A thought that struck me… a modern middle class person experiences less physical pain than a king 300, 500 a 1000 years ago.. the average middle class person has a level of physical comfort that rivaled or surpassed a person of nobility 1000 years ago!!!

Why do I say this.. I would argue that the average person 1000 had less spiritually suffering. Because as many saints point out when one pampers the body, the soul is left with greater suffering. And to heal the souls one must discipline the body.

I mentioned this 2 palatine doctors today. Of which one said ‘without data your theory is useless.’ True enough in one sense.. but lots of true things can’t be proved. Even suffering can’t be confined to a formula or data. However, that modern man with modern medicine has reduced physical suffering seems clear enough..

My theory is that the average person 1000 years ago actually suffered less than a person today, as suffering is a very subjective experience. And that while the body might have suffered more 1000 years ago, the soul suffered less.. and in a widely unpopular but still true thought spiritual suffering is greater in intensity than physical suffering.

Just a thought. On suffering!! A culture that is so one sided on just reducing physical suffering is opening the door for greater suffering of the soul. The soul is open to the infinite, the body by definition is finite!