What is moral suffering? Why does God allow suffering? It toughens you up.

Encyclopedia of sayings

St.

ep. John

E. Poselyanin

ep. Panteleimon

prof.

Word " suffering" It has different meanings. There is bodily suffering, such as illnesses and wounds; there is, on the other hand, mental suffering, such as lust and anger. Generally speaking, the suffering of a living being is a state followed by pleasure and displeasure.
St.

If a person asks from the depths of grief: “Where have you been, Lord?” – for a Christian, the answer is obvious: He was in the abyss of suffering before you. You were not yet there, but He was already on the Calvary Cross.
Deacon Andrey

The fruits of suffering depend on the choice of the person himself: two thieves were crucified next to Christ, but for one they turned out to be saving, and the other only became even more hardened.

Apostle Paul: The sufferings of this present time are not worth anything in comparison with the glory that will be revealed in us. ()

In general, only a deeply religious person who recognizes the reality of the other world and its laws, especially the laws of eternity, can understand the meaning of events associated with someone’s suffering. Only in the light of eternity - eternal life— some difficult-to-explain events begin to make sense.

From all that has been said, of course, it does not follow that a Christian does not have the right to avoid certain forms of suffering, for example, suffering caused by a serious illness. The law of God does not prohibit a sick person from using the possibilities of medicine (the help of medical staff, medicines, health procedures, etc.). Christ himself, and then the apostles, healed people.

Actions to evade the suffering associated with a difficult situation also require special reservations. If a Christian lives in the world, he is not prohibited from working and receiving proper compensation for his work. wages. He has the right to have food, clothing, shelter, and enjoy other benefits (not contrary to the concept of piety)

From the point of view of Christianity, suffering is not always an absolute evil, that is, being evil in its essence, it can lead to good consequences.
From the point of view of Christian ascetic teaching, suffering in human life has a purifying meaning. Moreover, when we're talking about about the contrast between sinners enjoying life and suffering righteous people, the assessment is usually given by some external manifestations (state of health, possession of this or that property, the ability to implement life plans, etc.). This approach ignores the internal, spiritual state of people.
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” therefore righteous people, even in difficult circumstances, can enjoy the kingdom of God that is within us, anticipating future bliss.
And, on the contrary, in the Holy Scriptures you can find many places that indicate that a person leading a sinful lifestyle cannot truly be happy. Romans 2:9: “Tribulation and distress to every soul of a man who does evil.”
priest

The human desire to get rid of suffering is natural. And it is inherent in human nature itself. The attitude of the Church towards suffering is this: it has compassion for its members, but at the same time it is not afraid of its suffering, it knows that through it we will receive joy that exceeds this suffering so much that we will still regret that we suffered little.
Protodeacon John Shevtsov

On the spiritual meaning of suffering

Archimandrite Eleazar,
confessor of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Life cannot be without suffering, the world itself represents not only successes, we see many very unsuccessful people, all sorts of shocks, failures, monstrous crimes. There is not always spring with budding buds and bright colors; there are also destructive storms, hail, disease and death. The greatest suffering a person experiences is the absence of suffering. Not suffering in life means not participating in life, being an extra person.

Almost always the cause of suffering can be found in sin, in violation of the law of life, the laws of nature. This violation separates man between God and the nature He created. Suffering affects a person beneficial influence, is a school because it teaches truth, confirming the existence of a moral law and the meaning of life. Almost all suffering teaches us not to do to others what we do not wish for ourselves. Suffering shows that it is not moral chaos that operates in life, but an amazing harmonious order based on truth, which will sooner or later appear.

Suffering is a source of enormous moral values ​​and positive spiritual gains. It leads to faith, love, spiritual strength. We live on earth to work on the beauty of our soul. Life is a huge workshop in which people’s souls become purer and prepare for the transition to another, better world.

Suffering teaches one to be condescending towards other people and cultivates sensitivity to the grief of another person. Trials strengthen a person, develop will, endurance, perseverance and energy. A person finds it more difficult to bear his success, fame, wealth, external beauty than failures, troubles. Success can spoil a person, make him proud, lazy, careless and inhumane, therefore weak and insignificant. The sufferer becomes stronger.

