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Nobody's life is entirely free of pain and sorrow. Isn't it a
question of learning to live with them rather than trying to
avoidthem?
The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self-
createdaslongastheunobservedmindrunsyourlife.
The pain that you create now is always some form of
nonacceptance,someformofunconsciousresistancetowhat
is. On the level of thought, the resistance is some form of
judgment. On the emotional level, it is some form of
negativity.Theintensityofthepaindependsonthedegreeof
resistancetothepresentmoment,andthisinturndependson
how strongly you are identified with your mind. The mind
alwaysseekstodenytheNowandtoescapefromit.Inother
words,themoreyouareidentifiedwithyourmind,themore
yousuffer.Oryoumayputitlikethis:themoreyouareable
tohonorandaccept theNow,themoreyouarefreeofpain,
ofsuffering—andfreeoftheegoicmind.
Why doesthemind habituallydeny orresist theNow?
Because it cannot function and remain in control without
time, which is past and future, so it perceives the timeless
Nowasthreatening.Timeandmindareinfactinseparable.
Imagine the Earthdevoidofhumanlife,inhabitedonly
byplantsandanimals.Woulditstillhaveapastandafuture?