To enjoy happiness doesn't mean we have
no suffering. The main affliction of modern
civilization is that we don't know how to
handle the suffering inside, so we try to cover
it up with all sorts of consumption, and the
marketplace is full of items to help distract
us. Until we're able to face our suffering, we
can't be available to life, and happiness will
continue to elude us. The art of happiness is
also the art of suffering well. When we learn to
acknowledge, embrace, and understand our
suffering, we suffer much less. One of the most
difficult things for us to accept is that there
is no place where there is only happiness
and no suffering. If we focus exclusively on
pursuing happiness, we may see suffering as only getting in the way of our happiness. The
practice of mindfulness, our capacity to dwell
in the present moment, is the best way to be
with our suffering without being overwhelmed
by it. With awareness of our in-breath and
out-breath, we generate the energy of
mindfulness, and take care of our suffering
by recognizing, accepting, and embracing it
tenderly. With mindfulness, we're no longer
afraid of pain, and we can generate the energy
of understanding and compassion that heals
and brings happiness both to ourselves and
to others. 50