The following talk was given at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.

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Good morning, everyone. Here in person.

Good morning. Those of you, hello, for those of you online. Maybe for some of you, it's not morning.

I'm happy to be here with you all. Nice to be together in person. I think one of the, as well, recognized now that the lack of community has been a very big negative impact of the pandemic.

And so, to come together is pretty important for many people.

And even if you're still wearing masks here, can you hear me okay? Is that loud enough? Everyone?

So, and we are discussing ending the mask required a maternity leave.

We're like one of the last paid places right with this. Some people show up at the door with your surprise. How could this be?

But we still are. And at least for this month, May, and it's a work in progress, but we're considering ending that masks in June.

So, or ending them being required, that they're optional and recommended after that.

So, so the talk today could be titled, suffering as a door to go through.

And I think many of you know that one of the core aspects of Buddhism, our kind of Buddhism, is addressing suffering.

And the general idea or the kind of the ultimate idea that it's possible to end suffering, brings suffering to an end.

And that's, you know, it's full that we fully enlighten this to bring suffering to an end.

And that's perplexing for some people. Like how could that be really? Am I still going to be human if I don't suffer at all?

And so some of this has to do with how we define suffering. And I think that Dharma teachers like me sell them to find enough.

We just assume everyone knows what it is. And we'll use the word suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering until you suffer.

And what does he mean? What's going on here? And it's a good, I think it's really reasonable to question what we mean by suffering and to have,

because for example, does it mean all forms of sadness? Sadness feels uncomfortable, therefore because uncomfortable does that mean we're not enlightened, you're not supposed to be sad anymore.

And if you're going to be a good Buddhist, you have to stop being sad, please. Or no grief. Does it mean that you never get annoyed or irritated?

That also is uncomfortable. So is that kind of crossing the line into suffering? That's not supposed to be. Never be heartbroken.

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