The End of Suffering

Have you ever found yourself struggling with stressful thoughts that keep coming at you like a ping pong ball? You may have tried meditation, yoga, prayer, or even eliminated caffeine in the hopes of quieting your mind. If you are still searching for relief, read on. There is an amazing process being taught all over the world today: The Work of Byron Katie. This simple method of self-inquiry was birthed onto the planet with the awakening of Byron Katie, a spiritual innovator of our time. Katie, as she likes to be called, has written several books, but is most famous for Loving What Is. She travels all over the globe and has helped thousands of people to eliminate stress from their lives by questioning their thoughts. Katie says “when you believe your thoughts you suffer and when you question them, you don’t suffer… there is no other choice.”

Back in the late 70’s Katie plummeted into a deep depression, raging at her family and conducting any necessary business from her bedroom. After almost 10 years of this suffering, she checked herself into a halfway house in LA and slept on the floor next to the bed, she had so much self-loathing. One morning in February 86, she woke up without any concepts of who or what she was. “There was no me,” she said. In place of all that darkness and gloom was pure joy and the realization that the only suffering on the planet was simply confusion and resulted from believing ones’ thoughts.

How does the work ‘work’? You begin by noticing when you have an uncomfortable feeling. It could be very slight or radically painful. Then you locate the thought you are believing in the moment. For example: My boss thinks I’m stupid. You write this on paper. (Katie says, "All war belongs on paper!") Next, you ask yourself the four questions and give yourself the space to go into your heart and let the answer find you. This is contemplative meditation.

1. Is it true?

2. Can you absolutely know it’s true?

3. How do you react when you believe this thought?

4. Who would you be without this thought?

Be gentle with yourself and question the thought lovingly, like you would treat a little child. The last step is called the “turnaround”. This is where you write down the opposite of your original thought: My boss thinks I’m smart. Another one is: I think my boss is stupid. Notice that the mind would prefer to be right rather than happy, so it may take some searching to find a genuine example! Be honest with yourself… you have nothing to lose but your suffering! A third opposite would be: I think I’m stupid. How often do you think the same thing your boss is thinking? Could it be you are in agreement? This is unity…. this is the end of war. Practice the work and become the peace you wish to see in the world!