There are several aspects of suffering…

• It is Existence manifesting. It is Existence, God, Buddha Mind, experiencing itself in one of the innumerable ways it is experiencing itself through this evolving universe. It is perfect as it is. Nothing is missing.

• It comes from a case of mistaken identity. It emerges when awareness is exclusively identified with - or temporarily caught up in - the small self. This causes awareness to believe in thoughts, and function in a dualistic way - seeing the distinctions but not the seamless whole.
• It is one of the mechanisms through which awareness is encouraged to awaken to its own nature. It is the whip, while the bliss of awakening is the carrot.
• It is that which motivates awareness, even while exclusively identified with the small self, to be actively engaged in the world. This helps the self develop, the species to evolve, and Existence to unfold in always new and rich ways.