Pain will bring me onto the path
Of cultivating inner strength,
It will teach me the skills to accept
And to see how it rises and falls.

While paying it my full attention,
I will whisper of its rise and its fall
Otherwise it may be heard
As a loud scream from the outside.

Seeing the rise of pain will show me
How to search for methods to heal
And to realise that running away
Only deepens the pain.

By knowing its transient nature,
I will find the space to flow and spread
And to find the wisdom to nurture
And nurse the part of me that is in pain.

Pain humbles my arrogance,
And crumbles my attachment to health,
It reminds me of the fragility of the body
And it purifies my negativities.

As the trial and test of life,
Pain evokes hidden wisdom,
And as a timely reminder,
It says "pain is prevalent".

Observing my own pain
Opens my heart in a compassionate way
And I experience a burst of compassion
Towards others with more pain than me.

Seeing how trivial my own pain is,
I become patient with myself,
I find strength in tolerance and acceptance
Rather than in rejecting the pain.

If I can skillfully deal with my own pain
I will gain the strength to overcome it.
Let my pain radiate rays of goodwill and peace
To illuminate the darkness of sorrow and ignorance.