Attention to the ways of the self, understanding that fear, desire, and anger are natural but that you don’t have to act them out or have everything you want—this insight dissolves mental anguish without adding to it.

The Buddha referred to this skill of disengaging from reactivity as “removing the second arrow.” Some measure of pain and stress is unavoidable in the life cycle (the first arrow), yet our reactivity towards “life as it is” creates a layer of self-imposed suffering that only compounds ordinary challenges.

The truth of suffering resulting from our craving, and the possibility of transcending suffering by letting go of what distorts our relation to others and to the world, is the basis and motivation for spiritual effort.

do something about it – stop it perhaps, or fabricate something else that doesn’t bring so much dukkha.