If God Exists, Why is there Suffering? | Swami Sarvapriyananda
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- Swami Sarvapriyananda discusses the problem of evil in Religion. This video is part of a Q&A from May 27, 2018.
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ABOUT VEDANTA
Vedanta is one of the world’s most ancient religious philosophies and one of its broadest. Based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India, Vedanta affirms the oneness of existence, the divinity of the soul, and the harmony of religions.
ABOUT US
Vedanta Society of New York is affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India. In fact, this is the Order's first Center started by Swami Vivekananda, in 1894. It was a historic event, for the seed of the world-wide Ramakrishna Movement was sown here in New York over a century ago. Swami Sarvapriyananda is the present Resident Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York.
What an inspiring personality, my mind is trying to find meaning in life and swamy ji's videos are a great help. Love from Pakistan
Stop eating non vegetarian food. Love from India.
🙏
@@adityachouksey6417 indians eat non vegetarian food .morality does not depend on country and race my man
@Simulated Being first of all i disagree with the existence of a soul and a god but that wasnt really the subject , further i am talking about 21st century and morality does not depend on what country you are born in i am saying this in a sense that people back in the day were good because thats really the way of life they were not good because they were born in india , ancient greece etc and bad people always existed in any given period of time even in ancient india and any other country , adding to this india is at 2nd place in exporting beef and yeah we indians call cow our mother
@Simulated Being this is not nifty to what i said but vegetarianism has issues to0 in today's society this was conditioned onto us from ancient times and i cant accept there were no sinners/ bad things did not happen ,as good exists because of bad exists (ying yang) there will be no coherent meaning of good if bad did not eixsted, and you seem that you are against eating good food /eating it for taste why is that ?
I survived two bouts with cancer and have been sober 35 years. God has walked me thru all my suffering.
Wow, you are very strong and beautiful
@@playdon877 Thanks God bless you always. You never know how strong you are till you need to. I'm nothing special.
@shrediknight I don't know and I was treated along with kids who were obviously dying and I might have traded places with some of them..I spent yes s trying to figure out why I wasn't killed in combat but other guys were.
@shrediknight exactly. God either picks winners & losers, there is no god, or god is the clockmaker/non-interventionalist/deistic god.
Nobhe didn't you did it by yourself, be proud of that.
Dear Swamiji, I lost my wife to brain cancer recently and I was hounded continuously by the question why did it happened to me and why God did not help me. I found the answer in your talk. We see suffering all around us and we do not experience the agony but when it happens to oneself
we blame God for being so harsh on us. By realizing everything is transient and nothing lasts for long we can derive some consolation.
Deviprasad
Im so sorry for your loss mate .. please stay strong I pray to the universe , you will be happy and healthy
Plzzzzzz explain more
Stay strong old man 💪
@Deviprasad Marudevagowda , sorry for ur loss, how long did she have this dis-ease, the reason I'm asking is someone I know is actually going through this right now.. let me know if u can...keep seeking 👍
Shit happens. That's the best answer.
Suffering is a natural consequence of the duality of the infinite creation. Infinite existence is a spectrum of experience that by definition cannot have any limitation on it, you cannot have the so-called good without the so-called bad. Vedanta as we know is about transcending the dualities of creation and seeing the equanimity behind it all. As Ram Dass beautifully put it: "pleasure and pain, fame and shame, loss and gain, are all the same".
The purpose of suffering is to lead us to seek the answer to the question "Who Am I?" After searching for happiness/pure love for infinite lifetimes, we finally deduct(evolve) that permanent happiness/pure love can not be found outside of us or through our senses; we must look within! God resides within EVERY living being. PERMANENT HAPPINESS/ PURE LOVE is found within; thus "Self Realization" occurs answering the question "Who Am I?"
CLEAR AS MUD, RIGHT😉
Suffering is a result of sin. Sin is the violation of God's law. God is the Creator of the world. Man was/is God's special creation. Man sinned against God, plunging the world into the sin, corruption and death. The remedy is Jesus. Read the Bible.
Oh fuck 😳
@@peterpulpitpounder What sin did an infant dying of cancer commit?
