…our very suffering is our greatest opportunity and teaching.
We may or may not be theistic by temperament or upbringing, but may still believe in the intrinsic benevolence of creation – of the universe existing, and of our place in it as conscious beings.
Yes there is all the beauty and love and generosity and kindness intrinsic in this world – the endless service being offered at every turn. Even our own exhalalations, for example, adjust the atmosphere in a way that serves our plant siblings.
More than anything, what seems like the greatest benevolence is that our very suffering is our greatest opportunity and teaching. This is perhaps why Buddha called suffering the first Noble truth.
If we want to suffer less, and by the by go on an exploration into our identity, the place to start is suffering – our recurring wish that things be other than as they are. Through entering the experience of that basic resistance, that underlying friction of the wheel of life turning on its axle, we can not only relieve much of our suffering but embark on the inquiry of a lifetime. Which leads to our finding a sense of the “natural law” or Dharma that governs all existence, and which allows us to discover our inherent, native belongingness in this world. And that makes this world beautiful. Isn’t that in itself beautiful?