ABSTRACT
Any serious encounter with the experience of pain raises three interlinked questions demanding examination in separate categories. The first and most immediate concern is bound to be the clinical issue of its source and how it can be treated ‘Why does the stomach hurt? What treatment does it require to take away the pain?’ A second more fundamental issue needs to be tackled as to why so unpleasant an experience is incorporated into the existence of all sentient beings. The third question that pain poses is the spiritual one; in what way does a person grow through his or her suffering? There is no clear or easy answer to the questions that pain presents. To manage the demanding situation lies within ourselves, our trust in one another and the confidence that we bring to our living and dying. Nevertheless, the human spirit continues to look for a story that will help individuals find a coherent pattern in their suffering.
