AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI believes suffering does not have to disrupt or ruin our lives if we don’t allow it to do so
We all know that suffering, which is physical or mental pain, is not at all welcome. And when the suffering comes, all one can think of is to be out of it some way or the other. Suffering usually disrupts normal life. But it does not have to ruin it. See from the following examples.
A mother, who has a small child, is down with high fever. She goes to a doctor, who prescribes some medicines and advises complete bed rest. Does she follow the doctor’s adviceIJ She does not in the matter of taking complete bed rest because she still has to attend to her child. This action of hers does prolong her condition but she does not mind because she has a duty to perform towards her child. Another example is of a student who has to appear in his final exam. Unfortunately, he contacts diarrhoea. He takes medication for it but has become quite weak. Still, he decides to appear in the exam. He has made up his mind that he will endure the suffering. He cannot think of missing a year.
The third example is of a teacher, who has slipped and broken his leg, but he chooses to attend school where he has to help his students in their final preparations before the yearly exam. He has to use crutches to walk but he does not mind. The last example is that of a famous singer who suddenly develops a sore throat. He is scheduled to perform in an auditorium, whose seats are all sold out. What does he doIJ Is he going to disappoint so many music loversIJ No, he takes medicines which would somewhat reduce his pain when he sings. He goes ahead taking several breaks in between.
What did we learn from these common examplesIJ That if we are determined suffering can be transcended. Now I will narrate two true stories. A highly realised saintly person had the misfortune of being struck down by throat cancer. He was so spiritually advanced that God gave him darshan quite frequently. Did he complain about his conditionIJ Did he request God to cure himIJ Did he desire to be out of the diseased bodyIJ The answer to all these questions is in the negative. He had transcended the suffering caused by his condition; it was not coming in the way of his meditation or other spiritual activities he used to do. He had become God conscious as different from being bodily conscious.
The other story is about a very famous poet. He was sitting in a public place lost in his thoughts. A person known to him was passing by. He stopped and enquired from the poet about his well-being. The poet replied, “In life, there is sorrow. In sorrow, there is pain. In pain, there is pleasure. I am enjoying that pleasure.” This person was very surprised when he heard that. He went and told his employer, who was a rich man, about this. The rich man got interested and he sent for the poet. He came. The rich man offered to take care of him. The poet replied, “If I accept your offer, my pain will be gone. What would I enjoy thenIJ” This story appears quite unreal but if we go into the psyche of this person, we can understand what he was trying to convey. He had transcended the feeling of pain and was enjoying the experience of having achieved that unique distinction.
What did we learn from the above examples and storiesIJ That suffering does not have to disrupt or ruin our lives if we don’t allow it to do so. Suffering can be transcended if we are determined. I welcome your comments.
Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com