Why Is There Suffering And Pain In The World?

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Pain and suffering have always existed in this world, and they exist due to lack of understanding. If one was to understand the reason why and how pain and suffering happen, then inner peace will prevail during difficult times.

Many believe the pain and suffering that occurs in their life is brought on by a higher power, such as God. But really speaking, God Almighty does not inflict pain and suffering on us, for if he did, then He too would have to endure suffering for the consequences of such deeds of His.

And most people think that the pain and suffering that they are undergoing is a result of the other person’s wrongdoing. Although it may feel like the other person is at fault for inflicting pain to us, but really speaking, the pain and suffering that one encounters is a result of one’s own doing i.e. one’s past karma. When we’ve done good things, as a result, good things will happen in our life, and if we do bad things, it results in bad consequences. So, it is actually a result of our own causes that we have bound by hurting others knowingly or unknowingly, in the past. In reality, no one is at fault or a reason for one’s misery in this world. Those who find faults in others are actually themselves at fault.

Everyone is suffering; however, it is not that they are committing any fault today, it is one’s past karma that is unfolding today. All that is happening as an effect of the karma (the cause) bound in past life. Today, the person could be remorseful, but that ‘contract’ [from the past life] has already been made. There is no other option but for it to come into effect.

Owing to our lack of understanding with regards to all of the above, pain and suffering continues to exist in this world.

When a person suffers, it is because of one’s own mistakes and when the person enjoys happiness, it is the reward of one’s own good deeds. But the law of the world is such that it accuses the apparent ‘doer’ – the person who inflicts the suffering. Nature’s law, however, is to catch the real culprit. This law is exact and real, and no one can ever change it. This law states that no one can inflict suffering upon anyone without any cause.

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‘The fault of the sufferer’ is the law that will release us. Hence, if someone blames us for something, surely we must be at fault somewhere. So, why not destroy that mistake? In reality, no person in this world can cause hurt to another person, so independent every living being is! And if there is any suffering, it is because of one’s own past mistakes. Once these mistakes are destroyed, nothing is left pending.

The way to recognize our mistakes is by making a note of all the circumstances where we experience suffering. These are one’s mistakes. One has to find the mistakes that lie behind his suffering. People suffer all the time, therefore one must find out all their mistakes and come out of them in order to be free from that suffering.

Our inner enemies: anger, pride, greed and attachment makes us see fault in others. It is these inner enemies that make one see faults in others, whereas the vision of the Self (the Soul), the real vision, does not see any faults in others. The one who has no inner enemies has no one to show him the fault in others, and thus, he sees no fault in others.

In reality, no one is actually at fault. These inner enemies are the weaknesses that possess us because of our wrong belief of, ‘I am John’ (replace your name here). If this wrong belief leaves us, these weaknesses will soon disappear.

Thus, if one realizes ‘who really am I’ and truly who is suffering, then, the pain and suffering will come to an end through this right understanding.