There are people who understand what suffering is and see the beauty in it; they penetrate into the mystery of the words of the Apocalypse “whom I love, I will punish.” That is, I indicate, instruct, lead. There are people who give thanks for suffering and say: “We thank You, God, that You send us not only Sun rays, otherwise we would turn into a desert. But you give rain so that we can bear fruit.”

Better suffering than self-satisfied philistine carelessness. “I want to live so that I can think and suffer,” said Pushkin, with all his characteristic Hellenic love of life. Let this suffering awaken us from the sleep of indifference, petrified insensibility. Life without suffering is dangerous, and a God who does not punish us is a God who does not deal with us.

Some people find a rude and frivolous escape from suffering in the desire to obtain momentary pleasure, to drown out the bitterness of life, to forget themselves in madness. And believers know that the more difficult the trials, the brighter unexpected joy, which does not come immediately. “The darker the night, the brighter the stars.”

It can be difficult for one person, but it is also difficult for others. We must respond to suffering with compassion. After all, the word happiness comes from the word participation, that is, everyone should participate in life with another person, sympathize with him, cooperate with him, participate. And find happiness in this.

People need not only an explanation for their suffering, but more in complicity, in sympathy, which can lift the weary and revive his soul. A lot is said about this in the works of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. In his novels, suffering is the main character. It is the suffering that is accompanied good news about Christ. It leads a person to a new life. The tragedy told in “The Possessed” is illuminated in the finale by benevolent rays, the words of the New Testament, which are read to a Russian atheist by a woman book dealer.

Our country Russia goes through a great school of suffering throughout history. All of Russia is nothing but suffering. The fate of the Russian people has not only national, but also global meaning. As an example, an indicator: we have experienced so much, and we are not the last.

Love introduces a person to a life that is full of meaning, in the light of which the meaning of suffering becomes clear. Tests are understood as a condition for moving forward, a feat. As a tool for liberation from evil and sin, which constitute the misfortune of humanity. Why are we in crisis? Because we don’t love each other, we don’t try to help, we don’t cooperate. In complicity, compassion, there is the only satisfactory view of our life. All other theories cannot explain suffering and make sense of it.

Radio Petersburg, 2009.

“Every growth of the spirit needs to be burdened by circumstances.

There is an old legend that precious stones are born from human suffering.

This is how it is, and therefore, when I say “load Me,” I am not making a sacrifice, but I am only increasing the strength of the spirit.”

(Hierarchy, 38)

The Meaning of Suffering

What is suffering?

What causes suffering?

What does suffering lead to?

Purpose of suffering

Can anyone save us from suffering?

How to overcome suffering?

The essence of overcoming suffering?

Does suffering have meaning?

What is suffering ?

Everyone suffers - those who have done a lot of evil, and innocent children, and young people who have not yet had time to taste life. People suffer in body- from hunger, cold, disease and overwork.

Suffering at heart from slander and envy, from themselves and from others, from proximity to neighbors, they come out in the anguish of loneliness and incomprehensibility, poisoned by the bitterness of disappointment, the torment of deceived love or grief over the loss of loved ones.

How many difficult moments the consciousness of our own imperfection, as well as the imperfection of the world around us, causes us.

Causes of suffering ?

The issue of human suffering has always occupied the minds of the best thinkers of humanity. Great efforts have been made to solve it.

Only knowledge of the law of Causes and Effects (Karma) and the law of Reincarnation brought clarity to this difficult problem.

We call suffering the feeling of displeasure that we experience when reality does not meet our desires. By reality we mean external circumstances, like poverty, illness, hunger, cold and our moral actions, our actions, which often contradict our highest desires.

The source of suffering usually lies in a person’s deviation from the laws of nature, both physical and spiritual. Or our desires are bad, contrary to reality, the nature of things, the nature of man. Or, conversely, apparent reality contradicts our good desires, and we thus suffer because of goodness. But this is because reality itself has been distorted by man’s evil desires.

Our actions contradict our highest desires - “I don’t do the good that I want, but I do the evil that I don’t want,” and then we experience internal suffering - torment of conscience.

