Pain, Duḥkha (दुःख), is a part
Of the continuum of life
Pleasure leads to pain and
Pain ascends to pleasure
In an endless cycle
And the common goal is
To eliminate pain and
Experience only pleasure

To not risk the pain
Is to risk it all in the
Deceptive arms of comfort
For its seductive illusion
Masks the pain of awareness

You cannot separate
Yourself from pain
When this pain is you,
A reflection of your
Own naked vulnerability

Your pain reveals
The uncertainty within
For the world reflects your
Uncertainty back at you

Your pain reveals
The frustration within
For the world requires
Your direct participation
Loneliness and sadness
reveal your longing to share