Familiar cliché: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Replace beauty with suffering.

After 40+ years of spiritual training spanning four continents, dozens of systems — what one culture / social norm may witness / judge as suffering is deemed worthy to experience — in another culture.

Actress Jane Fonda (via her series of aerobics workout videos) coined the phrase — “No pain, no gain.” The adoption of this phrase may cause suffering — true?

Two of my most cherished spiritual teachers experienced immense physical pain for years before their death. Most people would NEVER know these souls experienced such tremendous physical pain. Why? My teachers never complained. The touch suffering as a choice. They chose not to suffer.

Should we continue to populate the world based on the potential experience of suffering? Depends on how we decide to address suffering. What do we do about people who willingly ingest substances (like excessive sugar) known to cause suffering? If they end up suffering — do we say, you made your bed — now lie in it?

Joe — you bring up a more central question — choice? How does one choose — wisely — to pro-create or abstain from pro-creation.