Oakville Zen Meditation
to explain the difference between pain and suffering.
Meaning of the parable:
The first arrow is the unavoidable pain caused by ongoing external factors. The following second arrow is the self- induced suffering triggered by our reactive emotional mind.
If the initial pain is unavoidable, self- induced suffering is optional, said the Buddha.
Zen explanation:
>>>First arrow:
There are many reasons why pain occurs in life: e.g. illness, loss, aging, criticism, physical hurt, spontaneous negative feelings popping up all the time about whatever, whoever, etc…
>>>The second arrow…
….is the one sent by an unique archer: our own reactive emotional mind creating self-induced suffering such as dissatisfaction, unhappiness, resentment, rumination, feeling of being a victim , unfairness of life, many other negative feelings.There are also the “why, what, when, how, where” questions that we are asking about self and others.
Zen is advising the following::
Allow the first arrow to be completely felt, don’t resist, don’t fight, and do not create an ego-driven emotional volcanic eruption around it.
Remember, pain is unavoidable .
So: pay attention to it, then accept it, then let it go progressively.
Your ego , and yourself will survive.
If suffering appears, ask: “What is the arrow here?” Is this pain itself, or my emotional burst about it?)
By adding your practice of mindfulness-based meditation you will interrupt the automatic launch of the self- induced second arrow, making “suffering” from this second arrow optional.
In practice, we feel the bare initial sensation fully, but we do not build “me and my ego driven story making me more upset”
