4000 years ago, Buddha discovered the four noble truths of the Buddhist faith. The first one being, "Life is Dukkha" (suffering). I have often wondered about how Buddha discovered that life is suffering. No doubt he wandered in India as a monk in a poverty stricken world, where there was no hope, dignity, and self-worth for humans. He saw human misery and questioned poverty, old age, death, and after-life. He reached a conclusion. Our very existence is full of suffering. Just dukkha, suffering!

I see dukkha everyday in India. I experience it every day in my soul. (That is how I had a change of heart many years ago.)

I see hungry children, barely clothed running in between cars and scooters on the streets. When I stop at a traffic light, they try to clean my windshield asking me for a few pennies. The look in their eyes takes me into their world. A world of no hope, just utter despair. Their little hands have stained my window, as I roll it down...a few rupees is all I can give. As I drive away, I pray for a bigger building to house more of them.

It is cold in Dehradun as beggars with hardly any warm clothes come up to me to ask for some rupees. They shiver as the cold air cuts through them. How can I help? I go through this every day.

The rich and the wealthy choose to ignore or are just insensitive to the suffering around them. They prefer to look away.

There is always an air of oppression in the society. Life is suffering for millions of people. Because of an existing worldview that promotes the doctrine of karma (works), reincarnation, and the caste system, they do not know that life can be better. We grow up with such a fatalistic and pessimistic worldview. What can it produce? No doubt when Buddha saw mankind suffering, he pronounced, "Life is suffering."

His second noble truth is, "This suffering is because of our desire."

What desire? The desire to have a hot meal, a place to sleep, and clothes to wear is a basic human need. Then add clean drinking water, sanitation, health care, and education to our needs. Millions in India have no access to these. So this suffering is because of our desire to have life.

Dear partner, two thousand years ago another teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, came. What I love about Him is that when He saw human suffering He was moved with compassion. In fact, He claimed, "I have come to give you life and life more abundantly." (It is the thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.)

When He saw the widow of Nain weeping over her dead son, He experienced human suffering. He knew the pain of death and grief. When Jesus saw her tears, He rebuked death and brought joy back into that family. The young man was raised from the dead and handed over to his mother.

Jesus continues to encounter suffering with compassion. The healing of blind Bartimaeus, the cleansing of the lepers, the feeding the five thousand and many more until this day continues.

Buddha saw human suffering and accepted it, and renunciation became a way of life for Buddhists through the ages.

The Lord Jesus Christ encountered suffering with compassion and created miracles for those who believed on Him.

He saw life from a different perspective, from a higher dimension.

Faith School and Home is a miracle. When compassion challenged suffering on the streets of New Delhi, a ministry was birthed for the orphans and the dalit (untouchable) kids in India.

If you are a believer, be a blessing to a hurting world. Share your faith and share your blessings. Make miracles happen!

Blessings,


Ashish Massey