Where Does Suffering Come From?

After two years of throwing myself into entrepreneurship — and watching it fail — I found myself on a bridge overlooking Saigon one evening, asking the question I had been avoiding: Where does suffering come from?

That question led me inward. Buddhist practice, meditation, and deep self-examination slowly replaced the noise of hustle culture.

Here is the paradox I discovered: the more I reduced my own suffering, the more aware I became of the suffering of others around me. And that awareness raised a new question: How can we help?

I don’t have a complete answer yet. But I believe the first step is to stop running from the question.

— Thiền Minh