Is Suffering Necessary?

Some interesting quotes below to share from ‘Stillness Speaks’ by Eckhart Tolle. The book’s ideas are not totally about Buddhism, but not really not totally not about it either. There are some parts I disagree with, while I appreciate its occasional acknowledgment where some ideas are clearly inspired by Buddhism – because this would lead those interested to learn more about it directly.

Excerpts: (1) Is suffering really necessary? Yes and no. If you had not suffered as you have, there would be no depth to you as a human being, no humility, no compassion. You would not be reading this now. Suffering cracks open the shell of ego, and then comes a point when it has served its purpose. Suffering is necessary until you realize it is unnecessary. / (2) Whatever you accept completely will take you to peace, including the acceptance that you cannot accept, that you are in resistance. / (3) ‘No self. No problem,’ said the Buddhist Master, when asked to explain the deeper meaning of Buddhism.

Comments: (1) Suffering is a natural ‘evil’, that is not self-consciously evil, whose emptiness is necessary for us to realise to transcend it. Suffering doesn’t really have a specific purpose, but the wise would ‘make’ their suffering purposeful, or suffering would be endless and in vain. / (2) There is only one thing whose acceptance will not lead to peace, and that is pointless suffering that can be transcended. Not realising its emptiness will perpetuate it. It is the opposite of peace, the resistance of it. / (3) The basics of Buddhism is also its most profound – All problems arise from delusions that there is a self within and other opposing selves without, leading to conflicts of interests, when all we want is the end of suffering.