Post 53 – Suffering, Guilt, and Resentment from the Perspective of the Structure of Being

Human existence is marked by suffering, guilt, resentment, and the struggle with wrongdoing. These arise from our experiences of loss, injustice, and the relentless passage of time. How can philosophy address such profound challenges? The Structure of Being offers a radical perspective—one that dissolves the assumptions underpinning these existential burdens by revealing the eternal nature of reality. This article explores how this framework transforms our understanding of suffering and its supposed causes.

The Eternal Nature of Being

At the core of the Structure of Being is the recognition that being is eternal. What appears as change, becoming, or temporality is not a real transformation but the necessary appearing of different moments of being. From this perspective, time is not a sequence in which things come into existence and then pass away; rather, all things are eternal.

The belief that things are subject to becoming—that they arise and then cease to be—is the root of nihilism, which underlies human suffering. This assumption breeds fear of loss, the weight of guilt, and the sting of resentment. By recognizing the eternal nature of being, we can begin to see through these false assumptions and approach existence from a radically different vantage point.

Suffering and the Illusion of Becoming

Suffering, as commonly understood, is tied to the belief in impermanence—the fear that what we love can be lost and that pain is a contingent reality within the flow of time. But if all things are eternal, then what we experience as suffering is not an ultimate condition but a misinterpretation arising from the way reality appears to us within the framework of time.

This does not mean suffering is unreal in the way it is felt. Rather, it means that suffering is not what it appears to be. It is not the result of something lost or broken, but the consequence of misunderstanding the structure of being. Recognizing that nothing is ever truly lost—because all things are eternal—can lead to profound peace, even in the midst of pain.

However, this does not mean that suffering itself remains eternally as suffering. The contradictions and misinterpretations that cause suffering do not persist unresolved; rather, they are eventually overcome as truth appears in its fullness. The eternal does not imprison suffering in an endless cycle but instead reveals its resolution within the necessary unfolding of being.

Guilt and Resentment: Temporal Emotions in an Eternal Reality

Guilt and resentment are rooted in the assumption that past actions are irretrievable events that have left an irreversible mark. Guilt arises from believing we have caused harm that cannot be undone, while resentment stems from the belief that we have suffered an injustice that cannot be rectified. Both emotions are conditioned by the perception of time as a process of becoming.

The Structure of Being challenges this assumption by revealing that nothing passes away—all moments are eternally present. This does not dissolve responsibility but rather recontextualizes it: actions and their significance do not vanish but remain part of the eternal whole. Guilt and resentment lose their grip when one realizes that nothing has been lost to time and that every event remains present within the necessity of being. Yet, just as suffering does not remain eternally as suffering, these emotions do not persist as unresolved contradictions; rather, they too are ultimately clarified and reconciled in the appearing of truth.

Ethical Implications: Responsibility and Compassion

The Structure of Being has profound ethical implications. While it denies the ultimate reality of change, it does not encourage passivity or detachment. On the contrary, it reveals a deeper sense of responsibility and compassion as aspects of the eternal.

Recognizing the eternal nature of being does not mean actions are inconsequential. Rather, it means they are not fleeting—they are eternally present. This does not impose a causal link between eternity and moral responsibility but instead shows that responsibility is part of the necessary structure of being. Our choices and their meaning do not disappear but remain inscribed in being itself, calling for awareness and integrity. Likewise, compassion does not emerge as a response to suffering within time but is an intrinsic recognition of the unity of all that is, where every experience is eternally intertwined with the whole.

Living in Harmony with the Eternal

The Structure of Being offers a path beyond suffering, guilt, and resentment—not by negating them, but by revealing their true nature. Guilt and resentment dissolve when seen for what they are—misinterpretations of reality rooted in the illusion of becoming. The recognition that nothing is lost and all is eternally present can bring a sense of deep serenity. Even suffering, though real in experience, is recontextualized within the greater whole. And just as suffering does not remain as unresolved suffering, so too are all misunderstandings ultimately reconciled in the necessity of being. To live in alignment with the eternal means to act with responsibility, to embrace compassion, and to no longer be burdened by the false weight of becoming.

Conclusion: A Path to Peace and Understanding

Emanuele Severino’s Structure of Being offers a radical recontextualization of suffering, guilt, and resentment. By revealing the eternal nature of reality, it dissolves the illusions that fuel these burdens. This perspective does not deny suffering as it appears but reveals a way to transcend it—not through escape, but through understanding.

By embracing eternity, we find that the truth has always been with us. In every moment, every joy, every pain, we have never been separated from it—only veiled from seeing it clearly. And when the veil lifts, what remains is peace, responsibility, and harmony with the eternal.