In the quiet hours of midnight in March 2022, my father took his final breath. His passing, brought on by sudden breathing congestion, was both shocking and deeply painful. Watching someone I loved so dearly leave this world was a moment that shook me to my core — a moment that brought me face to face with the raw reality of suffering and loss. As I sat in the stillness that followed, grappling with questions that felt too vast to answer — Why him? Why now? What am I meant to learn from this? This personal encounter with suffering led me to look deeper into how different spiritual traditions make sense of pain and hardship — how they explain not only its purpose but also its role in shaping who we become. — I found myself turning toward the wisdom of spiritual traditions for comfort and understanding. In the vast tapestry of human existence, suffering — whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—there remains a constant thread woven through the fabric of our lives.. In Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, suffering is closely tied to karma, the consequences of our actions.
In Hinduism, suffering is understood as part of the larger cosmic law of karma — the result of actions from this life and past lives. The Bhagavad Gita, a text I have often turned to in times of uncertainty, gently reminds us in Verse 2.14:
“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress... are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer. They arise from sense perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” This verse has helped me remember that just as the seasons change, so too do moments of joy and sorrow. Both are fleeting, and while the loss of a loved one is immeasurably hard, the soul’s journey continues beyond what our eyes can see.
Beyond Hinduism, other faiths offer their own insights. In Jainism, suffering is viewed as the inevitable result of karma — subtle matter that attaches to the soul through one’s actions, words, and even thoughts. Although every soul is pure and blissful by nature, karmic bonds cloud this purity, leading to cycles of birth, death, and suffering (samsara). Jain philosophy teaches that through non-violence (ahimsa), self-restraint, and spiritual discipline, we can gradually shed these karmic layers. An inspiring Jain aphorism says:
“The function of souls is to help one another.”
This reflects the belief that as we purify ourselves and reduce our karmic burdens, we also contribute to the well-being of others — moving collectively toward liberation (moksha), where suffering ceases entirely and the soul resides in its true, blissful state.
Buddhism on the other hand teaches that suffering (dukkha) is a fundamental truth of existence, but it also shows a path to end it through ethical living and mindfulness. For the past ten years, I have practiced Vipassana meditation, a path that has deeply shaped my understanding of suffering. Rooted in the Buddha’s teaching, Vipassana trains the mind to observe sensations with equanimity.
As the Dhammapada says: “Sabbe saá¹…khÄrÄ dukkhÄ” — “All conditioned things are suffering.” By directly experiencing this truth, I’ve seen how craving and aversion deepen our pain, and how, through mindful awareness, we can begin to free ourselves from its grip: “NibbÄnaṃ paramaṃ sukhaṃ” — “Nibbana is the ultimate peace.”
In Christianity, suffering is seen as redemptive, with Jesus’s own crucifixion serving as the ultimate act of love and sacrifice. C.S. Lewis once wrote: “We are but blocks of stone out of which the sculptor carves the forms of men; every blow of the chisel, though it hurts us so much, is what makes us perfect.” His words have often echoed in my mind, offering comfort during moments of deep grief. This insight may bring comfort to those who suffer, offering a perspective that suffering is not just something to endure but something that shapes and refines us. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr., in his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, exhorted his followers to work with the faith that “unearned suffering is redemptive.” This idea, central to Christian thought, echoes the belief that God incarnate suffered on behalf of His people and that we are redeemed through the suffering of Jesus.
While this Christian interpretation differs from others, there is a striking similarity to what we find in Jewish thought. The difference lies in the emphasis: according to Jewish sources, it’s not pain and suffering themselves, but rather our battle against pain and suffering, and our struggle to finally eradicate it that makes us perfect. In this view, pain itself is not inherently good — there is nothing virtuous about it — but how we confront and transcend it is what ultimately shapes our spiritual growth. Islam on the other hand views suffering as a test of faith, a way to draw closer to Allah through patience and perseverance.
As I reflect on its many forms, I’m struck by the diverse ways different traditions and philosophies interpret suffering. And Reflecting on my father’s passing, I have come to see that suffering — though unbearably heavy at times — also opens doors to deeper empathy, inner strength, and spiritual growth. It reminds us of the fragility of life, but also of the timeless endurance of the soul. In my own life, I’ve come to realise that suffering is more than just an affliction of the body or mind. It is an intrinsic part of being human, something deeply embedded in the very nature of our existence. We continue to seek ways to understand and alleviate suffering. But as we journey through life, it is not only the alleviation of suffering that matters, but also how we learn to bear it with grace, find meaning in it, and ultimately transcend it.