@@3ggshe11s Obviously, no personal sin was committed. What then is your question? I'm assuming you are pondering the issue and nature of human suffering? Many young babies are born with fetal alcohol syndrome, a condition caused by the sin of another. Sin, and the curse of sin, has brought an array of consequences to our world. Such is the biblical worldview. Those who angrily reject God due to the existence of human suffering, default to a mere naturalistic context and interpretation to human suffering, and only have a cold rock blame. Your thoughts on this matter?
"All compounded things decay." Thank you Swamiji.
If god exists, then he/she could have made compounded things not decay.
Buddha's observaion that all complex systems decay must the earliest discovery of Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that entropy of a closed system always increases.
But it is also true that in evolution, simple things become complex over time.
@Dorothy Sayee AWESOME CREATION- When I’m reading this verses it looks to me that God created naive and stupid people and even prepared trap for them to fall, one would expect better creation from God unless He has already planned to scarify His Son. Did you prepared temptations and traps to test your children or did you protect them in every possible way?
@Dorothy Sayee Hi Dorothy, Thanks for your response, I wish you all the best.
After considerable reflection I have come to the conclusion this is the best answer that can be given to this perplexing, perennial question. Swami Sarvapriyananda has given such profound answers to so many questions. My hat is off to Swami, he has taught me so much. His body of work on TH-cam amounts to a comprehensive, crash course in Advaita. Thanks
Nature prefers symmetry... Thats why its happening
How considerable?
Listening to your lectures everyday get's me through this tough time🙏 thank you
Why Swamiji tries to sound diplomatic in front of others. I know he had certain fears. He left some gaps intentionally ...the religions and philosophies (some specific schools of particular religion) he named.. most of them don't believe in God at all. The assumption in the question is " if God exists" then "Why there's suffering". What if we deny the existence of God perhaps we can explain it better. Swamiji gave beautiful example of Budhism which basis is suffering removal. But I wonder why would he avoid talking about "God" factor.
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch and do nothing."
-- Albert Einstein
looks like albert einstien had lost it when he got older. how are people who do nothing are destroying the world more than people who do evil. Like the buddha said the world is transitory so it will be destroyed whether you try to be evil, good or indifferent , only at different rates.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-`Aziz) and He is able to do all things (`ala kull sha’in qadir). The Qur’an has mentioned this hundreds of times. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah is the Creator and He is the Best Creator. “Glory be to Allah, the best Creator.” (Al-Mu’minun: 14)
But then the question comes why do pain and sufferings exist in the world. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. There are storms, earthquakes, floods, draught and famine. We also see people commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders; they fight and make wars. We know all these and many more problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are natural disasters. There are suffering for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people.
But we also know that this is not the whole story. Besides all these negative things, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. It is wrong to see one side of the coin and not to see the other side. Any philosophy that concentrates on one aspect of the creation and denies or ignores the other side is partially true and partial truths are no truth at all.
It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve.
There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly.
But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules?
Let us ask this question to understand Allah’s ways in His creation. The Qur’an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah’s Will (mashi’at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur’an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur’an has not given us all the details about Allah’s Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue:
1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.
2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one’s health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says:
“(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10)
The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur’an says:
“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45)
But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur’an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles:
“If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45)
3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.
4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661)
So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah’s natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?” Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test.
May Allah keep us on the right path, Ameen!
And Allah Almighty knows best..
Please once read ☝️☝️☝️
Is it true that it is said by Einstein. It's not correct statemient who ever had said it.
@Aadikar Bhandari no sometimes its better to do nothing
ironically enough as swamiji said, my faith in God diminished seeing other's incomprehensible suffering not mine. God has given me good enough love and blessings personally
"Why is there suffering?" The problem of evil, the question of evil is answered only once you know WHY you are experiencing this WORLD OF LIMITATION- the most esoteric secret in this entire Universe! And this question has finally been comprehensively answered by The Source of ALL. It makes perfect sense. And I have published this information in several different formats. Click and ye shall find. Elijah has returned, as prophesied. (I communicate only through my sites.)
@@tomrhodes1629 sounds like another abrahamic interpretation bro. I'm not interested sorry
I still don't follow please help ... If there is a god that accepts prayers to end suffering but then does nothing because it is inevitable, what is the point of prayer? why call god an all-loving being if god will never end suffering?
