Thich Nhat Hanh: The Art of Happiness is Also The Art of Suffering Well
On finding meaning in suffering
A wise old monk once lived in a small village.
People from all over would come to seek his guidance and wisdom.
One day, a young man approached the monk and asked, “Master, how can I find happiness and avoid suffering?”
The monk replied, “Happiness is not something you can avoid suffering to achieve. Suffering is a natural part of life, but how you approach it makes all the difference. The art of happiness is also the art of suffering well.”
The young man was confused and asked the monk to explain further.
The monk told him a story about a flower that grew in the mountains.
The flower was beautiful but could only grow in the harshest conditions, where the soil was rocky and the wind was fierce.
The flower’s beauty came from the fact that it had learned to adapt and thrive in adverse conditions.
The monk told the young man that life was like that flower.
It’s not always easy, but it’s through the difficult times that we learn to adapt and grow. The art of suffering well involves accepting that suffering is part of life and learning to find…
