Do other religions have any notion of suffering being for good?

[Wootah]

Do other religions have any notion of suffering being for good?

Christianity seems to be clear that God uses suffering for our good. Do other religions have any notion of this? How do they handle suffering?

[RugMatic]

Do other religions have any notion of suffering being for good?

Christianity seems to be clear that God uses suffering for our good. Do other religions have any notion of this? How do they handle suffering?

Buddhists consider suffering to be the means of stretching the heart so that empathy is possible. Muslims consider suffering to be a virtue. Jihad means to suffer, struggle, strain.

The only religion I'm aware of that frowns on suffering is charismatic Christians who believe in health and wealth spirituality.

[Tcg]

Do other religions have any notion of suffering being for good?

Christianity seems to be clear that God uses suffering for our good. Do other religions have any notion of this? How do they handle suffering?

Buddhists consider suffering to be the means of stretching the heart so that empathy is possible. Muslims consider suffering to be a virtue. Jihad means to suffer, struggle, strain.

The only religion I'm aware of that frowns on suffering is charismatic Christians who believe in health and wealth spirituality.

A slight clarification. Charismatic Christianity is not a religion, it is a branch of the religion called Christianity, and they aren't the only branch that teaches this. This is yet another area that Christianity can't reach agreement on.

So, as to the O.P., no Christianity is not clear on this.


Tcg

[Wootah]

Do other religions have any notion of suffering being for good?

Christianity seems to be clear that God uses suffering for our good. Do other religions have any notion of this? How do they handle suffering?

Buddhists consider suffering to be the means of stretching the heart so that empathy is possible. Muslims consider suffering to be a virtue. Jihad means to suffer, struggle, strain.

The only religion I'm aware of that frowns on suffering is charismatic Christians who believe in health and wealth spirituality.

I thought buddhists were avoiding suffering at all costs?

I don't think Jihadists consider suffering a virtue, struggle sure, but the point there is to make the other person suffer.

[A Freeman]

On the topic of "self" sacrifice (learning to crucify the ego/"self" DAILY):


Bible: New Covenant/Testament

Matthew 10:37-38
10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter (or anyone or anything) more than me is not worthy of me.
10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
10:40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me.
10:41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

Matthew 16:24-26
16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:34-35
8:34 And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny his "Self", and take up his cross, and follow me.
8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

Luke 9:23-25
9:23 And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Luke 14:26-27
14:26 If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own (human) life also, he can NOT be my disciple.
14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, can NOT be my disciple.

Thomas 6:9 Jesus said: When you take off your shame without being ashamed, and take your clothes (bodies) and put them under your feet as the little children and tread on them, then shall you behold the Son of the Living One and you shall not fear.

Galatians 2:20 My "Self" is crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I (the "Self"), but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.


The Koran/Quran

Sura 6:162. Say: "Truly, my prayer and my (daily) service of "Self" sacrifice (Luke 9:23; 14:26-27), my life (of selflessness) and my death (to "Self"), are (all) for "I AM", the Cherisher of the Worlds:

Sura 92:18-21
92:18. Those who spend their wealth for increase in "self"-purification,
92:19. And have in their minds no favour to anyone for which a reward is expected in return,
92:20. But only the desire to seek for the Countenance of their Lord Most High;
92:21. And soon will they attain (complete) satisfaction.


The Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 3 - Karma-yoga
3:10 In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods (spirit-Beings/Prophets – Amos 3:7, Rev. 10:7), along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu (“self” sacrifce – Luke 9:23, Gal. 2:20, Sura 6:162), and blessed them by saying, "Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things (Exod. 12:25-27)."

Chapter 8 - Attaining the Supreme
8:28 A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices (Matt. 10:38, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, Gal. 2:20, Sura 6:162), giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. At the end he reaches the supreme abode.

Chapter 12 - Devotional Service
12:9 My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth (Matt. 5:3), if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulated principles of bhakti-yoga [loving adoration through the keeping of the Commandments (John 14:15, Rev. 12:17) and daily “self” crucifixion - Matt. 10:38, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, Gal. 2:20, Sura 6:162]. In this way you will develop a desire to attain to Me.

