The Art of Suffering: Learn how to suffer and suffer less

Welcome to the present moment! In this very first sentence you have arrived in the here and in the now, your true home, the only place you really exist! Because the present moment is the only "when" and "where" you can experience reality as it is.

And my first question for all of us is: How much can we really be in the present moment, as it is, without judging and trying to change it, in full acceptance?

Not getting caught in our past, either regretfully or wanting to re-live "the gone" pleasant experiences. Trying to be young again as we once have been or still be with our beloved one or the job we loved.

Neither flying far ahead in the future, making projections, plans for our happiness when something aimed out there is achieved.

So the second question following our previous answers would be: and how much of our inability to be fully alive in the present moment and not lost in the past of future, could be some of the causes of our pain and suffering?

How much of our pain is related to our frustrated experiences in the past and our anxiety of an uncertain future?

How much are we able to see that in the present moment we already have all we need, including the sufficient conditions to be grateful and happy?

Inside this book you will find many other questions, provocations, possible answers and ways to pretty much understand the root causes of most of our discomfort, pain and suffering. And you will understand as well, that the "way out of our confusion is in" and it can be much simpler than we expect and have been told.

You will learn how to cultivate such skilful tools, such as, deep breathing, stopping, looking deeply, mindful walking and eating, silence and sitting in stillness, can be not only very powerful to your healing and transformation process, but very pleasant and joyful as well.

Inspired by the teachings of my Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh and after spending 5 months in retreat in two of his monasteries, as well as, greatly inspired by some other very special teachers of mine, such as, Eckart Tolle, Ram Das, Jamyang Kyentese Rimpoche and Pema Chodron, this book has been carefully written in order to transmit you the quintessence and highlights of their teachings, so that in each page you navigate, you already feel cared and welcomed wherever you are.

And feel sure, you are not alone in your path of transformation, because as Thich Nhat Hanh's poem says: "your pain is my pain, my sorrow is your sorrow, my joy is your joy, your happiness is my happiness."

It is with an open heart and vulnerability that I invite you in this journey with me.

Sharing my deepest reflections, pain, suffering and lots, lots of joy and gratitude I felt during the process of writing it and I'm sure, many beautiful seeds will be watered in you as well. And whenever one of us wake up and transform, we all do it together.

I guarantee you that!