Past or Present Suffering?

If we're suffering in the present it is because we're still focused on the past and projecting that into the future. When we open to the fullness of this Present Moment, without dragging the past or future into it, there is no suffering. To release and heal the past we need to be willing to let go of blaming others for our suffering. This comes about when we realize that we are the ones who created everything that has ever happened to us. Also, we experience what we give. Letting go and forgiving others brings peace to ourselves.For healing there also needs to be a willingness to let go of the payoffs we think suffering will give us. Sometimes there is a strong attachment to suffering. You may wonder why any of us would want to hold onto anything that causes ourselves pain.

  “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” - Joseph Campbell

To some degree we all do this. The only reason we ever hold onto anything is because we (either consciously or unconsciously) think it will give us something. To release this, we need to become aware of what we think suffering will give us. If we are willing to investigate this, we discover that we aren't actually getting what we thought suffering would give us.

All it gives us is more suffering. Once we consciously see that, the willingness to give it up is automatic. If the willingness to investigate this isn't there, it just means that more experiences will occur in your life to gradually open you to the readiness and willingness to awaken from your suffering. This is assured for all of us because we are ALREADY pure Presence! All we need to do is to awaken to that truth.

For healing we also need to be willing to let go of our present mind set and open to a new and different perspective. This comes about naturally when we're so tired of suffering that we're willing to see that our current way of thinking has only caused us pain.