Jan
17
Who wants to Suffer?
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Chapter 2 sutra 16: heyam duhkham-anagatam
Translation: Future suffering should be avoided
Heyam: what (that which) is to be abandoned, avoided, rejected.
Duhkham: suffering, pain (bad space)
Anagatam: what has not yet happened or arrived.
It seems pretty simple doesn’t it? Who wants to suffer? Yet we all know that many times we make decisions and choices (sometimes knowingly) that cause us to suffer. We also anticipate possible future pain, which can cause fear and anxiety and hence suffering today.
Fear and anxiety can make anything worse. Anytime you experience anxiety your body releases hormones that can increase inflammation, and in general put an extra load on all of your bodily systems.
Awareness is the first step. Awareness of what leads to suffering brings with it the ability to act to prevent that suffering. Then we must remain vigilant about the motives behind our actions of today so they do not produce suffering tomorrow.
In this way suffering and the awareness of if it can be positive. Developing a quality of discernment can lead us to examine our suffering, find its causes and modify our behavior. This is the principal aim of yoga—to eliminate suffering.
A study from the Ohio State University published in January, 2010 in the journal, Psychosomatic Medicine, shows that students who had practiced yoga regularly for at least two years not only reacted to stress more calmly, they had lower levels of inflammation during stress, and also had lower levels of cytokine interleukin-6 (inflammation marker) in the blood under normal circumstances as well.
You may want to ask yourself these questions:
Before acting, do I take time to ensure that it won’t increase suffering, either to myself or others?
Do I dwell on past suffering, rather than trying to prevent future suffering?
Is it always better to hope for the best, while being prepared for the worst?
Does anticipating future pain cause suffering now?
Can I plan for the future, including possible painful events without suffering or feeling anxious? How?
