Question: How can we handle ‘attachment’ (执着) to long-term suffering (苦) from ‘constant’ pain (痛)?
Answer: As this place is not Avīci Hell (阿鼻地狱) where immense evil karmas ripen relentlessly, where there is uninterrupted (无间) pain, pain in this world cannot be continuous. There will be moments when it is not experienced. For example, when distracted from it, when sleeping, when fully immersed in something else, such as mindfulness of the Buddha’s (念佛) name (Āmítuófó: 阿弥陀佛).
These moments might not be remembered due to unmindfulness of them when they arise, thus taking them for granted, but they are indeed there, and they keep recurring. In contrast, as the moments with pain are more prominent, this is as if they ‘force’ us to be more ‘mindful’ of them with their intensity.
However, after some time, it is possible to become accustomed to chronic pain. This actually takes shorter time than expected, as the human mind can become ‘resistant’ very quickly. This is how many old people are able to put up with chronic pains for many years, often forgetting about them now and then on a daily basis, until they are reminded of them.
Pain in this world can only be intermittent because our good and evil karmas ripening here is mixed in nature, and is thus experienced in alternating ways accordingly. Some people become attached to pain or suffering and think they are endless, and even think of trying to ‘end’ them with death, but as above, they are not endless; only imagined to be so.
This impermanent nature of pain can be ‘realised’ with patience to outlive it, with rising above the pain periodically, even totally later, after which they will be glad that they did not do anything foolish. Self-killing does not end pain or suffering in the next life as the karmas that power pain and suffering are still there, while there is more new evil karma from suicide. This is thus adding fuel to the fire.
When there is physical pain, there need not be mental suffering over it, thus not adding suffering to pain. For example, it is possible to be brave for a tooth extraction without fretting over it, before, during and after the extraction. This can be done by watching the pain objectively without becoming emotionally worked up to ‘magnify’ it, or by putting the mind on another subject fully, such as Āmítuófó’s name.
As sincere mindfulness of Āmítuófó’s name creates good and pure karmas with his blessings, they will dilute the evil karmas that give rise to pain, thus reducing its intensity and duration, offering pain relief and even bliss. Upon reaching his Pure Land (净土), when it is time later, there will be no more pain and suffering, only joy of the body and bliss of the mind. This is the lasting cure for all pain and suffering.
Also, as there can only be one thought in each moment, when there is wholehearted (一心), (which is utmost sincere) mindfulness of Āmítuófó’s name in each moment, and from moment to moment, with this full preoccupation of the mind, there will be no space or time for the mind to be occupied by other thoughts, including those about pain.
Pain and suffering should be transformed to be motivation for more sincere mindfulness of Āmítuófó’s name now, to lessen them, while preparing to reach his Pure Land later. There should not be trying to reach it by suicide as this will backfire. This is so as there has to be strong hatred for killing, which creates very evil karma, possibly leading to rebirth in the hells, where there is even more suffering.
Related Article:
Are You Shot By One Or Two Arrows?
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2025/07/are-you-shot-by-one-or-two-arrows
