--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do not honestly know if we have been…" description: "\"“We do not honestly know if we have been here before or if we will come back again. However, what we do know is that we are here now, and it is now tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/karma-yeshe-rabgye-71856_time_we-do-not-honestly-know-if-we-have-been_1974588.jpg" --- # We do not honestly know if we have been here before or if… ![“We do not honestly know if we have been here before or if we will come back again. However, what we do know is that we are here now, and it is now that we are suffering. So it makes sense to try our best to reduce our suffering at this time. To” quote by karma yeshe rabgye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/karma-yeshe-rabgye-71856_time_we-do-not-honestly-know-if-we-have-been_1974588.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/karma-yeshe-rabgye-71856_time_we-do-not-honestly-know-if-we-have-been_1974588.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/karma-yeshe-rabgye-71856_time_we-do-not-honestly-know-if-we-have-been_1974588.jpg) > ““We do not honestly know if we have been here before or if we will come back again. However, what we do know is that we are here now, and it is now that we are suffering. So it makes sense to try our best to reduce our suffering at this time. To”” karma yeshe rabgye ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on uncertainty about past and future lives, emphasizing present suffering and the moral imperative to alleviate it now. **In simple terms:** Focus on reducing current suffering because we cannot know past or future lives. Key Takeaway Alleviate suffering in the present. Themes mindfulness compassion impermanence ethics Mood reflective serene Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal meditation - healthcare - conflict resolution - daily stress management Key Concepts suffering present moment karma uncertainty Questions to Reflect On - How can we effectively reduce suffering when resources are limited? - What practices help us stay present amid uncertainty? A Different Perspective The quote assumes suffering is always reducible, which may not hold in all contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing can be attained without suffering but at the same time one must begin by sacrificing suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-i-gurdjieff/nothing-can-be-attained-without-suffering-but-at-the-same-time-one/) [G. I. Gurdjieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-i-gurdjieff/) > [When there is time, there has to be suffering. Because in time there's desire and attachment and transition. This is the world of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-there-is-time-there-has-to-be-suffering-because-in-time-there-s/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Oh, was not all suffering time, were not all forms of tormenting oneself and being afraid time, was not everything hard, everything hostile in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/oh-was-not-all-suffering-time-were-not-all-forms-of-tormenting/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [It seems like suffering's the only time we can see what's essential. If peace ever comes back I'm making a vow: I'll design myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-seems-like-suffering-s-the-only-time-we-can-see-what-s-essential/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [The meaning of art in a time of suffering, a time of war, is much more intense. People are more focused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haris-pasovic/the-meaning-of-art-in-a-time-of-suffering-a-time-of-war-is-much-more/) [Haris Pasovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haris-pasovic/) > [The problem is whether we are determined to go in the direction of compassion or not. If we are, then can we reduce the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-problem-is-whether-we-are-determined-to-go-in-the-direction-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can do something about people who need me, who have been injured. So the biggest thing about being a doctor is my education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-wood/i-can-do-something-about-people-who-need-me-who-have-been-injured-so/) [Fiona Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-wood/) > [Philosophers tend to radically underestimate the distance between abstract principles (such as "reduce suffering") and what it might actually mean for people to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/philosophers-tend-to-radically-underestimate-the-distance-between/) [Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/) > [“The point of the term “suffering-focused ethics” is ... not to be a novel or impressive contribution to ethical theorizing, but instead to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-vinding/the-point-of-the-term-suffering-focused-ethics-is-not-to-be-a-novel/) Magnus Vinding > [No matter how sick your body is, extending Love will reduce your suffering and aid in healing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-l-jampolsky/no-matter-how-sick-your-body-is-extending-love-will-reduce-your/) [Lee L Jampolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-l-jampolsky/) > [Poverty is clearly one source of emotional suffering, but there are others, like loneliness. A policy to reduce the loneliness of the elderly would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/poverty-is-clearly-one-source-of-emotional-suffering-but-there-are/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [When we eat mindfully, we consume exactly what we need to keep our bodies, our minds, and the Earth healthy. When we practice like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/when-we-eat-mindfully-we-consume-exactly-what-we-need-to-keep-our/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [There could conceivably be circumstances in which an experiment on an animal stands to reduce suffering so much that it would be permissible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/there-could-conceivably-be-circumstances-in-which-an-experiment-on-an/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Hard work enables us to improve ourselves and the world around us, to combat injustice, reduce suffering, and increase human freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lonsdale/hard-work-enables-us-to-improve-ourselves-and-the-world-around-us-to/) [Joe Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lonsdale/) > [“Oh, with my pathetic, earthly, Euclidean mind, I know only that there is suffering, that none are to blame, that all things follow simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky-the-brothers-karamazov/oh-with-my-pathetic-earthly-euclidean-mind-i-know-only-that-there-is/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Brothers Karamazov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky-the-brothers-karamazov/) ## More by karma yeshe rabgye > [“In Gautama Buddha’s day you could put superstitions and omens down to a lack of education, but I am not sure what the reasoning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karma-yeshe-rabgye/in-gautama-buddha-s-day-you-could-put-superstitions-and-omens-down-to/) karma yeshe rabgye > [“It doesn’t matter how many mantras you recite; how many prostrations you do; where you go on a pilgrimage; what so-called higher practice you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karma-yeshe-rabgye/it-doesn-t-matter-how-many-mantras-you-recite-how-many-prostrations/) karma yeshe rabgye > [“If a teacher or a so-called guru offers you enlightenment, tells you he has all the answers, claims his way is the best and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karma-yeshe-rabgye/if-a-teacher-or-a-so-called-guru-offers-you-enlightenment-tells-you/) karma yeshe rabgye Explore all 4 karma yeshe rabgye quotes ## More Suffering quotes > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [“What can we do in any hardship? We can hope with prayerful praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-can-we-do-in-any-hardship-we-can-hope-with-prayerful-praise/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“But, you know, if you choose to be with someone you should feel good with them, otherwise it doesn't make sense... How do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assia-petricelli/but-you-know-if-you-choose-to-be-with-someone-you-should-feel-good/) Assia Petricelli > [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/) [Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/) > [... how much of our inner substance is it good for us to give to public griefs? The whole modern tendency to agonize over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/how-much-of-our-inner-substance-is-it-good-for-us-to-give-to-public/) [Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/) > [Certainly, it is. Love is love, and loss is loss. We all love, and we all die, and everyone suffers the pain of grieving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/certainly-it-is-love-is-love-and-loss-is-loss-we-all-love-and-we-all/) [Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) Daniel K Judd > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Because we live in a fallen world, we suffer. But those of us who know Jesus are never alone in the suffering, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-turner-lee/because-we-live-in-a-fallen-world-we-suffer-but-those-of-us-who-know/) Melissa Turner Lee > [“Maybe love, like suffering, is relative. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/maybe-love-like-suffering-is-relative/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) [Browse all 13,957 Suffering quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We do not honestly know if we have been here before or if we will come back again. However, what we do know is that we are here now, and it is now that we are suffering. So it makes sense to try our best to reduce our suffering at this time. 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