Our Suffering Is a Belief

Our reading guide for week 3 (Session 11) was on WIR 139-141, and ….
While reading page 139 (WIR), in the second paragraph I was guided to compare the LOK, Ex. 46 with what the main point that the paragraph was making. So I followed through.
I was puzzled by the first sentence in Ex. 46 (P 377, LOK), I was not sure of what it was saying … It could be interpreted in different ways …

Since Ex. 46 is at the end of a chapter, I thought to explore the chapter to see if that first sentence in Ex. 46 would make more sense. And in exploring that chapter (Inexpressible Wonderment, PP 371-376), I came across some amazing precious material that is very powerful, that truly match the title of the chapter. Since then I have been able to explore it in experience, and it seems that its power (its inexpressible wonderment) has been increasing … So in write it down I have the intention of increasing and further stabilizing its living power:

Rinpoche shares (P373, LOK):

“Inquiry and analysis let us look honestly at the patterns that shape our lives, investigating them and tracing them back to their roots. Investigating, we find that these patterns are interrelated, supporting each other in a way that gives them a remarkable strength. We see that our reality is founded in experience, our experience in interpretive concepts, and our concepts in beliefs that are themselves unfounded.

In the end there is nothing but beliefs, so thickly bunched that no one could ever hope to root them out. We live in a no-choice realm; we are trained to perpetuate that realm, and we have a massive investment in verifying the truth of our training. And so we do just that, affirming and transmitting it onward with each thought, each word, and each act.

Yet when we have undertaken this investigation and arrived at this insight for ourselves-not accepting it because we are told that it is true, or because a certain chain of logic and reasoning seems to support it-something quite wonderful happens. Seeing only beliefs, we see no limitations. Wherever we turn, we find beliefs hardened into convictions, and so into a mutually agreed upon reality. Our suffering is a belief, and so is our pain. Our conditioning and our isolation, our not-knowing and our anxiety-they are all beliefs. With nothing of substance to block the way, we stand at the threshold of a remarkable freedom.”

Soudi