Radhanath Swami - Suffering and a loving God

Flusslauf in der Wiese in Bayern, Deutschland (River running through meadow in Bavaria, Germany)

We see some people are suffering so terribly. Sometimes it is very bewildering, ‘Why God is doing this to these people?’ Superficially, it seems very cruel and unfair. The reality is something altogether different. According to our actions we must accept an equal and opposite reaction. That is the law of karma. Suffering and miseries are the manifestation of our indulgence in certain sinful activities in the past. We may or may not remember those activities.

This stringent law of karma is designed and orchestrated by God. There is only unmotivated, uninterrupted love emanating from the absolute truth at all times in all forms. We may not understand, but even the most suffering, most difficult condition of this world is love being offered by God to that soul. It is not cruel at all. Physically it may be cruel, but for the soul, it is like a love of a parent for his child’s own benefit.

Try to explain to a child, ‘You are being punished because your parents love you.’ Generally, he or she will not accept; but then an adult can understand. When we grow up spiritually, we see there is nothing but God’s love pervading everything, everywhere. The perfection of life is not to be free from physical or mental suffering. Because the body and mind is going to suffer today or tomorrow no matter what we do. Birth, old age, disease and death are physically terrible. But perfection of life is when we can perceive and appreciate God’s love in every single aspect of this creation. When we are willing to be grateful for God’s love in any way it comes, knowing that according to what we have done, this is God’s way of bringing us closer to Him. This is not blind faith; this is not just a superimposition of some nice philosophy to cope with the problems of life. This is the Supreme Truth. This is what has been revealed by all the great saints, by all the great incarnations and by all great scriptures.

By Radhanath Swami