Therefore, it is necessary to study the Cosmic Laws of the Universe, which open true meaning suffering.

What are these laws?

In the language of biology and sociology- these are the laws of life, the preservation of the race and species, society and personality.

In the language of ethics- these are cosmic laws - the laws of love, purity, justice and reverence for what is higher than us.

In the language of religion- these are the commandments of God.

Suffering,in most cases, is deserved consequence violations of Cosmic Laws.

So, let's list the causes of suffering:

- Ignorance or Lack of desire to learn anything.

Every grief or suffering is proof that one or another law of life has been violated.

According to the Law of Karma, we suffer as a result of our unwise or negative actions from the past.

In addition, man forgets about his Divine Origin and about the high mission that Christ expressed in the words: “You must become perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

One should strive for this state in all circumstances of life and in all professions, be it a priest, a millionaire or an auxiliary worker.

Every drop of suffering is the result of our own

negative thoughts, words, desires, actions and efforts in the past.

- DesiresAnd lust or passion of a person

A person is filled with all kinds of desires and lusts, and the largest part of them is aimed at achieving a wide variety of earthly goods. The most cool cars, huge mansions, mink coats, iPhones, cool smartphones, etc.

Excessive satisfaction of needs physical nature in humans can cause incurable diseases.

- Bad qualities and habits

Bad qualities and habits lead to suffering. Excessive eating and drinking, or, in other words, gluttony and drunkenness. In this case, people create suffering for themselves in the form of illnesses not only in this life, but also for the distant future.

Diseases cannot always be overcome by a person in one life, just as the totality of all negative Karma generously accumulated by him in his previous lives cannot be overcome in one life. Consequently, they can then appear in subsequent incarnations. Currently, people suffer from many diseases, the causes of which were laid down already in past centuries.

- Thirst for property

The passion for possession leads a person to countless crimes, murders and wars, deceptions. And all this in order to take possession of the benefits,

which give only a brief moment of joy.

A person must realize that it is not material wealth that is of permanent value, but exclusively spiritual wealth. And Christ taught:“What good is it for a man if he conquers the whole world, but destroys his own soul.”

Earthly existence is given to us Not for the purpose of accumulating material wealth,

but for the expansion and development of our consciousness.

- Attachments

Attachments are one of the main causes of human suffering!

Matter becomes a factor of suffering for the one who is attached to it. Getting rid of attachments depends on consciousness and on the attitude towards things. A beggar can also suffer because of the desire to have money.

“Learn to own without a sense of ownership,” -stated in the Teaching of Living Ethics. Whoever has been able to achieve this quality can manage wealth without being internally attached to it. No one is prohibited from acquiring property; on the contrary, everyone is encouraged to live in as normal conditions as possible.

Suffering -is a cosmic necessity for the development of human consciousness!

Only through suffering does a person develop. Only through tensionthere may be growth of the Spirit.

Only when we plunge into suffering and misfortune does the elementary desire for bliss and joy awaken in us.

A person who is spiritually underdeveloped experiences primarily physical suffering - the suffering of his body.

A person who experiences spiritual and mental suffering, for example, remorse, then this is already a sign of growth of the human spirit and awakened consciousness.

What does suffering lead to??

Suffering in this world Not there is only evil: without it, man would turn into an animal. A person can overcome suffering with love and creativity, and his own suffering is alleviated when a person begins to feel compassion for another.

Suffering teaches us not to do to others what we do not want to ourselves.

Suffering is for us a source of moral values ​​and positive spiritual gains; it leads us to faith, love and spiritual strength. We live on this earth in order to work on the beauty of our soul, and life is a huge workshop in which the soul is prepared for a new heaven and a new earth.

Suffering leads not only to strength, but also to wisdom

Purpose of suffering

The Living Ethics states that grief and suffering are the best purifiers. They also the best way shorten the path to self-improvement.

Grief has great educational significance for a person and becomes a teacher who helps us confidently achieve the ultimateearthly purpose, namely, subjugation of the lower “I” higher and manifestationDivinity in us.

