ekkentros free thoughts - pain

Prof. Richard Hay:. The concept and understanding of pain differ from culture to culture. And therefore the differences in their approach to pain and their attitude to the sufferer of pain are widely varying.. In the East the perception of pain in general has a subtle spiritual angle whereas in the west people tend to be indifferent to the pain of others. I have personally noticed it in an incident in one of the western countries. When one of the persons in a group fell sick, others avoided him totally and behaved boisterously ignoring him altogether. In such instances the members of the group in an eastern society would show much natural sympathy because they can empathize with the sufferer. This I think is because of the cultural difference.
We cannot but notice that the world wars started in the west. The second world war was then dragged to the East. The business of war is to inflict pain. The Japanese had been as cruel as the Germans. This is rather surprising when we consider that the Japanese follow Buddhism, a peace advocating and non-cruel religion.
Dr.Thomas: There is a distortion in their beliefs in the sense that self- infliction of pain has been their tradition. There is glory for them in suicide. They call it ‘Harakiri’.
Prof.Hay: Inhuman and brutal cruelty is perpetrated against the people of the ‘enemy’ country in the name of war. Cruelty is almost institutionalized in the groups trained for fighting. When the war psychosis sets in, inflicting pain and cruelty becomes the sole goal of any war, whether it is in the Mahabharatha war or in the Iraq war. Cruelty on the ‘enemy’ is taken for granted. Majority of the societies world over accepts the modality!
There seems to be a correlation between pain and culture. The attitude towards pain change with changes in culture. Among Asiatic people who tend to be deeply religious and are ‘God-fearing’, pain is looked upon as avoidable. There is compassion in the outlook of the people. We need not go far back to notice the aggressive nature of the western culture. The west’s attack of Iraq on the pretext of non-existent weapons, or its attack on Viet-Nam, supposedly an easy target, are examples. The Viet-Namese suffered extreme pain, but ultimately won and had their own way. Iraq, once the hub of human civilization, and which still held remnants and symbols of an ancient culture is now almost destroyed. Posterity may see here an attempt to perpetuate the North-South divide and differences.
The younger generation in America is now more conscious of the failings of their cultures. Their way of life had been based on an attitude that promotes that anything pleasurable is welcome. A way of thinking that comes from killing and eating flesh and meat without the feeling of guilt. Eastern culture respects not only other cultures but also other creatures. This has its roots in the teachings of Buddha. The Sufi cult also propagated it. Understanding the other beings and empathy with all creatures had been the core of Eastern cultures.
Pain whether physical or mental is the root cause of mental tension that creates neurotic conditions. The human psyche is so formed that, may be, it is economic poverty or social condition, anything adverse creates mental tension and consequential pain that can turn into neurosis. Unbearable pains are suffered by people who undergo traumatic experiences. The very look of a rape victim will reveal the pain and agony being suffered by her. Torture, whether by police or Mafia is another type of pain that is excruciating because of the physical as well as the mental agony involved. Imagine the pain inflicted on the four dalit Maharashtrians recently by the upper class. These underprivileged people were paraded and dragged naked and then killed. The physical pain and the social trauma they underwent are unimaginable. The violence and cruelty are social as well as political.
Extreme sufferings of pain and agony cause dreams and nightmares to occur in sleep. The person is restless and disturbed during day and suffers traumatic pangs in bad dreams. Some become alcoholic or addicted to drugs. The disturbance and suffering is then carried to the family. Acute cases of pain and agony often result in loss of memory or aggressive behaviour including emotional outbursts. The person can become unproductive, anti-social with aggressive sexual behaviour and in general of criminal tendencies prone to vandalism.
Pain and suffering is of course part of life. So is pleasure. But pain is remembered more. It is more deeply rooted in the mind. Therefore painful memories come back to the mind too often.
To be born is to suffer
To grow old is to suffer
To die is to suffer
To lose what is loved is to suffer.
To endure what is disturbing is to suffer
Therefore in life, pain and suffering are inevitable.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Which is more unbearable? Mental or physical pain? Mental pain when unbearable results in suicide. So does physical pain, but it happens less often. In the case of torture or rape it is the pain as well as the humiliation that makes them unbearably agonizing with both mental as well as physical pains.
General observation: The human Rights Society is meant to protect people from torture. But interpretation of the rights makes it a mockery by serving only the strong.
Dr. Thomas: Thomas Hardy in his novels describes exquisitely some traumatic events. He also writes authoritatively experiences from a doctor’s point of view, although he is only a self-tutored person with no formal education to mention about.
Prof.. Sankarankutty: Suffering and agony are reduced to its fundamentals in poetry. For example, in the poem on the ancient mariner Coleridge brings out poignantly, the excruciating agony of the mariner arising from the guilt of shooting down the albatross until he gets emancipation when a feeling of love for even the slimy creatures of the sea arise in him.
General observation: In earlier times people in pain and suffering used to get some relief by getting resigned to it by attributing the pain to Sani-Dasa or wrong-doing in a previous birth.