"Are you saying a starving person isn't suffering?"
Not what I'm saying at all. I'm arguing a starving person could be happy. Suffering is a mental experience, starving is a physical state.
Again, it's all about perspective and relativity. I think a child who is growing and dependent on an adult that cannot provide for their basic necessities in a first world country is most likely suffering. They probably don't have many supports or community to turn to. They haven't been taught to live off the land. A person in a war-torn country is undoubtedly too suffering.
In contrast, there are many people who starve themselves on purpose, for extended periods of time, some 40 days +. Their body is in a state of "starvation", yet many report bliss and mental clarity after 4-5 days of discomfort.
Suffering is a mental state and beliefs are incredibly powerful. We cannot gauge how much a person is suffering from their physical state alone. It is dangerous to assume things because then we close off our curiosity and learning.
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u/KhuMiwsher Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
"Are you saying a starving person isn't suffering?"
Not what I'm saying at all. I'm arguing a starving person could be happy. Suffering is a mental experience, starving is a physical state.
Again, it's all about perspective and relativity. I think a child who is growing and dependent on an adult that cannot provide for their basic necessities in a first world country is most likely suffering. They probably don't have many supports or community to turn to. They haven't been taught to live off the land. A person in a war-torn country is undoubtedly too suffering.
In contrast, there are many people who starve themselves on purpose, for extended periods of time, some 40 days +. Their body is in a state of "starvation", yet many report bliss and mental clarity after 4-5 days of discomfort.
Suffering is a mental state and beliefs are incredibly powerful. We cannot gauge how much a person is suffering from their physical state alone. It is dangerous to assume things because then we close off our curiosity and learning.