Experienced from life to life all kinds of suffering, a person gradually understands the cause of his torment and, in the end, begins to beware of repeating those actions that give rise to the causes of his torment.

Thus, suffering is, a stimulant that encourages a person to take action. Having withstood suffering, sorrow and struggle, the soul emerges from it enriched with experience and psychic energy.

And even if in the struggle with its lower nature the soul again suffers defeat, nevertheless, thanks to suffering, it gradually purifies and learns. By avoiding repeated mistakes, we are freed from suffering.

How to overcome suffering

The best method to overcome suffering - The path of the Golden Mean. This is the only path leading to a gradual reduction in suffering and, ultimately, liberation from it. Therefore the Buddha renounced both royal welfare and monastic asceticism, for both paths led to extremes and immoderation.

A person needs to learn to free himself from the slavery of his desires and passions. Only then will he come to a middle path that can reduce human suffering. This path of renunciation through gradual, prudent overcoming of desires.

You should never forcibly wean yourself from something, since a relapse of passion can be stronger than the passion itself before.

Manifestations of instinct cannot be overcome through asceticism, since they are an expression of vital energy, which should be gradually transformed into spiritual energy, which, however, will only lead to the desired results when a person goes By the Golden Mean.

Bad qualities and inclinations must be eliminated from the mind gradually, without coercion and without hope for immediate results.

A person must develop an understanding that the needs of the body must be subordinate to the needs of the spirit, and not vice versa!

To free yourself from suffering, you need to stop creating new causes for its occurrence.

Frivolous escape from suffering- this is when people, or rather the majority of people, strive to drown out the bitterness of life with momentary pleasure, to forget themselves with the madness of a “feast during the plague” or dancing on the edge of death. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”

Can anyone deliver a man from suffering?

The law of cause and effect proves that there is no way to save another person from suffering, since everyone must atone for their sins and mistakes themselves.

Avoid neither suffering nor joy! Learn to suffer without complaining!

Don't be a pessimist, despite the grief and need, but be an optimist and keep fighting!

To those who doubt the eternal Retributive Justice, the Buddha said the following:

“Once upon a time you committed the same evil that your enemy inflicts on you today, willingly or unwillingly. So, endure in silence. You are only atone for your own guilt."

The essence of overcoming suffering?

The essence of overcoming suffering is VtransformationlowerqualitiesVhigher.

To overcome suffering, you must develop the strength to resist temptations and weaknesses. It is necessary to learn to control yourself, control your desires, passions and abandon them.

try to transform them into good ones .

An approximate list of opposite qualities that we must transform in ourselves:

Hatred - love and forgiveness.

Heartlessness and mercilessness - compassion, kindness. Vengefulness is nobility.

Envy is generosity.

Stinginess is generosity.

Egoism - altruism and love for one's neighbor.

Intolerance is tolerance.

Irritation - calmness.

Pickiness and criticism - understanding, benevolence.

Talkativeness - silence and restraint.

Does suffering have meaning?

For a person who has embarked on the path of self-improvement, it is important to know that arrogance, irritability, touchiness, curiosity are those weaknesses that cause the greatest difficulties on the path of ascension.

All of these qualities are the source of human suffering. Only their gradual, consistent transformation in virtue will help turn grief into happiness and joy. But accepting suffering is not everything. You can endure it by gritting your teeth. And you can overcome and transform suffering. It can be a stone that crushes the soul, but it can become a rock on which we stand as a solid support.

But truly, everything great enters this world through the gates of suffering.

We admire the pearl. How is she born? IN Indian Ocean The mollusk lives in a valve shell. A grain of sand gets into the shell, which irritates the body of the mollusk. Then, for the purpose of self-defense, it secretes a pearlescent liquid that envelops the grain of sand. This work has been going on for years. This is how pearls are born, the beauty of crowns and necklaces.

Buddha was once asked: “Why does suffering occur?” He responded with a story: “A hunter in the forest fell struck by an arrow. Did he or those around him at that moment begin to ask where the arrow came from, or what it was made of? Of course not. But first of all, they tried to remove the arrow.” So we too are mortally wounded by the arrow of suffering; and the most important thing is to remove the arrow.

