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RAJA YOGA
CALM FOCUS SERENITY OF MIND
CHITTA SUDDHI - EKAGRATA THEN GYANA COMES
BUT WHO KNOWS THE VOID? VOID TO WHOM? CONSC ALREADY THERE STORY
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Furthermore, if you accept as true the example of Mucius Scaevola, an unlearned man who was able to willingly melt his hand to the bone on a fire without moving, you could argue that achieving high states of concentration is neither impossible nor dependent on intellectual pursuits.
Even if you accept all the similarities above, the difference between Buddhism and Stoicism will be that Stoicism doesn't have continuous transmission until today, and they probably haven't produced buddhas.
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B There is no mystical meaning to suffering.
Suffering simply exists due to fundamental ignorance which is the cause for delusion.
To reduce and ultimately eliminate suffering, follow the Noble eightfold path.
From a Buddhist point of view, you're right: suffering has no inherent meaning. It is simply the result of holding on to unawareness and emotional afflictions. By bringing an end to the causes of suffering, we can bring an end to suffering. That's why we practice the view, conduct and meditation taught by the Bhagavan Buddha. (This is basically a summary of the Four Noble Truths.)
Interestingly, if we commit to that path, our own suffering becomes meaningful, in sorta the same way aching muscles are meaningful in the context of physical training. If we take on painful situations without getting entangled in reacting out of hope and fear, unwholesome actions (karmas) of the past are purified, in that they don't give rise to further negative actions and habits. That's why Patrül Rinpoche said Suffering is the broom of karma.
Just some thoughts.
You were given atoms, space, and a duration of time in this universe. These were given to you, not by your own power, and will be taken from you and reabsorbed into the universe when your time is up. Therefore, you do not have the opportunity to do what you like, or to have your life or the the world made according to your liking. You are a creature in this universe, not its creator, therefore you go by its Creators rules, not your wishes and desires.
You were created not just to enjoy some things, but also to suffer from some others. A human being is supposed to suffer and wrestle with suffering, it's what we were made for, it's what makes us great, it's what God Almighty is proud of us for. Might as well do it with a cheerful spirit, good deeds, abstinence from evil, and a smiling face!
Escaping it with evil or self harm only makes the burden heavier. Nihilism and antinatalism only make the load heavier. Avoid these, they won't help.
Every day has its portion of pain, a portion that you will not be able to reduce or avoid. Buckle yourself up against it every morning. Either you wrestle against it and defeat it, or it crushes you completely and harder and harder. This is what makes you human.
Strengthen your body and mind. Avoid intoxicants and bad habits. Strengthen yourself with exercise. Your duty as a creature, as a human being, is to overcome your portion of agony. Focus, strive, overcome. Good luck!
I just take suffering as a reminder to stay on the path and come back to present moment, there is a saying that the mind is our greattest teacher. Without sufferring it be even more difficult to follow the path in order to realize real self nature because it would not occur that there is something not right.
My personal experience is that I was recently suffering due to some pain and related anxiety. I finally turned back to the practice to work on letting go of my attachment to the pain and scary sensations. I have since been able to be more present with my loved ones than I was before. I previously hated the cold and now I can walk my dogs in the winter. I can feel the cold but observe more than just that. So for me that suffering was a way to address overthinking, focus on discomfort and reconnect to the body.
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