On pain and suffering – Frog in the well Story

Explanation Further to https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=frog+in+the+well

On pain and suffering – Frog in the well Story

One of the causes of pain and suffering is ‘difference’ between people. The difference usually is in the following areas:

1.Religion and caste

2.Language

3.Food habits

4.Daily habits

5.Manners and etiquettes

6.Dress code

7.Life style choices

8.Belief systems and

9.Opinions

(you can add on the rest that come to your mind..)

All the above difference can be again broadly classified as

1.Life style Choices

2.Belief systems and opinions

One effects at physical level and the other at mental level eg. Opinions etc. Once you see them as just these differences it is surprising as to how this difference can create disharmony in our lives and affect our state of mind and peace of mind and happiness.

In actuality ‘variety’ is the spice of life. Then how come this ‘variety’ becomes the basis of our fights and resentment. This becomes the cause of difference between people.

The frog in the well story just explains this aspect clearly.

Similarly we live in the tininess of our ‘wells’ be it of life-style, opinions, principles, religion – just about anything. And then from the tininess of our ‘wells’ we judge the other who also lives in the similar ‘small well’ of his own. And each considers his well to be superior to the other. Each presumes his ‘well’ to be ‘the all’ of the Universe which gives them the belief “Only I am Right” and anyone who is outside of my ‘well’ which is way of living, opinion, tastes, likes and dislikes is a ‘bad person’ by default.

If, if only each one of us could come out of this limitedness of well and see the expanse of ocean of life, then there would be less or no pain, suffering, dislike and more or only respect, love and happiness in the world. How? Simple! All I need to understand is my life-style is comfortable to me and hence right for me but to the other his life-style is more akin to him. In short each is right in our way of living unfortunately we carry a wrong belief system that if I am right the other is automatically wrong and hence with our survival instinct put down the other to be right. It need not be so. We both can disagree on any issue and yet both can be right. That is the actual Truth. The one who is exposed to larger world or group of people from various backgrounds will be more open to variety and choice of others in contrast to people who live among a small limited and similar group of people.

contd....

https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=belief+system