This message was sent to me today. I didn't agree, so I wrote a rebuttal which is included below. Please feel free to add your own commentary.

"Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. "

Sevara's response:

Hola ******.

I'm afraid I do not agree with the way this person lays out this "truth". Your friend uses convincing words that sound wise, like "truth" and "transcends" but what I read is more of an ill-formed aphorism that is actually rather negative rather than elevating.

First of all, his "truth" of life being difficult doesn't apply to everyone, and specifically not to me. I don't feel life is difficult. Perhaps this is because I have done years of spiritual work on myself, or as a result of positive karma carried over from my past lives, or maybe I'm just lucky.  

That life is difficult sounds like a sort of cop out..."oh, man. Things aren't going well. I lost my job, I'm broke, my car has a flat tire...Ya, life is difficult." As if things are going poorly because "life is difficult." Well, let that be someone else's mantra. My mantra is "Life is beautiful, blissful, and bountiful."

The deciding factor of "difficult" or "not difficult" is simply a person's ability to shape their future and destiny. If one believes oneself to be impotent in the ability to direct and influence his or her future then more than likely he or she will find life difficult. However, if one has the power of projection, the self-control to make righteous decisions, and walks the Dharmaic path, he or she will naturally be guided towards bliss, simplicity, and flow.

To continue, how or why does accepting that life is difficult make it not matter? If I accept that I love, does it make the love in my heart not matter? If I accept that I bleed does it make the blood dripping from my veins not matter? On the contrary, by accepting these things, including the difficulties, they matter more, for when love is accepted it can be nurtured, when a cut is acknowledged it can be tended to and healed, and when difficulties arise they can be purged. When things matter they can be experienced to their full depth and only then can all the lessons and wisdom be extracted through the experience. War can be an example of one of life's difficulties. But simply accepting it wont stop the suffering of the innocent.

No, everything matters: difficulties, pain, sorrow, joy, and love. What matters most is that we go through each experience with grace and dignity, as well as with awareness so that with each experience we can grow in a way that brings us closer to our own Infinity and Divinity.

Blessings,

Sevara