Where Does Suffering Originate?

The Roots of Our Suffering

Where does suffering originate? It arises because we do not truly understand what suffering is, nor do we comprehend the laws of karma and cause and effect. We fail to recognise the seeds of suffering we plant ourselves, and by continuing to sow these seeds, we ensure that the fruits of suffering never cease. Even when we experience hardship and briefly recognise its cause, we often forget that lesson as soon as the pain subsides. We then return to our old ways, creating new causes and tasting the bitter fruits once more. In this way, we remain trapped in the cycle of rebirth, spinning endlessly through the six realms of existence.

We do not realise how difficult it is to master our own lives while bound by the heavy weight of karmic debt. We cannot distinguish between the false and the real, the illusory and the substantial, and so we have remained lost, sinking through accumulated lifetimes until this very day. People often view birth, aging, sickness, and death as an inevitable process, a natural part of life. They willingly endure the bittersweet flavours of this existence, unaware that all of this is unfolding under the influence of karmic creditors and the relentless momentum of our past actions.

Transforming Karma Through Repentance

If you can engage in sincere repenting, change your ways, invite spirits to resolve conflicts, and perform Chao Du, you can transform your karma. By doing so, you can rediscover your true self and attain a state where you do not grow old, do not get sick, and your spirit does not die. Throughout the unfolding of their karma, people try many different methods to find peace, yet they find it difficult to escape the iron grip of the cycle of rebirth. This is because people have become accustomed to the taste of suffering. They do not know the freedom and cool clarity of liberation from birth and death, nor do they understand the joy of becoming an awakened being.

Because they do not realise how difficult it is to be the master of their own destiny while caught in the cycle of rebirth, they rely on thoughts and perceptions filled with ego-attachment, selfishness, and narrow views to solve their problems. Consequently, the cycle of rebirth remains the master of their lives. Their judgments of right and wrong, good and evil, continue to be dictated by karmic fate rather than by the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. As a result, they remain trapped within the gravitational pull of karmic destiny in this lifetime.

The Path of the Awakened Being

If you are truly practising, you must let go of selfishness, narrow views, and ego-attachment. You must strive to think good thoughts, do good deeds, and speak good words. When you transform your karma and reach the state of an awakened being, your understanding of both principles and phenomena becomes perfectly clear. You will know directly how to act, how to conduct yourself, and what to say. Everything will manifest in a natural, spontaneous way, and you will act in perfect accordance with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way.

In such a state, it is no longer karma that acts as your master; it is your true self that takes charge. You will complete this process quickly, accurately, and naturally, without being disturbed or obstructed by external forces or conditions. You will be able to master your own life, free from burdens. This is the beauty of the true self. Before reaching the state of an awakened being, one is led by learning, knowledge, and karma; after reaching this state, one is led by the direct, unhindered path of the true self.

The Ultimate Solution

All suffering can be resolved, piece by piece, through Buddhist education and the practice of becoming an awakened being. This is because all suffering exists within the realm of illusion, within impermanence, and within the cycle of karma and cause and effect. The truth of the cycle of rebirth is that the three evil realms are places of suffering and extreme suffering, while the heavenly realms offer pleasure that is not ultimate, eventually leading one back into suffering. However, Buddhist education and the practice of becoming an awakened being can break through confusion and allow one to leave the cycle of rebirth behind.

Buddhist education is the education of Compassion, Joy, and Selfless Giving. Through this education and study, all beings can learn to recognise suffering and understand the laws of karma and cause and effect. By stopping the creation of negative causes, we address the very root of suffering. We begin to understand the terrifying nature of karmic debt and recognise our true self, which everyone inherently possesses. Through the process of right faith and right understanding in Buddhist education, we can rediscover this true self and come to know Namo Amituofo and the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The widespread promotion of Buddhist education is the essential method for relieving the suffering of all beings.

Namo Amituofo