Is Suffering Necessary for Compassion and Spiritual Depth?

[kingfisher111]

The forces of left, center, right... fire, water, air... everywhere...

The old lady who sold me baklava chastised a father of 2 year old in front of me, because his baby daughter made a very small, brief amount of noise.  She told him he should spank her and start "grabbing her arm", presumably to let her know to be quite through fear and violence.

All my close friends have suffered abuse in one way or another.  I have one not so close acquaintance who I have wanted to be a friend, but he isn't.  What I gather of his past and family is that he suffered no to minimal abuse growing up.  Him and I rarely relate deeply.  In fact, he doesn't seem to have any interest in deep thought or conversations.  He is blessed with many great material things (money, toys, a house, love interests, great health, good looks, etc.), but he always seems to be focused on acquiring more.  He promotes his love of social progress online and in conversations, but seems uninterested in individual suffering of people he knows. 


How much of this is true?  It might just be my perception with a dash of jealousy?  I do sometimes judge those who have what I have wanted for so long, but who seem to take it for granted and act selfishly.


The events of our life that shape us, + & - , are necessary events to bring us to who/where we are now, perfectly even.  Even the hard times give us our greatest gifts of character, depth, perseverance, spiritual desire, drive & an increased capacity for compassion for others.


Life appears messy.  It appears to need order.  Left balanced by Right, centered.


Reality is One, Love, Self

Being-Consciousness-Bliss

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

All my close friends have suffered abuse in one way or another.  I have one not so close acquaintance who I have wanted to be a friend, but he isn't.  What I gather of his past and family is that he suffered no to minimal abuse growing up.  Him and I rarely relate deeply.  In fact, he doesn't seem to have any interest in deep thought or conversations.  He is blessed with many great material things (money, toys, a house, love interests, great health, good looks, etc.), but he always seems to be focused on acquiring more.  He promotes his love of social progress online and in conversations, but seems uninterested in individual suffering of people he knows. 

 
.....I do sometimes judge those who have what I have wanted for so long, but who seem to take it for granted and act selfishly.


The events of our life that shape us, + & - , are necessary events to bring us to who/where we are now, perfectly even.  Even the hard times give us our greatest gifts of character, depth, perseverance, spiritual desire, drive & an increased capacity for compassion for others.



Being-Consciousness-Bliss

Your thoughts are certainly true of my life as well. We become much more careful about the needs of others when we have had some disciplinary spiritual lessons of our own thru circumstances. We spoke together on this before Art. Amma has said that she could heal people and take away their suffering but that if she did that always she would be taking the beauty of the opportunity for these people to grow through the events and circumstances that are difficult in their lives.