When the Buddha stated that life is suffering, I doubt he meant suffering in the way we understand it today.

This suffering, caused by attachment, would be better described as the stresses of anxiety and depression.

Framing it this way makes much more sense.

All of our stresses come from attachment in one form or another. From our possessions to our friends and loved ones, and to our own minds and bodies.

And while the Buddha laid out a framework for freeing yourself from these stresses, the monastic existence is near impossible in our modern world.

Removing all sense of attachment will effectively remove you from society.

But you can take a more stoic approach.

Buddhism and stoicism evolved independently but have many similarities. Stripped of the metaphysical, they’re two sides of the same coin.

However, stoicism is a more practical approach to suffering in today’s world.

Rather than avoiding and ridding yourself of attachment, you embrace what you have while acknowledging its ultimate finality. When the loss happens, and the attachment is broken, you’re prepared.

The result is the same.

But the path is far more conducive to the modern world.