She said, 'It's not life or death, the labyrinth.''Um, okay. So what is it?''Suffering,' she said. 'Doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you. That's the problem. Bolivar was talking about the pain, not about the living or dying. How do you get out of the labyrinth of suffering?...Nothing's wrong. But there's always suffering, Pudge. Homework or malaria or having a boyfriend who lives far away when there's a good-looking boy lying next to you. Suffering is universal. It'st the one thing Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims are all worried about.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the idea that the greatest challenge in life is not necessarily the act of living or dying, but rather the inevitable suffering and hardships that one experiences. The speaker suggests that suffering arises from making mistakes and having negative things happen to oneself. By referring to the concept of the labyrinth, the speaker suggests that suffering can feel endless, like being trapped and searching for a way out. The quote reminds us that suffering is a shared experience, common to people of different beliefs and backgrounds, highlighting its universal nature and the necessity to confront and transcend it.

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