Hindu traditions promote coping with suffering by accepting it as a just consequence and understanding that suffering isn't random.
If a Hindu were to ask "why me?" or feel her circumstances weren't "fair," a response would be that her current situation is the exactly correct situation for her to be in, given her soul's previous action. Experiencing current suffering also satisfies the debt incurred for past behavior.
Pain is a Reality
Suffering is seen as a part of living until finally reaching 'moksha' or the complete release from the cycle of rebirths. Until reaching this state, suffering is always present on life's path. Hindu tradition holds that as we are in human form on earth, we're bound by the laws of our world and will experience physical pain. Pain is truly felt in our current physical bodies; it isn't illusory in the sense of not really being felt.
The Soul is Blissful
But while the body may be in pain, the Self or soul isn't affected or harmed. Arjuna, the warrior and seeker of wisdom in the Bhagavad-Gita, is told that "The self embodied in the body of every being is indestructible..."
"Weapons do not cut it; fire does not burn it,
Waters do not wet it, wind does not wither it.
It cannot be cut or burned; it cannot be wet or withered;
It is enduring, all-pervasive, fixed, immovable, and timeless."
As the Self isn't affected, there need be no concern over temporary suffering. Those of us in pain may gain comfort by viewing pain as only a temporary condition and one that doesn't affect our inner Selves.
Pain is Not Purely Bad
Pain and suffering aren't seen as solely bad, but as experiences that need to be viewed from multiple perspectives. Hindu traditions hold that all things are manifestations of God or Brahman, so nothing is only good or bad; Brahman encompasses everything. Everything, including pain and suffering, is given by Brahman. To view suffering as bad is to see only one side of it. Suffering can be positive if it leads to progress on a spiritual path. Some even embrace suffering as a way to progress on his spiritual path, to be tested and learn from a difficult experience.
Attachment and Detachment
"Attachment and detachment are concepts that in Hindu traditions relate to one's level of involvement in this world and to the power this world holds over one's state of mind. Attachment signifies over-involvement in this world, having desires for things that one does not have and clinging to things one has. Detachment is a positive state of objectivity toward this world, where relationships, objects, and circumstances hold no power over one's state of mind.
Perfect Detachment Leads to Moksha
Attachment is a primary stumbling block to achieving moksha (complete release from this world). Attachment perpetuates the "terrible bondage" that keeps a person in the cycles of samsara (rebirth). Only through recognition that the Self is not bound to this world of suffering can release be achieved. Perfect detachment creates a sense of equanimity or an even disposition in the face of either happiness or sorrow. When someone achieves perfect detachment, no problem or circumstance, including pain, can cause her to suffer. From the Bhagavad-Gita:
"Contacts with matter make us feel / heat and cold, pleasure and pain.
Arjuna, you must learn to endure / fleeting things-they come and go!
When these cannot torment a man, / when suffering and joy are equal
For him and he has courage, / he is fit for immortality."
How to Achieve Detachment
It can't be simply an intellectual understanding that the Self is part of God. It isn't escapist, pretending that suffering doesn't exist. One part of achieving detachment is to follow dharma (appropriate action), but to be unconcerned with the outcomes of these actions. In the Bhagavad-Gita, a seeker of wisdom Arjuna is told:
"Be intent on action, not on the fruits of action;
Avoid attraction to the fruits and attachment to inaction!
Perform actions, firm in discipline, relinquishing attachment;
Be impartial to failure and success - this equanimity is called discipline."
Next Page: How to Refocus Away from Pain
Author's Note: How our pain experiences relate to our spirituality/religion is a special interest of mine. Spirituality was an important way of coping for me when I was suffering due to pain, and one of the most important ways I grew as a person because of the difficult time I had. Because of this special interest, I'm writing a series of journal articles on how different religious traditions view pain and suffering. The first paper in this series looks at Hinduism, and will be published in the 'Journal of Pain, 2007.'