Attempts to outrun pain and suffering will not result in happiness.
Our natural aversion to strife leads to many actions derived from envy, greed and hatred. Jealousy breeds insecurity and suspicion. Greed leads to thievery, corruption and misappropriated values. Hatred acts out to cause pain to others, intentionally or not, and kills the loving kindness we each naturally hold within.
When trying to avoid feelings that come from situations of poverty, loss and pain, we make mistakes that ultimately cause harm to others and ourselves. Not every day is filled with sunshine. Not every feeling is pleasurable. Our world and our lives are characterized by multiple emotions, including hurt, grief and longing. Holding an Aversion to those feelings and experiences in life that are unpleasant is useless, as we will all be blessed with them.
We will all have times of loss, feeling downtrodden and alone. We will all shed tears, we will all feel the poverty of the heart, of the home, of the Earth itself. Holding those feelings just as lightly as we hold the transient feelings of joy and pleasure is essential to removing the poison of Aversion from our lives.
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