Mindfulness and flow are different states of consciousness, but they both diminish the ego, decreasing craving and suffering.

The craving that causes suffering is not due to seeking pleasure, but by the demands of the ego.

Sadism is the consensual infliction of physical or emotional pain while cruelty is to make people suffer for an ulterior goal.

Unique characteristics of the human brain let us experience suffering as extending to the past and the future, and to others.

Pain is a sensation that is not always unpleasant, while suffering is a state of being based on emotions, values and meaning.