Suffering as Defined by Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

Suffering - its role is to bring out qualities in us We must not try to escape from suffering, but seek to use it, to draw strength from it in order to awaken our inner, sublime life. The role of suffering is precisely to bring out qualities that would never have the chance to manifest in other circumstances. Whenever you find yourself suffering physically or emotionally, thank heaven for the opportunity this suffering gives you to undertake important work on yourself.  Obviously, I am not speaking about unbearable suffering, which requires medical intervention; I am speaking in general terms, about the troubles and difficulties that beset us in everyday life. Instead of moaning, weeping or raging against the Lord, it would be better trying to put all these troubles to good use by working on your own development.  Whatever you do, when you are having a bad time, do not focus on your suffering, rather work to harmonize everything inside you, and become stronger. When this work is done, your suffering will disappear, because you will have solved the problem set for you by heaven. Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov was a Bulgarian philosopher, pedagogue, mystic, and esotericist. A leading 20th-century teacher of Western Esotericism in Europe, he was a disciple of Peter Deunov, the founder of the Universal White Brotherhood.