What are the causes of suffering?
Synthesized from Source
definition
"Suffering is born from our attachments and expectations; when we learn to witness without craving or aversion, we transcend the cycle of pleasure and pain."
According to Osho, suffering arises not from people, events, or the intellect itself, but from our attachment, expectation, and identification with thoughts. When happiness is tied to externals, we oscillate between pleasure and pain. Cultivating upeksha—equanimity and the witness attitude—loosens this tie; without craving or aversion, success and failure pass, and suffering falls away.
We suffer because we cling to things and expect them to make us happy; if we let go and just watch, the pain fades.
Why this matters practically
- Helps reduce reactivity to praise, blame, success, or failure.
- Builds inner stability by loosening attachment to thoughts and outcomes.
- Guides daily practice: pause, witness the mind, release expectation.
- Builds inner stability by loosening attachment to thoughts and outcomes.
- Guides daily practice: pause, witness the mind, release expectation.
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