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INVITATION TO INQUIRY

Suffering

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

- M Kathleen Casey

A great deal has been written and spoken on suffering and pain. I invite you to begin to inquire into what this might mean to you personally. I am not writing of the great suffering that occurs in the world, rather the internal personal suffering that finds its expression in our daily lives. To be willing to examine the story the mind tells you about your painful circumstance or life situation or your suffering over the perceived pain of another.

Pain and suffering are often linked together and seen as interchangeable. They are both subjective experiences however pain may be associated with actual or potential tissue damage.* Suffering for the purposes of this inquiry is in the realm of the mind’s perception.

Indeed sometimes we suffer over the suffering. We energetically add to suffering by dwelling on how awful it is, or futurizing an outcome that reinforces our suffering and fear of loss. As humans we do this all the time. Particularly when a situation does not match what the mind tells us should or could be. We need to acknowledge suffering and pain as real and accept that this is part of the human condition. When we see the pain of another we are often confronted with our powerlessness to make it better. For example, when a person is dying and has accepted that fact yet their loved ones are suffering over the future loss. They miss the opportunity to be in the present moment. That moment can be rich and full of life for we are here until we are not.

Over many years I have had the opportunity and privilege to be with people who were in great physical pain, even in a dying process and were not suffering. Indeed many moments of joy and laughter occurred even as death approached. How can this be? When there is no resistance to what is, there is freedom to just be with whatever spontaneously arises.

As Gangaji** states, “Willingness to suffer fully, even for an instant, without trying to escape or be saved means that suffering is no longer an obstacle to full surrender into the mystery of existence. Relief from suffering stops being the goal.”

1. Choose a situation where you are currently suffering or the memory of a situation where you suffered.

2. Notice what the story that the mind tells you about the situation. Allow the details
to be present.

3. Where in your body to you resonate with the story and suffering that accompanies the story.

4. Notice your attachment to the story. Ask is it true? By believing the story and suffering what are you resisting?

5. Be willing to feel the suffering without the story and notice what occurs.

6. How does the suffering seem now?

Notice how inquiring changes your concept of suffering.

*Wikipedia
** Gangaji Diamond In Your Pocket

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