One would literally have to be living on a desert island to ignore the fact that growing numbers of people are suffering in these times. As human systems break down and the Earth’s natural systems become increasingly unbalanced, the collective toll of human suffering continues to mount. Physical loss is compounded by anxiety about the future, and by a growing sense of pessimism about material life.

Deep layers of alienation, long muted by myriad drugs and alcohol, are now surfacing and leading to acts of desperation. A pervasive sense of despair has become especially evident in young people. Children and adolescents are harming themselves and others in ways that were once unimaginable. Some are clearly crying out for help; others appear to be cut off from everyone and everything.

The wisdom teachings explain that when we identify ourselves with the things of the material world, we experience life in isolation—from one another and from the larger whole. We see ourselves as separate from one another, like the individual seeds of the pomegranate pictured above. We fail to recognize that we are part of a greater life. This illusory sense of isolation and separation is the essential cause of suffering. The “remedy”—inherent in the unfoldment of human consciousness—is the inner awakening to the essential relatedness of all of life.

The turmoil in our world appears to be accelerating the pace of this awakening. The experience of pain and alienation is leading many individuals to search for the light of higher truth. In the course of the spiritual quest, the process of reconnection invariably occurs—reconnection with the soul, with the source of all Life, with other human beings, and with all living creatures. The light begins to dawn that we are an intrinsic part of a greater Life whose divine essence is love. We are not alone.

The fact that ever rising numbers of human beings are awakening to their higher nature and are expressing soul qualities in the world is a great cause for hope in these difficult times. The unprecedented scale of human suffering around the globe has brought forth an unprecedented outpouring of compassion. The heart of humanity is opening and, in the light of higher awareness, we are discovering the deeper causes of suffering. This new light of understanding is leading us forward on the path to a new era.

In the Ageless Wisdom pain serves a higher purpose. In “The Fruits of Suffering,” a chapter of When the Soul Awakens, we wrote:

"In the wisdom teachings, suffering has a clear objective. It is viewed as a prod to spiritual growth. The purpose of pain is to rouse us from the illusion of our separate, form-based, ego identities and awaken the true, spiritual being within—the soul, the part of us that recognizes the essential unity of all life. The human constitution is such that when a person is in pain, unable to function normally, he or she is prompted to look more deeply at the inner side of life."

It is possible to reap the fruits of suffering by viewing life from a higher plane of awareness—the realm of the soul. With this in view, we have drawn a number of practices from the wisdom teachings, listed below. Whether you are experiencing personal pain, or identifying with the pain of humanity and other kingdoms of nature, we hope that these simple practices will serve you on your path.

Practices for Reaping the Fruits of Suffering

* Look for the lesson to be learned in any situation you are encountering. If it is a conflict with someone, learn to willingly accept responsibility for your part in the knowledge that life is being mirrored back to you from seeds sown in the past.

* Practice the Way of the Buddha and the Way of the Christ. Be “a little buddha” to the people in your life through right understanding, right intention, right action, right living, and right speech. Practice the Way of the Christ by forgiving others and learning to express the inclusive love of the soul.

* Look for meaning in every event and circumstance—no matter how difficult. Practice “reading the book of life” by recognizing the symbolic nature of everything you encounter, from people to synchronicities, all of which have hidden meanings that can shed light on your situation.

* Take the stance of the observer—the stance of the soul. Practice seeing your life unfold from a place of detachment. From that place you can learn to be dispassionate, distinguish “the Real from the unreal,” and discover the right course of action to take in any given situation.

* Practice the Presence. Stay aligned with your higher Self, to the degree possible. Ask for higher guidance from your Soul and from Those who seek to guide your soul’s unfoldment from the inner planes. Learn to see “Spirit at work in the midst of things,” aware that all that happens has a higher purpose from the soul’s view.

* When crisis occurs, look for the opportunities— for openings and breakthroughs that can steer your life in a new direction. Take an attitude of positive expectancy and you will attract the guidance or resources needed for your soul’s unfoldment.

* No matter how difficult things are, recognize that the best way to transcend personal suffering is to serve others. The true Self is connected to all Selves; we are literally one in spirit. When we serve others as Souls, the light of the soul shines forth and love flows in ways that heal ourselves as well as others.

* Take the long view and remember: "This too shall pass." Keep in mind that there is a divine plan unfolding in both our individual and collective lives, though we may not see its higher purpose in the present moment.

Author's Bio: 

Nancy Seifer and Martin Vieweg co-authored "When The Soul Awakens: The Path to Spiritual Evolution and a New World Era." They have been studying and practicing the principles of the Ageless Wisdom for over thirty years. This book represents the harvest of their transformative journeys. "When The Soul Awakens" took a Silver Medal in the 2010 Nautilus Book Awards. Previous winners of the award include Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, the Dalai Lama and Carolyn Myss.

Nancy Seifer was an idealist and activist early in life, before finding her way to the spiritual path. During the 1960s, she was a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, a staff member at the African-American Institute in New York City, and an aide for ethnic affairs to New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay. In the 70s she directed a program on women and diversity at the Institute on American Pluralism, where she wrote numerous articles, papers, and chapters for anthologies. Her writings on American working-class women include a monograph (Absent From the Majority,1973) and a book (Nobody Speaks for Me!, 1976) that are still in use at colleges and universities.

In the late 70s, Nancy embarked on a quest for spiritual truth that led her to the ageless wisdom teachings, and to involvement in several visionary endeavors. While directing the Center for Peace through Culture, she travelled to the Soviet Union in 1986—a trip that sparked a decade-long immersion in post-Soviet Russia as spirituality was reemerging there. After writing Russian Odyssey (2003), a spiritual memoir born of that experience, she began work on When the Soul Awakens in an effort to make esoteric wisdom more accessible to a growing body of seekers. More information is available at http://www.WhenTheSoulAwakens.org .