It is necessary to know the cause of suffering in order to avoid it next time, we need to know the purpose of our trials, because this strengthens the spirit, makes it steadfast in enduring pain. After all, the heaviest suffering is its aimlessness.

May suffering be blessed

what magnificent steps of ascent!

From the proposed presentation, in interesting form learn about the meaning of suffering

Let's smile! :)

The most wise man is the one who does not forget

suffering and torment even during the greatest fun.

Chinese proverb

Suffering as a personality quality is a tendency to manifest, express painful sensations, experiences, physical or moral torment, pain, torment.

One day the disciples asked their wise Teacher: Why are most people so unhappy?- They are unhappy mainly because they enjoy their suffering.. – answered the Teacher. And he told them a story about how once on a train he spent the whole night without sleep. His place was on the top shelf, and below lay a woman and endlessly moaned: - I’m so thirsty... How thirsty I am... God, I’m so thirsty!.. Oh, how thirsty I am... After several hours of such lamentations, the Teacher could not stand it. He went down and went to the guide for water. A few minutes later he was already handing the sufferer a large bottle of water. — Madam, I brought you water.—Oh, thank you sir. I am very grateful to you. God bless you. The teacher climbed onto his shelf, made himself comfortable and was just beginning to fall asleep when the lamentations were heard again: - Oh, how I was thirsty... How I was thirsty... Oh God, I was so thirsty...

We live on a planet where happiness and suffering are almost equal. He is naive who hopes to live a life without suffering. To do this it was necessary to incarnate on higher planets, where there is more happiness than suffering. Suffering purifies a person. It breaks and cripples some, while it strengthens and elevates others. But the overall result of suffering is the purification of consciousness. There is a Latin saying: “Quae nocent docent. What torments you also teaches you.” Leo Tolstoy generally argued that “The world moves forward thanks to those who suffer.”

Man is doomed to suffer. How else? In the material world of desires, pleasures and pleasures, it is difficult to cope with insatiable feelings, a lustful mind and a false ego, preoccupied with its prestige, striving to be the coolest, envious of those who have more money, blessings, happiness. Arthur Schopenhauer wrote: “A person obsessed with desires and aspirations is doomed to suffer.” The same Schopenhauer became the author of the thought: “Suffering is a condition for the activity of genius. Do you think that Shakespeare and Goethe would have created, or Plato would have philosophized, and Kant would have criticized reason, if they had found satisfaction and contentment in the real world around them and if they felt good in it and their desires were fulfilled? Only after we experience a certain degree of discord with the real world and dissatisfaction with it, do we turn to the world of thought for satisfaction.”

The source of suffering is the thoughts and the body, and the former sometimes cause much greater suffering than the physical pain of the body. When a person realizes the regularity and necessity of suffering, he becomes happy, even at the moment of suffering. He understands that in times of suffering, new discoveries await him, some new understanding of the world.

Having gained new experience as a result of suffering, a person becomes happier. A person who has realized that at the moment of suffering there is no need to be disappointed, despair, fall into depression and come out of it at best broken, and often completely broken by fate, comes out of the dark period illuminated and enlightened with new knowledge and understanding of life. If this happens, it means you passed the life exam perfectly. It is a great sin to mock and mock the suffering of others.

Suffering is always next to happiness. Happiness is also an exam. Luck struck. For example, he received an inheritance, won at a casino, received a promotion, defended his dissertation. A person has the illusion that this will continue throughout his life. He begins to rejoice uncontrollably. The trouble is that a person gets used to joy. The more he gets used to joy, the heavier the subsequent suffering will be. And it will definitely happen. When a person is at the peak of happiness, he thinks: - This is happiness. It's finished! Now I will be happy forever. Illusion. He must understand that things won’t get any better; most likely, there will be suffering ahead. Happiness, like a wave, rolls in and rolls back. Nectar is poison, nectar is poison.

