Suffering and Happiness

Hare Krishna mataji, accept my humble obeisances AGTSP!

Yes ur verry right, when we suffer we ask "why me?" and we cherish when prosper. Even when we take up Krishna consciousness it is very difficult to give up such feeling.

Below are the few words told by HH Radhanath Swami on Karma.

Radhanath Swami : God means the absolute truth. It is He from whom everything emanates. Even great scientists like Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton were very religious men. They understood mathematically and scientifically that the universe cannot be the way it is without a supreme intelligence behind it. Things cannot be happening by chance. So when we are speaking about God, we are speaking the truth.

Now, we have to understand even the truths connected to God scientifically. We have to understand them in terms of laws created by God, the laws of nature. When the spirit soul enters into a body, it enjoys or suffers according to its karmic situation of the past. God made the laws of karma, and the soul made its own karma.

To better understand this, let us take an example. Suppose you get on an airplane to London. But once the airplane takes off, you say, “I want to go to Singapore.” The airline hostess will reply, “What?!!! This plane can only take you to London.” Then you cannot say that she is violating your freedom, your free will. You have your free will, but you could exercise it when you were in the airport. Then, you could have gone to Singapore if you wanted to. But once you get on the plane to London, you lose your free will. Similarly, according to our actions we are going to get certain reactions. We ourselves make our destiny, though God made the laws. According to our actions and words we are making our destiny. If we understand scientifically and philosophically how laws of nature work, we won’t blame God for the reactions we get in life.

Now as you have asked how to attain state of mind like Maharani Kunti who was a great devotee and a realized soul. Though attaing such a state of mind is not easy but it's not impossible as well. All materialistic endeavors for happiness fall into three broad categories, and they all result in misery: (1) You try for happiness and don’t achieve it. You’re miserable for obvious reasons. (2) You try for happiness and achieve it, but it doesn’t live up to your expectations. Again you’re miserable. (3) You try for happiness and get it, and it does live up to your expectations. But you lose it after some time. Is there any form of material happiness that doesn’t fit into one of these three categories? “And even that which we call ‘happiness,’” says Schopenhauer, “is really only a temporary cessation of some particular suffering.”

We need to understand that this material life is full of misery and pain. As told by Prabhupada as well. Even happiness in this world is also to be considered pain. Happiness apart of the Supreme is not at all happiness. It's the biggest ignorence!

It is clear from Srila Prabhupada’s books that suffering is integral to material existence: “Out of so many human beings who are suffering, there are a few who are actually inquiring about their position, as to what they are, why they are put into this awkward position, and so on. Unless one is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesn’t want suffering but rather wants to make a solution to all suffering, then one is not to be considered a perfect human being. Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened in one’s mind.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Introduction).

In BG 7.16 it is stated,

catur-vidhā bhajante māḿ

janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna

ārto jijñāsur arthārthī

jñānī cabharatarṣabha

TRANSLATION

O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me — the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.

There it is stated that one of the class of men who approach the Supreme are the distressed. Even I myself, came to chant the holy name of the lord when I was in suffering. I got immensed pleasure by chanting the holy name, though we shouldn't chant to derive pleasure. But that is how I came to know the Supreme, because of SORROW! I consider those days of unhappiness as the most happiest days of my life because that is how I wanted to make an end to my material problems. So suffering is good.

Also suffering is good because when we'r in problems we always remember Krishna, we pray "Krishna pls help me!" Krishna want's complete surrounder! The best example is about Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. She was ridiculed and tormented by so many of the King’s noblemen, and as a final insult, the brutes decided to strip Draupadi of her clothing in front of the entire audience.

In sheer desperation, she remembered her Krishna, and called out his name as an absolute last resort for any kind of help. Krishna never came, and her grip on the saree was loosening fast. She carried on calling from the depth of her heart, still holding onto her saree with every ounce of strength she could muster; yet still her Krishna never came. Draupadi was almost about to pass out as she could no longer hold on. She finally gave up all her efforts, and resigned herself to having her dignity completely stripped, with the whole city watching on. At that moment, Krishna appeared, and turned her saree into a never-ending robe, so no matter how many times her perpetrators pulled away at her saree, the dress kept unfolding further and further with no end in sight. Finally, the soldiers gave up in sheer exhaustion, as they were unable to pull the saree off her, no matter how many times they tried.

