In the early years after World War II, there was a huge shortage of everything and people’s focus was on recovering what had been lost and on reconstruction. Most of this involved material things. It was absolutely not done to complain about pain, discomfort, hunger, or whatever. There was no attention for emotional behavior or ways to heal from traumas. The focus was on the future and what we had, like a house, clothes and food. Above all, we were free.
It was shared as a kind of mantra through society because many people endured terrible experiences, had to bury loved ones, and lost everything they owned.
All of this influenced my childhood and youth; it led me to develop a strange interest in how to alleviate people’s suffering. It brought up or attracted experiences related to that.
It also made me question why some people suffered and lost their energy and love for life, while others seemed to enjoy life, no matter what they went through.
Those people often shared what they learned from pain and challenges, which made me believe that we gain wisdom through suffering.
And I saw this approved in stories about people who were banned, mistreated, or jailed for a long time. People like Martin Luther King and Mandela.
However, as I grew older, it became clear that it was not through suffering that I became wiser. Wisdom didn’t come or grow by ignoring reality, distracting, or battling discomfort. Nor by wanting what is not given or not wanting what life gives.
What brought me insights and broadened my understanding was receiving and finding ways to explore how to grow in consciousness and be present with whatever the experience is.
The practice of ZaZen and being with a living Master have been and is of tremendous help.
It inspires and encourages me to share what is true for me, to share what helped, nourished and healed me along the way.
It involves surrendering to life, embracing reality, and learning, changing, and growing through challenges and adventures.
It means practicing every day again by kindly welcoming and inviting to confront the old patterns or “dust” that keep the mind trapped in a victim mindset.
Integrating more and more the knowing that real transformation is only possible by accepting reality as it is.
This ends all suffering and leads to real Liberation.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Inspired by its original author Reinhold Niebuhr
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The Software of our DNA
A Path is created by Walking
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