How to escape sufferings and attain liberation (a method)

Buddhism, in particular, is a religion that focuses around the cessation of sufferings as a primary teaching, at least as it appears to me.

And the method to cease sufferings is BY doing good and avoiding evil.

However, that is always easier said than done.

As a person that does good continues to suffer, he may question the validity of such principle.

So this blog will disclose a different approach of mine that may help a person to escape sufferings AND avoid evil at the same time.

Here is it: You escape sufferings by learning to endure them.

Why do you think so many people commit evil?

If you ponder deeper, you may realize people commit evil exactly to avoid sufferings.

"I steal/scam others of their money because I don't want to be poor."

"I rape others because I don't want to be deprived of sexual sensations."

"I kill others because I don't want them to harm/threaten my well-being."

And so on and so forth.

So when people are suggested to resolve sufferings by not doing evil, there will be conflicts.

Committing evil seems to be the easiest way out in getting rid of sufferings, it seems in most cases.

Is committing evil the right way?

Right or wrong is not the question.

Rather, is it universal?

If you commit evil to me is right, but then if I commit the same evil back to you for the same reason is wrong, then the argument that committing evil is right, is null and void.

A principle is valid (and right) only if it works in all conditions.

So, why is it valid that cessation of sufferings is through enduring them?

If you are able to endure poverty, you would not steal and cheat.

If you are able to endure the deprivation of sexual pleasures, you would not rape.

If you are able to endure challenges, hardships and threats, you would not kill.

And not only will you not commit any evil, your level of tolerance towards sufferings will be much higher.

A filthy rich person accustomed to driving a Rolls Royce may find it a suffering to be driving a Toyota, but to a person who can only afford to ride a used bike may find it a luxury to drive a Toyota.

This filthy rich person being used to ultra luxury, has way much lower tolerance of sufferings than most others.

If you are able to endure sufferings, your level of tolerance will be high.

And if your level of tolerance is high, what appears to be sufferings to others may not be sufferings to you.

Ultimately you will understand sufferings and the cessation of sufferings are all a state of mind.

The less you desire to cease sufferings, the less you desire for wealth, pleasure, etc, and the less you desire to commit evil to get them.

But that does not mean you should intentionally seek out sufferings.

Seeking out sufferings is not the same as enduring sufferings.

Ancient Indian yogis that intentionally sought out sufferings in order to cease sufferings is a distorted approach.

If sufferings truly end in your mind, you would not seek them out intentionally.

The cessation of sufferings (by learning to endure them) comes together with the cessation for worldly pleasures.

And with both, you can attain liberation.