Clinging and Aversion

“The person in training must seek to rise above, so as to stop seeking out pleasure and steering away from pain; to stop clinging to living and abhorring death…” Musonius Rufus, Lectures, 6.25.5-11 Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday

When you feel you are suffering from a pain or situation that won’t go away — stand back for a moment and imagine others going through the same thing (or something similar – there is no way understand/feel others’ pain exactly), but you can say a prayer – I see your pain, I know that pain myself, may we all be freed from it at a time to come. This helps us “rise above it”, knowing all beings suffer… Ask yourself can I have compassion for the suffering? Yes, because I have suffered. 

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