Everyone feels lonely sometimes. When we believe that others don’t understand us or that we don’t feel a sense of belonging in our families, friend circle, or communities, this can create a tremendous amount of suffering.
When we look into the suffering caused by feeling lonely, we can get a sense of the immensity and overwhelm in the suffering. The heart ache underneath it can be sometimes very difficult to bear. Thats why we may distract from it and find ways to get away from it. This can lead to entering into co-dependent relationships or addictions that perpetuate the feeling of loneliness.
The heartache of loneliness needs tender care, it needs mindful, compassionate attention from us. It is like a lonely child that we keep neglecting over and over again hoping that he or she will find someone or something to take the loneliness away when we know deep down inside, it just needs us to be there.
This “turning away” from our own suffering causes more suffering. We have been taught to turn away often and it is not our fault that we continue to do this. The way to transform these layers of emotional pain and the neglect is to “turn towards” with loving kindness. When this is difficult to do, ask yourself, why do I continue to turn away? Is it that I don’t know how to turn towards? Is it that I am afraid of turning towards? If so, you can find a guide to help you through this process and find liberation from the suffering.
Looking into suffering 