Introduction........... 1 Why Do Pain and Suffering Exist?....... 1 What is Pain?........... 3 Pain and Meditation........... 9 What is Meditation?....... 9 How Do We Meditate?....... 10 Easing Pain Through Meditation....... 21 What is Suffering?........... 24 Suffering of Suffering....... 27 Suffering of Loss....... 27 All Pervasive Suffering....... 28 Can We Reduce Suffering?........... 32 The Five Skandhas....... 33 Form.... 34 Sensation.... 34 Perception.... 34 Mental Formations.... 34 Consciousness.... 34 The Ego........... 35 Our Enslavement to Expectations....... 36 Cessation of Ignorance....... 42 The Eightfold Path........... 45 The Four Noble Truths....... 46 Wisdom....... 47 1. Right View.... 47 2. Right Intention.... 48 3. Right Speech.... 50 Ethics....... 53 4. Right Action.... 53 5. Right Livelihood.... 65 Mental Development....... 66 6. Right Effort.... 66 7. Right Mindfulness.... 68 8. Right Concentration.... 69 The Four Immeasurables....... 71 Taming the Ego........... 75 Meditation is Key to Taming Ego....... 76 Where the Ego Lives....... 78 The Effect of Meditation on Ego....... 80 Vipassana Meditation.... 80 Samatha Meditation.... 81 Conclusions........... 84 12 Pillars of Buddhist Wisdom........... 87 Glossary........... 91 About the Author....... 108

In Pain and Suffering, we explore the relationship between these two afflictions as we look deeply into how our ego drives us ever towards disappointment and regret.  However, we don't leave the reader with just an understanding of how we suffer and why we have pain.  We take a serious look at how, with diligence and patience, we can apply a specific program of meditation or contemplative practice to escape or at the very least, lessen our suffering. Pain and Suffering in Buddhism isn't just for Buddhists.  It's for anyone who has ever wondered, "Why is this happening to me?" 

Ed Horner has been a practicing Buddhist, in the Theravada tradition, since 2003. He has been hiking, skiing and paddling throughout Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta for nearly 45 years. He's an avid photographer, cyclist, kayaker, and outdoor enthusiast. He's the founder of Friends of Dieppe Park and past member of Toronto's Harbourfront Parks and Open Space Project. Ed lives in Toronto, Canada