Short teaching by Eckhart Tolle arguing that suffering is produced by the narrative and thoughts we add to ordinary situations (example: irritation while waiting on hold). When one drops the added thought and stays in present-moment awareness, the suffering dissolves; the moment simply is experienced without distress.
That which caused the suffering was the narrative, not the situation. You're on the phone trying to talk to your bank, but nobody answers. You only get an AI voice. Approximate waiting time, 35 minutes. I can't stand this anymore. Irritation arises at that moment. You can say, how would I experience this moment if I didn't add any thought to it? And there you are, still on the phone, and it's just the present moment. Is that so bad? No. Are you suffering? No. I'm just sitting here holding the phone. Where's the suffering in that? The suffering is gone because.
Why alcohol feels like relief, and what it is really giving you | Eckhart Tolle