With suffering it’s about the same: a lot of suffering, a peak, a peak. Then life becomes easier. We must always remember that the darkest hours are before dawn. Angel de Coitiers writes in The Golden Section: “Many years ago I came to my Teacher. I was young and stupid then, just like you are now. I was only seventeen years old, and I was already a sufferer - exhausted and embittered by life. My Teacher was seventy then, and he laughed just like that, for no reason. I asked him: “How do you do this?” And he replied: “I am free in my choice. And this is my choice. Every morning when I open my eyes, I ask myself: “Which will you choose today - bliss or suffering?” And so it turns out that since then, every morning I choose bliss. But it’s so natural!”

In short, intense suffering, like intense happiness, is a test of personality maturity. Moreover, unlike happiness, suffering is a gentle exam. Happiness does not spare, it is a terrible test of life. Why? In moments of happiness, a person stops thinking about the meaning of his life. He doesn’t care about anything, he’s already fine, he’s well fed here too, he doesn’t have any problems. Why think about further development, personal growth, self-improvement? It's better to watch TV series love love", "Mortal Murder" or "The Dead Don't Sweat."

Jokes on topic.

Two friends met: “How have you lost weight,” one exclaims. “My husband is cheating on me, I’m suffering so much, I’m suffering so much.” “Well, then divorce him!” “I can’t, I need to lose another three kilograms.”

The fortune teller lays out the cards and says to the client: - Oh! Until you are fifty, you will suffer from a lack of money. - And then? - And then you will get used to it.

There are people who cannot live without suffering. In the novel “A View from Eternity,” Alexandra Marinina writes: “Our Lelya doesn’t want to do anything, she only wants to be extraordinary and suffer, that’s what she really likes. After all, look how much free time she has! She could help her mother with the housework, she could take care of her grandfather, she could, in the end, help Larisa with the baby, she would only be grateful to her. Lelya could do all this and feel needed and useful, but what about her? He enjoys his uselessness and lack of demand, because this is another reason to suffer. So, just take Vadim: after all, she still dreams about this man and dedicates poems to him! This is mind boggling! But wait a minute,” Stone frowned, “something doesn’t add up here.”

- Like what? – She doesn’t know Vadim at all, if you believe Raven and you. It is not known how he feels about art, whether he loves poetry, whether he is subtle. How can you suffer for it? What if he is as stupid and primitive as everyone else in her eyes?

- So this is the meaning of suffering, how can you not understand! - the Serpent exclaimed with annoyance. – Lelya has been in love with him since childhood. At the same time, he doesn’t know anything about him and, most importantly, doesn’t want to know. She is afraid of this knowledge. What if he turns out to be different from what she imagined? While she knows nothing about him, he can remain for her a handsome prince, about whom she can dream day and night, but how can he not live up to expectations? What should she do then? What to dream about? For whom to suffer?

- Do you think so? – the Stone asked doubtfully. - Sure. If I were wrong, she would have met him a long time ago. After all, how many times they collided in the entrance, on the stairs, in the courtyard of the house - I can’t count them! And Vadim, since he is a well-mannered guy, always smiled at her. - And she? “She lowers her eyes and walks by.” What happens is that he skips by as if stung, instead of saying hello and talking! Hence the conclusion: she is not looking for acquaintance, but suffering at a distance.”

At any time: both when you are happy and when you suffer, you need to remember your duty, fulfilling your duties, and selflessly serving people.

A man died and came to God's judgment. God looked at him for a long time in bewilderment and remained thoughtfully silent. The man could not stand it and asked: “Lord, what about my share?” Why are you silent? I deserve the kingdom of heaven. I suffered! — the man declared with dignity. “Since when,” God wondered, “suffering began to be considered a merit?” “I wore a hair shirt and a rope,” the man frowned stubbornly. — He ate bran and dry peas, drank nothing but water, and did not touch women. I exhausted my body with fasting and prayers... - So what? - God remarked. “I understand that you suffered, but what exactly did you suffer for?” “For your glory,” the man answered without hesitation. - I have a pretty good reputation! - The Lord smiled sadly. - So I starve people, force them to wear all sorts of rags and deprive them of the joys of love? Silence hung around... God still looked at the man thoughtfully. - So what about my share? - the man reminded himself. “I suffered, you say,” God said quietly. - How can I explain it to you so that you understand... For example, the carpenter who was in front of you. All his life he built houses for people, in heat and cold, and sometimes went hungry, and often got himself in the wrong, and suffered through this. But he still built houses. And then he received his honestly earned wages. And it turns out that all your life you have done nothing but hit your fingers with a hammer. God was silent for a moment... - Where is the house? Where is home, I ask?