Chapter 16 - The Divine and Demoniac Natures (the Spirit/Soul and the Flesh)
16:1 The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purification of one's existence (Matt. 5:48), cultivation of spiritual knowledge (Hos. 4:6), charity (Matt. 6:1-4), self-control (1 Cor. 9:27), performance of sacrifice (Luke 9:23), study of the Vedas (Ps. 1), austerity and simplicity; nonviolence (Luke 6:29), truthfulness, freedom from anger ([url=https://jahtruth.net/kofk-free/51james.htm#1_19]James 1:19);

Chapter 18 - The Perfection of Renunciation
18:66 ABANDON ALL VARIETIES OF RELIGION (Enoch 104:8; Jer. 23:1-6; Ezek. 34:1-10, 23; Matt. 6:5-8; Matt. 7:21-27; Acts 7:48; Acts 17:24; Rev. 2:20-23; Rev. 18:4; Sura 7:55; Sura 9:107-111) and just surrender unto Me (Matt. 23:8-10; Luke 9:23; John 10:7-11; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 6:20; Sura 3:45-55; Sura 43:57-61). I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction (John 1:29; Rev. 1:5). Do not fear (1 John 4:18).


The Diamond Sutra

Preface:

Daniel 2:31-35
2:31 Thou, O king, (Nebuchadnezzar) sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible.
2:32 This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
2:34 Thou sawest till that a "Stone" was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them (the successive empires - Rev. 6:13-17) to pieces.
2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the "Stone" that smote the image became a great "mountain", and filled the whole earth.

THE "STONE" IS A DIAMOND - no other stone is indestructible and can grind metal to powder or reflect and give out Light of great beauty and intensity like Christ (the Light of the world - John 8:3).

A “Sutra” is literally a thread, used to connect the reader to the rule of Law governing all spiritual Beings and all of creation, given to us by our Creator in His Book: The Bible.

The full Sanskrit title of this text is the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra). The Buddha (The Enlightened/Awakened One – The Messiah/Christ) said this Sutra may be known as "The Diamond that Cuts through Illusion".

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Chapter 6. Awaken Faith
"Subhuti, any person who awakens faith upon hearing the words or phrases of this Sutra will accumulate countless blessings and merit (Deut. 28:1-14).

"How do I know this? Because this person must have discarded all arbitrary notions of the existence of a personal self (Luke 9:23, Sura 6:162), of other people, or of a universal self. Otherwise their minds would still grasp after such relative conceptions. Furthermore, these people must have already discarded all arbitrary notions of the non-existence of a personal self, other people, or a universal self. Otherwise, their minds would still be grasping at such notions. Therefore anyone who seeks total Enlightenment should discard not only all conceptions of their own selfhood, of other selves, or of a universal self, but they should also discard all notions of the non-existence of such concepts.

Chapter 17. All Dharmas Are Non-Dharmas
At that time, the venerable Subhuti then asked the Buddha, "World-Honored One, may I ask you a question again? If sons or daughters of a good family want to develop the highest, most fulfilled and awakened mind, if they wish to attain the Highest Perfect Wisdom, what should they do to help quiet their drifting minds and master their thinking (Mark 10:17-23)?"

The Buddha replied:

"Subhuti, a good son or daughter who wants to give rise to the highest, most fulfilled, and awakened mind must create this resolved attitude of mind: 'I must help to lead all beings to the shore of awakening, but, after these beings have become liberated, in truth I know that not even a single being has been liberated (John 3:13).' Why is this so? If a disciple cherishes the idea of a self, a person, a living being or a universal self, then that person is NOT an authentic disciple (Matt. 10:37-38, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:26-27, Gal. 2:20, Sura 6:162, Sura 92:18-21). Why? Because in fact there is no independently existing object of mind called the highest, most fulfilled, and awakened mind.