The next time you feel that you are coming down with a cold, I want you to pay attention. There is a very sobering moment that transpires once we recognize that our body/brain communication has been diminished. In this post and podcast I will use the flu as a portal through which we can view suffering. It's really hard to sit still, to be quiet, and to slow down, but suffering has the power to help us. In this sense, it is benevolent. I'll compare this to the spiritual practice of contemplation and leave you with a view of suffering that you may never have considered.