Suffering: Every hour wounds

Insomnium's known for dwelling on the topic of suffering, yet without being depressive. I've done my fair share of suffering and of thinking about suffering, but still, reading over the lyrics to "Every Hour Wounds" gave me a new insight into why we suffer and what to do with suffering.

In this world every hour wounds
Every second draws blood
Every moment delivers pain
If you choose so

In this world every hour kills
Every minute seeps despair
There is nothing but suffering
If you decide so

This is basically the Four Noble Truths in other words. Existence is suffering, but it doesn't have to be so; there is an escape from suffering.

Insomnium is less optimistic about that than the Buddha, though.

Guided by empty promises
Charmed by hollow words
No truth or answers could be found
Nothing but years numbered in me

So is life and its suffering ultimately meaningless? Well, it wouldn't be Insomnium if there wasn't a silver lining:

Gods are great, but the heart, the heart is greater
From our wounds they're born, from our sadness they grow
Gods are strong, but the mind, the mind is stronger
In our scars they dwell, but in our hearts they burn

Suffering shapes us and in fact, defines our existence. I was reading the other day in The Way of the Bodhisattva that we should be grateful to our enemies for giving us the opportunity to practice patience. Maybe we should be grateful for suffering, too. Suffering gives us the ability to have empathy for others and show compassion, and to develop our endurance and grow stronger. Suffering cannot - and should not - be avoided, but embraced and learned from. It makes us who we are, and approached the right way, it makes us better. Life is suffering, but that's what makes it life.

Add the music to the lyrics and it takes things a step further. Suffering becomes beautiful. This is kind of why I love melodic death/doom and Insomnium in particular - they find and celebrate, revel in the beauty of suffering. Because ultimately, to feel, to exist is beautiful, even when it hurts like hell.

<3