The former of each is purely an individual concept. We feel pain and thus learn not to cut, burn or hurt ourselves. We feel pleasure and thus learn to eat, kiss, and hold each other tight. These lessons are solely ways to preserve ourselves physically and thus continue our species.
However, suffering and joy both give meaning to pain and pleasure. To toil through pain, is suffering, is sacrifice, is meaningful abandonment of ones individual physicality for some greater good. To enjoy pleasure, on a mental level, gives meaning to an otherwise empty act.
To fast is not to deal with some annoyance of pain, but to suffer outright. To give some meaning to a sacrifice.
1 comment:
Look into Khalil Gibran, too. Great insight
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