Luminous Whispers

The best way to learn meditation is through suffering. Suffering is the voice of karma—it is the echo of our past errors, the weight of forgotten causes returning to be understood. When we are in pain—when we are consumed by anger, sadness, or despair—we are immersed in our emotions with an intensity that cannot be ignored. In those moments, we have access to a deep well of energy—an inner fire—that, if properly harnessed, can be transmuted into something powerful. Instead of being consumed by suffering, we can use it as fuel for meditation, for transformation.

When we suffer, we seek answers. We cry out to the heavens, to the gods, to anything that might relieve our pain. Yet, the answers we seek are not outside of us—they are within. However, it is only when we truly turn inward—not just in thought, but in experience—that transformation begins. This realization came to me during the most painful moment of my life.

In desperation, I prayed, asking for relief, for guidance, for someone to take my suffering away. But the real answer was not in the hands of another; it was in my own Being. It was then that I sought guidance in meditation, and when I finally sat down to practice, something incredible happened. I was no longer myself—not my name, not someone’s child, partner, or friend. I was no one. I was simply Being. My mind was at rest, free from thoughts, free from the endless voices that tormented me. In that moment, I was at peace.

But was I running from myself? Was I using meditation as an escape? No. One cannot solve problems when the mind is in turmoil. If we wish to truly understand and overcome our struggles, we must first create space within ourselves. Meditation is not about avoiding suffering—it is about facing it with clarity. By meditating, we step beyond the illusions of the ego and see ourselves for what we truly are. We see the pain, but we also see its cause. We recognize the ego—the very thing that gives birth to suffering.

When we meditate and observe our ego, we must be extremely careful not to become identified with it. Sometimes, we believe we are simply watching our ego, but in reality, we are acting through it, unconsciously fueling it. The ego attacks, we suffer, and then everything seems to return to normal. The ego is like a virus that affects both our internal and external well-being.

When we confront a major ego, we must understand that it is never alone. Smaller egos—its offspring—follow closely behind. We may think that allowing a little ego to remain is harmless, but it is not. Every small ego seems insignificant at first, but when we identify with it and give it energy, it grows. This is how the ego is born, how it strengthens, and how it takes control. It is like a seed that, when nurtured, becomes a vast and tangled tree—or like a virus that spreads through our being, corrupting us from within. An example of this is when someone gets married but they still have a small ego of desiring a particular type of person, they might even casually say to friends, “wouldn’t it be nice to be with a man with lots of money”, or “I wish my wife could cook”… while this might seem innocent and harmless in the beginning, the purpose of a sacred union is to awaken the couple, and if the couple ignores even the smallest of seemingly harmless desires, those desires could later manifest into temptations and tests during times of great difficulty.

Dissolving the ego is not easy, but through meditation, we can develop the awareness necessary to see it clearly. But clarity does not mean the struggle is over—it is only the beginning. When we meditate, we see the ego in its raw form. By being present and conscious, we stop feeding it. We create the space needed for our true Being to emerge, free from the illusions that bind us to suffering.

It is a profound realization to see that no one truly harms us—we harm ourselves by allowing negativity to take root within us. No one imposes suffering upon us; we are the ones who open the door to it, whether consciously or unconsciously. The external world is merely a reflection of what lies within. When we meditate, we slow everything down. We give our Being the space it needs to reveal the truth.

Ask yourself: Are you truly awake right now? Are you aware of your thoughts, your emotions, your surroundings? When you woke up this morning, did you take a moment to check in with yourself? To ask how you were feeling? To bring awareness to your actions? If we lived each day with true awareness, we would make better choices—not just in meditation, but in every aspect of life. We would nourish our bodies with what is good, rather than indulging in unconscious habits. We would break free from the dull repetition of daily life and begin to truly live.

But most of us are asleep. We fill our minds with lust, greed, vanity, and self-destructive thoughts. We neglect our Being, silencing its voice beneath layers of noise and distraction. Yet, it is always there, waiting for us to listen.

How do we begin? Start small. Just five minutes a day. Give yourself those few moments to be present with yourself, to reflect, to breathe. The next week, increase it to ten minutes—five in the morning, five at night. Gradually, extend this time, not as an obligation, but as a gift to yourself. With time, you will feel the change. You will see how your days shift, how awareness blossoms within you. Your Being will rejoice, and you will begin to hear its guidance more clearly.

Meditation is not about forcing anything. It is about being. How long can you simply be? Just be—be a Buddha for as long as you can. And with time, you will awaken. You will see life as it truly is, and you will no longer be a slave to suffering. Instead, you will use it as a tool to grow, to transform, and to walk the path of self-realization.

The energy of suffering, which once caused despair, now becomes a source of inner power. Instead of consuming us, it fuels our consciousness. Instead of weakening us, it strengthens our ability to remain present. Every moment of suffering becomes a call to awaken—to be more conscious, more alive, more in tune with our true Being.

“This is the great alchemy of the soul: turning suffering into wisdom, turning pain into presence. The fire that once burned us now becomes the very fire that forges us.”

The more we practice, the more we see that nothing has power over us unless we give it power. Meditation is the key to this transformation, and the deeper we go, the more we discover that even in the heart of suffering, the light of consciousness is waiting to be revealed.

Just as fire refines gold, trials refine the soul. Persevering in meditation, even when faced with pain or resistance, allows us to cultivate true self-knowledge. The more we persist, the stronger our inner foundation becomes, until suffering no longer controls us but instead becomes a stepping stone toward awakening.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” — James 1:2-4

When the mind is clouded with too many thoughts—so much thinking—we lose sight of what’s real. A problem forms, not necessarily from the world, but from within us. We crown it. We identify with it. We let it wrap around our being like a chain. And slowly, it begins to strangle us.

What can we do when we feel like this?…

When we are drowning in worry, doubt, and stress, we often don’t know what to do—because in that moment, we are no longer present. We are lost in a storm of our own making. We suffer not only because of life’s difficulties, but because of how we meet them. We forget that many of these problems are rooted in the ego: self-pity, overthinking, pride, control.

A problem isn’t truly a problem until we make it one. That doesn’t mean we should be blind or indifferent to what happens—but we need to learn which battles are truly ours, and which storms are just passing clouds. Some problems were never meant to be solved—only understood. And some things are not ours to control. They are karmic lessons unfolding.

If we were truly awaken in the moment—if we saw things as they are—we might not suffer as we do...

This happened to me. I faced something I couldn’t fix. I was absorbed in ego—completely restless, searching for answers. But I was also aware of my state. I could see myself being impatient with God, desperate for clarity. And yet, no answer came. Not immediately. Because the answer wasn’t in the mind—it was waiting in silence.

So I surrendered. I turned to meditation—not to escape, but to listen. I sat, breathed, and simply watched. I didn’t force anything. It took three days. Three days of letting go, of witnessing my ego’s chaos, before the answer finally surfaced:

This is your karma. This is not punishment. This is a path to understanding.

It was a quiet realization. A feeling more than a thought. I wasn’t being attacked. I was being refined...

Even when we think we are making choices—choosing paths, changing our fate—there is a deeper will at work. Something ancient. Something just. We are not here to control everything. We are here to learn, to awaken, to return to the truth. And when we resist that, we suffer.

I am no master. I don’t claim wisdom or perfection. I am simply a soul walking through fire—just like you. A student of life, of pain, of silence. And if sharing this helps even one person feel less alone in their journey, then every tear I shed has served a purpose.

We are paying karma. Not as a curse—but as a sacred opportunity. Through this, we learn to awaken.