IN A HUMAN LIFE, suffering is not merely an episode, an event, or a passing psychological state—it is a condition. Whether we suffer at the hands of others, intentionally or unintentionally, or struggle against the inevitable internal obstacles to growth that we inherit from our families of origin, or grieve the loss of those who have died, or live through the pain native to the process of psychosocial development, or bring a child to birth, suffering is as much a feature