People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.
Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching (1998)
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When and why it was written
- When
- Published in 1998, drawing on decades of teaching at Plum Village.
- Why
- Thich Nhat Hanh worked with people carrying war trauma and was interested in why relief is often refused.
What it means
The observation is clinical. Suffering that has been carried a long time becomes legible, predictable, and part of how a person explains themselves.
What is offered instead is unknown, and unknown is worse than bad. He is not describing weakness; he is describing a reasonable preference that happens to keep people where they are.
Our reading of the passage cited above, not a quotation from a commentary.
Read the source
The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, 1998
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