Pain as the path to spiritual enlightenment?

[vespa68]

Do you think we need to experience the duality of emotional pain to experience spiritual enlightenment, or can we acheive it through meditation, yoga, etc? Wondering what the opionions are out there.

[Black Sheep]

"the path is not the way, the way is the way"

Personally speaking, emotional pain is only necessary as long as one needs it. A person may grow beyond the need to experience such and find other tools of development. So pain can be a tool or path, but isn't the only way to grow.

Spiritual enlightenment or spiritual growth can be achieved in many ways, quite limitless. Some ways may be more efficient or direct, but even those more direct ways are diverse, irregardless it's more to each their own.

What's your opinion?

[xxLoveLifexx]

We grow trough challenge, but that challenge has not the necessity of pain, the pain is created through our misalignment plus the resistance to the already natural drift towards our holistic natural self.

You can deal with pain in different ways, you can make yourself more unconscious through your daily habits - food, work, distractions, entertainment, drugs etc. or you can use it as a messenger for what is in misalignment and navigate your way towards realignment.

Pain is really not needed to grow, but for some it's the wake-up call.

[knightofalbion]

There will be many trials and tribulations on the Path. As Confucius said, "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials" ...

Pain and suffering have value in that, when rightly faced, you emerge with empathy and compassion for others facing pain and suffering, and usually the desire to do something about it (i.e. to alleviate it)...

Also, maybe 'your' experiences are karmic debt being settled? A few years back I was ill. In constant pain, day and night, worse at night in the stillness.
I remember feeling very sorry for myself. Then it dawned on me that maybe it was karma being resolved. Strange how everything suddenly changed. I recall being 'grateful' for the experience ...

[Gem]

Originally Posted by vespa68

Do you think we need to experience the duality of emotional pain to experience spiritual enlightenment, or can we acheive it through meditation, yoga, etc? Wondering what the opionions are out there.

Peoples minds are running from pain and chasing pleasure, but eventually they become tired and they stop; then everything they ran from catches up and everything they were chasing gets away. It's like a large fire. They keep busy feeding it new fuel, but when they get tired and stop, it burns itself out in its own sweet time.

[LadyMay]

Originally Posted by vespa68

Do you think we need to experience the duality of emotional pain to experience spiritual enlightenment

I've always thought so. I mean how can you transcend something you've never experienced?

[vespa68]

Originally Posted by ScarlettHayden

I've always thought so. I mean how can you transcend something you've never experienced?

These are my thoughts exactly. Unless ofcourse you are a very old soul and have already dealt with pain in past lives. Perhaps these are the ones writing books about how easy it is to be awakened. I personally think it is necessary for true spiritual enlightment. Part of being human is suffering. We have an ego to deal with. And it's extremely difficult to let go of the ego. I do however think that meditation and yoga can lead to inner contentment but perhaps not bliss. I think we need to understand our emotions and how we deal with them in order to let them go and transcend them. Don't we need to go to the dark depth of our soul to reclaim the light? Isn't it through deep emotional healing that we find our true self? Can we really skip this part? Can we truly connect with others and have compassion for others otherwise?Thinking also how the "Dark Night of the Soul" also goes hand in hand with kundalini.

[sarek]

Pain is a powerful tool for spiritual transformation. It is, however, far better if it is experienced consciously and not in a state of sleep. In terms of Gurdjieff, the experiences must not fall on the wrong centre.

[vespa68]

Originally Posted by sarek

Pain is a powerful tool for spiritual transformation. It is, however, far better if it is experienced consciously and not in a state of sleep. In terms of Gurdjieff, the experiences must not fall on the wrong centre.

I totally agree, it must be seen as a catalyst for growth.

[Swami Chihuahuananda]

To me it isn't about what I do to achieve 'spiritual enlightenment' , and how
whatever that may be makes me feel . It's about letting go and letting the process happen. It wants to happen, and it will happen , and I doubt I can keep it from happening . Spirit is what it is , and however that feels , and whatever that looks like as it manifests and actualizes in this life I tend to think of as 'mine' , I say "bring it on, let it happen, let it take 'me' wherever it has to " . I did a whole lot more suffering before I understood that little old me trying to be enlightened was like looking at things backwards , whereas seeing in terms of higher spirit working through this body and mind and soul was a more accurate, broader perspective.