So here though Draupadi was calling Krishna for help with all her effort but still she held on to her saree. Finally when she let go the grip of her saree, and completely surroundered unto Krishna, He appeared.

So when we'r happy we like to go on our own, but when we'r distressed we call out for krishna. That time we'r ready to surrounder to Krishna atleast for some material purpose. So sufferring again is good.

There a powerpoint something related to your question, http://presentations.iskcondesiretree.info/index.php?q=f&f=%2FC...

Hope all this will help you. Haribol!

Your servant

Hare Krishna Mataji. Dandavat Pranam. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

see the answer of your question can only be practically demonstrate by an advance devotee. When we are not so advance in our devotional process we are conscious of ourself, we always think about our own bodily comfort and mental comfort, when some how we unable to maintain the good time we become morose and start blaiming God for giving us bad time. But in good time we don't credit God rather we think Oh what a great job I have done for that I am ripping the results. All this we feel because we are still not selfless, we still want personal sense gratification, we still think that we are enjoyer and everybody is meant to serve us. Thats why we suffer.

But when gradually we progress our selfish consciousness gets change towards Krishna. That time we start thinking always How can I serve more , what should I do to make Krishna happy, what should I not do which irritate Krishna. At that stage one is no longer conscious of his/her self rather conscious of the supreme self. That is Krishna consciousness, conscious of Krishna 24 hrs. All the pure devotees Like Kunti Maharani, Srila Prabhupada and others were at that platform, so they never felt what was happening to them, because they transcend the consciousness of their own self and become conscious of Krishna 100%. Then only you can get the answer of your questions.

Hope this will help

Your aspiring Servant

Hari Bol

Replies

Volunteer

Gopal das August 17, 2012 at 5:16pm

http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...

SUFFERING.‏

http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...

REAL HAPPINESS.‏

http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...

SUFFERING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD.‏

http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...

THE IMPORTANCE OF TOLERATING SUFFERING.‏
Volunteer

Priya Rani August 16, 2012 at 8:12pm

Hare Krishna mataji, accept my humble obeisances AGTSP!

Yes ur verry right, when we suffer we ask "why me?" and we cherish when prosper. Even when we take up Krishna consciousness it is very difficult to give up such feeling.

Below are the few words told by HH Radhanath Swami on Karma.

Radhanath Swami : God means the absolute truth. It is He from whom everything emanates. Even great scientists like Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton were very religious men. They understood mathematically and scientifically that the universe cannot be the way it is without a supreme intelligence behind it. Things cannot be happening by chance. So when we are speaking about God, we are speaking the truth.

Now, we have to understand even the truths connected to God scientifically. We have to understand them in terms of laws created by God, the laws of nature. When the spirit soul enters into a body, it enjoys or suffers according to its karmic situation of the past. God made the laws of karma, and the soul made its own karma.

To better understand this, let us take an example. Suppose you get on an airplane to London. But once the airplane takes off, you say, “I want to go to Singapore.” The airline hostess will reply, “What?!!! This plane can only take you to London.” Then you cannot say that she is violating your freedom, your free will. You have your free will, but you could exercise it when you were in the airport. Then, you could have gone to Singapore if you wanted to. But once you get on the plane to London, you lose your free will. Similarly, according to our actions we are going to get certain reactions. We ourselves make our destiny, though God made the laws. According to our actions and words we are making our destiny. If we understand scientifically and philosophically how laws of nature work, we won’t blame God for the reactions we get in life.

Now as you have asked how to attain state of mind like Maharani Kunti who was a great devotee and a realized soul. Though attaing such a state of mind is not easy but it's not impossible as well. All materialistic endeavors for happiness fall into three broad categories, and they all result in misery: (1) You try for happiness and don’t achieve it. You’re miserable for obvious reasons. (2) You try for happiness and achieve it, but it doesn’t live up to your expectations. Again you’re miserable. (3) You try for happiness and get it, and it does live up to your expectations. But you lose it after some time. Is there any form of material happiness that doesn’t fit into one of these three categories? “And even that which we call ‘happiness,’” says Schopenhauer, “is really only a temporary cessation of some particular suffering.”