Petr Kovalev 2015

There are situations in life that negatively affect a person’s behavior. The culprit is the intentional actions of an individual or the whole organization. As a result, the victim experiences not only material damage, but also feels emotional anxiety, which, one way or another, can affect later life victim.

All this ultimately gives rise to moral suffering, which is in the nature of moral harm. It consists of losing a job, disclosing medical confidentiality, dissemination of information discrediting a person that is false, pain from injury or illness that resulted from moral damage, etc.

Moral suffering is a feeling of anxiety after certain events that happened in the past. This can provoke stress, fear, and shame. Experienced emotions can affect both mood and mental and even physical health.

Moral suffering in the concept of moral harm

Morality is a type of social consciousness and public relations. With the help of a certain type of norms, it regulates human behavior. Concepts such as good and evil, justice, humanity formed the basis of morality. The requirements of moral standards are regulated only by the forces of spiritual influence.

In turn, moral harm is moral suffering that was inflicted with or without intent. They are expressed by feelings of humiliation, loss, anxiety, which can leave a mark on the human psyche in the future. The damage in this case can be both intangible and physical torment.

Moral suffering is such emotions that accompany a person when experiencing fear, shame, humiliation, depression, apathy and other negative feelings.

Moral suffering may result from the following situations:

• Attempt on the life and health of the victim or his relatives;
• Restriction or deprivation of liberty is unlawful;
• Damage to health;
• Disclosure of medical or personal confidentiality;
• Slander;
• Copyright infringement;
• Financial losses for compensation for moral damage.

What does the civil code say?

Physical or mental suffering in civil law are called moral harm, which violates the intangible rights and benefits of a person. Intangible benefits include life, health, personal dignity, reputation, private life, family or personal secret. Intangible rights are copyright, the right to use a name. And also moral harm can violate property rights person. Moral damage may result in liability, the scope of which is determined by a court decision.

A person may receive moral damage after certain events, namely:

• Deaths of loved ones;
• Inability to lead a normal life;
• Job loss;
• Disclosure of medical confidentiality;
• Slander, defaming the reputation of a citizen;
• Physical pain from injury;
• Illnesses due to experienced negative events.

Moral suffering, affecting the mental and physical health of the individual, determines the nature of physical and moral suffering. Based on this, they can be divided into degrees:

1. Mild suffering. Short-term negative emotions that do not leave serious consequences in the future;
2. Moderate suffering. Long-term, they can have an impact on the psycho-emotional balance of the individual during memories. Does not have consequences for the future of the victim;
3. Heavy. Call mental disorders and must be accompanied by appropriate treatment;
4. Particularly severe suffering. Causes serious damage to a person's personality. As a result, a serious mental disorder may develop;
5. The experienced situation can completely break a person’s psyche and is accompanied by a disintegration of personality.

For a more complete assessment of these concepts, there are a number of signs:

• The power of suffering;
• Duration;
• Level;
• Content (development of certain complexes that require a different approach to their correction).

And also when assessing moral damage, the duration of negative experiences and their impact on the future life of the victim are taken into account.

Evidence in court

One claim written by the victim is not enough. It is necessary to present all possible evidence of the moral suffering experienced by the individual. Witness testimony is allowed. It is important to document the fact that a citizen consults a doctor, for example, if depression, obsessive fears or other health problems occur. You can present receipts for treatment or, for example, for repair work if damage is caused to a citizen’s property.

Moral damage is determined by the intangible benefits that were damaged.

Moral suffering examples for the court (sample):

A citizen can file a lawsuit if someone disseminates information defamatory to honor and dignity, and he has the right to demand compensation for moral damage caused, as well as a refutation. Statement of claim will be satisfied if the defendant does not prove the truth of his words.

The stress experienced as a result of job loss or unfair dismissal may serve as grounds for filing a lawsuit against the organization in which the citizen worked.