The Source of Suffering

As we embark on the spiritual process, it’s natural for many people to ask the question, “why is there so much suffering in the world?” 

There are various pressures that people face on a day-to-day basis – pressures from family, their job, children, their company, the news, or a number of other sources. These pressures create stress in people’s lives that could eventually lead to misery, anger, regret, unfulfillment, and even ill health later in life. It also pushes people to turn to things like alcohol, drugs, food, or other pleasures to distract themselves from the stress in their day-to-day. 

Unfortunately, much of society lives in this way – according to a study, 74% of people have been so stressed out that they’ve been unable to cope. In the same study, it was found that 46% of people ate too much or ate unhealthily due to stress. It leads to a number of other consequences down the line. 

Most of us know someone who always seems to be stressed out, upset, or miserable. We may even suffer some of these pressures in our own lives, or know family members who do.

So it’s natural to ask, “what’s the root cause of all this pain and suffering?” “Why is it so hard for people to be happy?”  “Is it really possible to be happy all the time?” Or Is suffering just a core part of the human experience that can’t be avoided?”

If you’ve ever wondered about any of these questions, watch the video below where Sadhguru explores some of them. He talks about what creates suffering in people’s lives, why some people always seem to struggle in various situations, why short term pleasures are so important to some people, and what people can do to mitigate their suffering.