We need to understand that this material life is full of misery and pain. As told by Prabhupada as well. Even happiness in this world is also to be considered pain. Happiness apart of the Supreme is not at all happiness. It's the biggest ignorence!

It is clear from Srila Prabhupada’s books that suffering is integral to material existence: “Out of so many human beings who are suffering, there are a few who are actually inquiring about their position, as to what they are, why they are put into this awkward position, and so on. Unless one is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesn’t want suffering but rather wants to make a solution to all suffering, then one is not to be considered a perfect human being. Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened in one’s mind.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Introduction).

In BG 7.16 it is stated,

catur-vidhā bhajante māḿ

janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna

ārto jijñāsur arthārthī

jñānī cabharatarṣabha

TRANSLATION

O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me — the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.

There it is stated that one of the class of men who approach the Supreme are the distressed. Even I myself, came to chant the holy name of the lord when I was in suffering. I got immensed pleasure by chanting the holy name, though we shouldn't chant to derive pleasure. But that is how I came to know the Supreme, because of SORROW! I consider those days of unhappiness as the most happiest days of my life because that is how I wanted to make an end to my material problems. So suffering is good.

Also suffering is good because when we'r in problems we always remember Krishna, we pray "Krishna pls help me!" Krishna want's complete surrounder! The best example is about Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. She was ridiculed and tormented by so many of the King’s noblemen, and as a final insult, the brutes decided to strip Draupadi of her clothing in front of the entire audience.

In sheer desperation, she remembered her Krishna, and called out his name as an absolute last resort for any kind of help. Krishna never came, and her grip on the saree was loosening fast. She carried on calling from the depth of her heart, still holding onto her saree with every ounce of strength she could muster; yet still her Krishna never came. Draupadi was almost about to pass out as she could no longer hold on. She finally gave up all her efforts, and resigned herself to having her dignity completely stripped, with the whole city watching on. At that moment, Krishna appeared, and turned her saree into a never-ending robe, so no matter how many times her perpetrators pulled away at her saree, the dress kept unfolding further and further with no end in sight. Finally, the soldiers gave up in sheer exhaustion, as they were unable to pull the saree off her, no matter how many times they tried.

So here though Draupadi was calling Krishna for help with all her effort but still she held on to her saree. Finally when she let go the grip of her saree, and completely surroundered unto Krishna, He appeared.

So when we'r happy we like to go on our own, but when we'r distressed we call out for krishna. That time we'r ready to surrounder to Krishna atleast for some material purpose. So sufferring again is good.

There a powerpoint something related to your question, http://presentations.iskcondesiretree.info/index.php?q=f&f=%2FC...

Hope all this will help you. Haribol!

Your servant
Volunteer

Sudipta Roy August 16, 2012 at 5:27pm

Hare Krishna Mataji. Dandavat Pranam. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

see the answer of your question can only be practically demonstrate by an advance devotee. When we are not so advance in our devotional process we are conscious of ourself, we always think about our own bodily comfort and mental comfort, when some how we unable to maintain the good time we become morose and start blaiming God for giving us bad time. But in good time we don't credit God rather we think Oh what a great job I have done for that I am ripping the results. All this we feel because we are still not selfless, we still want personal sense gratification, we still think that we are enjoyer and everybody is meant to serve us. Thats why we suffer.

But when gradually we progress our selfish consciousness gets change towards Krishna. That time we start thinking always How can I serve more , what should I do to make Krishna happy, what should I not do which irritate Krishna. At that stage one is no longer conscious of his/her self rather conscious of the supreme self. That is Krishna consciousness, conscious of Krishna 24 hrs. All the pure devotees Like Kunti Maharani, Srila Prabhupada and others were at that platform, so they never felt what was happening to them, because they transcend the consciousness of their own self and become conscious of Krishna 100%. Then only you can get the answer of your questions.

Hope this will help

Your aspiring Servant

Hari Bol

This reply was deleted.

Replies

SUFFERING.‏

REAL HAPPINESS.‏

SUFFERING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD.‏

THE IMPORTANCE OF TOLERATING SUFFERING.‏