Suffering = Courage, Strength, and Joy
Suffering is something we all have experienced at least once in our lives. We may even be suffering from something at this moment. However, suffering doesn't have to be as how it's defined. As mentioned in "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" by Hanh, "Our suffering is holy if we embrace it and look deeply into it (9)," our suffering doesn't have to be all sad and depressing. We can make it into something that's not. If we just look deep enough, it can be "holy." Sufferings do exist. One could feel as the word is defined as and not feel holy at all no matter how hard they look deeply into it. When we are free from the suffering, we should enjoy the finer things in life rather than look for other sufferings that could have in impact in the near future. As Hanh also says in the book, "Buddha says that he only wants us to recognize suffering when it is present and to recognize joy when suffering is absent" (21). When the suffering is not there, we should be happy and enjoy what we have and be thankful for it. If we didn't have any suffering, we wouldn't know what things such as activities are defined as joy. We wouldn't be able to truly enjoy something before we experience suffering.
Suffering can come in many different ways from one situation to the next and from one person to another. An example of a suffering that I have experienced was emotional. When I first came to America in 3rd grade, I spoke little to no English. Being at a young age exposed to a totally new environment, I had many difficulties. I've suffered emotional ways because I couldn't understand anything nor say what I wanted to say. From time to time, I was frustrated and possibly even depressed. People would not be able to understand what I went through at that age unless they have experienced it themselves. Not being able to understand what the others say was probably the bigger emotional suffering than others not understanding what I had to say. I've used body language in order to get my point across and the others had to do the same to me. Although useful, body language wasn't able to satisfy all the communication. Not everything could be expressed through body language. I've learned English throughout the school years and now am fluent. I now value the tool of communication very much. It's something that I would not want to lose. As I see other Koreans that came to the United States just like I did, I am able to encourage them and give them tips on how to communicate when they speak little to no English. I have more patience with those who don't speak as much English because I know the frustration and the suffering that they are experiencing.
Another form of suffering can be something physical such as having a surgery. My dad had an open heart surgery when I was a Freshmen in high school. He went through 2 open heart surgeries within a week apart from one another. When he got out of the surgery and was in the recovery room to wake up from the anesthesia, I went to see him. As he awoke from it, he seemed to be in a lot of pain. He told me how painful it felt when he awoke. He is now fully recovered and doesn't have the pain any longer. While he was recovering at the hospital, he couldn't do much anything. He was just on his bed watching tv or reading a book. He is now able to appreciate being able to freely move around and able to do exercise that he couldn't do in case the stitches were to come off. He is able to understand others who had surgery and be happy for the good health that he has now. Suffering makes us grow stronger, more courageous, and allow us to enjoy what we have.
Suffering is something we all have experienced at least once in our lives. We may even be suffering from something at this moment. However, suffering doesn't have to be as how it's defined. As mentioned in "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" by Hanh, "Our suffering is holy if we embrace it and look deeply into it (9)," our suffering doesn't have to be all sad and depressing. We can make it into something that's not. If we just look deep enough, it can be "holy." Sufferings do exist. One could feel as the word is defined as and not feel holy at all no matter how hard they look deeply into it. When we are free from the suffering, we should enjoy the finer things in life rather than look for other sufferings that could have in impact in the near future. As Hanh also says in the book, "Buddha says that he only wants us to recognize suffering when it is present and to recognize joy when suffering is absent" (21). When the suffering is not there, we should be happy and enjoy what we have and be thankful for it. If we didn't have any suffering, we wouldn't know what things such as activities are defined as joy. We wouldn't be able to truly enjoy something before we experience suffering.
Suffering can come in many different ways from one situation to the next and from one person to another. An example of a suffering that I have experienced was emotional. When I first came to America in 3rd grade, I spoke little to no English. Being at a young age exposed to a totally new environment, I had many difficulties. I've suffered emotional ways because I couldn't understand anything nor say what I wanted to say. From time to time, I was frustrated and possibly even depressed. People would not be able to understand what I went through at that age unless they have experienced it themselves. Not being able to understand what the others say was probably the bigger emotional suffering than others not understanding what I had to say. I've used body language in order to get my point across and the others had to do the same to me. Although useful, body language wasn't able to satisfy all the communication. Not everything could be expressed through body language. I've learned English throughout the school years and now am fluent. I now value the tool of communication very much. It's something that I would not want to lose. As I see other Koreans that came to the United States just like I did, I am able to encourage them and give them tips on how to communicate when they speak little to no English. I have more patience with those who don't speak as much English because I know the frustration and the suffering that they are experiencing. 
Another form of suffering can be something physical such as having a surgery. My dad had an open heart surgery when I was a Freshmen in high school. He went through 2 open heart surgeries within a week apart from one another. When he got out of the surgery and was in the recovery room to wake up from the anesthesia, I went to see him. As he awoke from it, he seemed to be in a lot of pain. He told me how painful it felt when he awoke. He is now fully recovered and doesn't have the pain any longer. While he was recovering at the hospital, he couldn't do much anything. He was just on his bed watching tv or reading a book. He is now able to appreciate being able to freely move around and able to do exercise that he couldn't do in case the stitches were to come off. He is able to understand others who had surgery and be happy for the good health that he has now. Suffering makes us grow stronger, more courageous, and allow us to enjoy what we have.
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