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Monday, November 18, 2019

When We Remain with our Suffering Totally, then out of that Suffering Comes Passion



Art by Daniel Bogni

The Stoic concept of Apatheia refers to a state of mind in which one is not disturbed by the passions.

Passion means suffering. Philosophy for the Stoics was a therapeutic of the passions. Philosophy means love of wisdom. Passion and love of wisdom were in that way interrelated.

We have all had suffering of some kind or another, physical or psychic suffering, the suffering of self-pity, the suffering of the human race, both collective and personal. And we know what sorrow is, the death of someone whom you consider you have loved.

When we remain with that suffering totally, without trying to rationalize it, without trying to escape from it in any form – through words or through action – when you remain with it completely, without any movement of thought, then you will find that out of that suffering comes passion. That passion has the quality of love of wisdom, and love has no suffering.

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