Symbolism of Experience

"... Basic suffering is very powerful ground, and the basis of man's attitude toward symbolism. The only immediate symbolism we can experience is pain. It is the direct message that we have been constantly involved in seeking pleasure of all kinds-and when the search for pleasure becomes our theme, that automatically provides a reference point to pain. We may feel relatively good, with nothing to complain about particularly. But then we would like to entertain ourselves more. We go to the movies, but the movie is terrible; so we decide to go to a restaurant, but the food isn't so good - or for that matter, we go and see a great movie and have a fantastic meal in a restaurant! All of that is an expression of basic pain. ..."

Read "The Symbolism of Experience" by Chogyam Trungpa.