A couple of thoughts from Silver Birch

“Pain and suffering are regarded as miseries; they are not. They have divine parts to play in the evolution of the individual”

and

"We can never promise that your life will be free from problems, perplexity, or even pain. We can promise that within yourself you will find the means to overcome all handicaps and disabilities. As you strive to express the highest, the deepest, the greatest within yourself, so you will attract to your aid those beings from our world who love you, who desire to help you, and through you help others." Silver Birch

“Pain and suffering are regarded as miseries; they are not." True but perceiving them as such is surely an integral part of our spiritual evolution?

If they weren't perceived this way, or if we knew that they were good for our development, would they then be as effective???

Like many other words taken out of context, a wrong overall impression is conveyed.

mac wrote:“Pain and suffering are regarded as miseries; they are not." True but perceiving them as such is surely an integral part of our spiritual evolution?

If they weren't perceived this way, or if we knew that they were good for our development, would they then be as effective???

Like many other words taken out of context, a wrong overall impression is conveyed.

From Websters: Misery
1 : a state of suffering and want that is the result of poverty or affliction
2 : a circumstance, thing, or place that causes suffering or discomfort
3 : a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress

Pain and suffering definitely are miseries for some people. I don't think it could be argued otherwise. I assume the speaker in this case SB was referring to some deeper meaning or an alternate view of them as part of our development as human beings. It's true that sometimes suffering does have within it the seeds of increased wisdom although I would suggest that until pain is under control in some way either due to willpower or medication then it's difficult to extract the lesson.

To simply state that pain and suffering are not miseries as baldly as that is in my humble opinon preposterous.

and that was my implication about taking words out of context....

mac wrote:and that was my implication about taking words out of context....

quite so.