Some people say that suffering is a fixed part of the mind, that it will be there forever.

I was talking to someone about this just today. I tried to explain that suffering is not intrinsic to the mind. It arises in the present moment.

Think about a lemon. If you leave it alone, is it sour? Where is the sourness then? It’s when the lemon contacts the tongue that sourness occurs. If you aren’t experiencing it, it’s as if it isn’t there. When there is contact with the tongue it arises at that moment. And from there arise dislike and afflictions. These tribulations are not intrinsic to the mind, but are momentary arisings.

Ajahn Chah, Being Dharma