Alleviation of Suffering

The other day I stood in front of a group of people and I found myself saying that sometimes we are in the middle of a difficult situation that causes us much suffering and no matter how we turn, there does not seem to be a solution in sight. I said if that is the case, perhaps the best thing to do is to go and help somebody else. In the end we discover that by helping somebody else, we help ourselves. To me the wish to want to be part of the process that brings alleviation of suffering and upliftment is simply the signature of an older soul and how the soul goes about doing this is another signature.

The Bodhisattvas of ancient times often vowed to alleviate suffering and committed themselves to supporting this process in radical ways. There is a reason why they did this: Through powerful longterm spiritual effort, graced by massive experiences of awakening, they discovered that they are deeply connected to all other sentient beings. Their experience was akin to seeing other beings merely as different limbs and organs of their own body. This experience was existentially very real for them and stood in sharp contrast to the New Ager's We Are All One Declaration that is merely a form of intellectual concept surfing, not supported by the awe-inspiring depth of the Bodisattva's direct experience of the Universal Reality.