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Originally Posted by Sean1
I believe in reincarnation but have a problem with it. Too much suffering, too much pain for too many people. One may say, "Well, they chose that life before being reincarnated." Maybe so, but I don't see why one has to suffer in order to learn, grow, and self-actualize.
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There are many possible responses to this. A simple response is that suffering provides the motivation to seek an end to suffering, the best known illustration of this being the life of the Buddha.
And what is suffering? Suffering is continually having to deal with the limitations of form, the realisation that all form is temporary and nothing in form can ever provide permanent fulfilment. Which motivates us to seek that which is not temporary, to investigate that which lies beyond form.
There is also the suffering inflicted by humans on each other. This suffering is unnecessary but it reflects humanity's current level of development and ignorance. As humanity develops, this unnecessary suffering should cease, but that may be a long time in the future.
From an esoteric perspective, the Earth is considered as a planet of suffering. The benefit of this is that it provides a very intense learning experience, which is why consciousness chooses the Earth experience. But such learning cannot be achieved in one short lifetime, hence the need for reincarnation.
Of course, we could still learn and grow without all this suffering, but it would take much longer.
Peace