You pray for your own pleasure , God doesn't ask you to pray. God is happier without your pestering prayers
This Swami explanation is excellent, made simple for layman to understand Law of karma.
Thank you for these little gems of swamiji's wisdom out of the question and answer sessions.
Finally someone who knows that wisdom is obtained through suffering...................falun dafa
We are blessed to hv Swamiji to answere our deep spiritual questions n enlighten us. God bless you Swamiji 🎉
Thank You Swami Ji, you answered a question to which i was seeking an answer and nothing satisfied me, but after listening to you i went into meditation and experienced something divine
@@jamama3 nice verse sir😊🙏👍👌
Finally someone who knows that wisdom is obtained through suffering...................falun dafa
That is what happens to me too
@@sandeshcsheth Could you please tell ,what is your way of meditation?
@@indicrenaissance8126 I don’t do anything. It simply happens. If I were to do anything it would only reinforce that there is duality. You are always that. My first known shift was when I met James Schwartz in person. He said to me You are that. And there was silence. When I read Nisaragdatta You are that, there is silence. I don’t do anything. The same happens when I listen to Swamiji. These people are at a different level and mere reading and listening results in silence. Another person is Davidya. I hear him speak and the I no longer exists. There is only listening and reading and thinking. There is no I doing that.
Why is the animal world so cruel. Animals life depends of humans and stringer animals. They experience pain, but cannot do much to help themselves except trying to survive. Why did God brought pain and suffering to animals?
So, where is the answer to the fourteen year old boy's question?
Right...that 14 Yr old could be his master and not other way round 🙂
Finally someone who knows that wisdom is obtained through suffering................... falun dafa
4:30 "God is absolutely unconcerned"
That right there is the answer.
Absolutely NOT. "Why is there suffering?" The problem of evil, the question of evil is answered only once you know WHY you are experiencing this WORLD OF LIMITATION- the most esoteric secret in this entire Universe! And this question has finally been comprehensively answered by The Source of ALL. It makes perfect sense. And I have published this information in several different formats. Click and ye shall find. Elijah has returned, as prophesied.
I would like to thank Swami for a balanced, kind, and genuine answer. He made some of the same arguments against the problem of evil I have heard before. I still have the same questions as the 14 year old, but I also know that we cannot know the mind of a creator, if one exists at all. I love how Swami admits that none of the answers are perfectly convincing - this is response of a genuine and honest man. I am a new fan! It is the openness to questions like this and the philosophic reasoning that attracts me, as an American, to Vedanta and Hinduism in general.
This was very enlightening. I feel blessed to be able to hear from such an intelligent and pure mind.
Are you from Nepal?
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-`Aziz) and He is able to do all things (`ala kull sha’in qadir). The Qur’an has mentioned this hundreds of times. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah is the Creator and He is the Best Creator. “Glory be to Allah, the best Creator.” (Al-Mu’minun: 14)
But then the question comes why do pain and sufferings exist in the world. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. There are storms, earthquakes, floods, draught and famine. We also see people commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders; they fight and make wars. We know all these and many more problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are natural disasters. There are suffering for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people.
But we also know that this is not the whole story. Besides all these negative things, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. It is wrong to see one side of the coin and not to see the other side. Any philosophy that concentrates on one aspect of the creation and denies or ignores the other side is partially true and partial truths are no truth at all.
It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve.
There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly.
But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules?
Let us ask this question to understand Allah’s ways in His creation. The Qur’an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah’s Will (mashi’at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur’an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur’an has not given us all the details about Allah’s Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue:
1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.
2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one’s health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says:
“(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10)
The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur’an says:
“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45)
But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur’an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles:
“If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45)
3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.
4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661)
So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah’s natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?” Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test.
May Allah keep us on the right path, Ameen!
Allah Almighty knows best.
Try me, just for fun. Ask me any reasonable question concerning birth, death, the soul, consciousness anything pertaining to spirituality.
"The Cause Of Suffering Is Dependence, And Independence Is The Remedy."
- Guru Nisargadatta Maharaj
Allah never created anything in vain · Man was not created to eat, drink and multiply alone · Allah created us to be tested · Allah created us to worship Him alone. Quran informs us God created us for a test here on earth. Allah never created anything in vain · Man was not created to eat, drink and multiply alone · Allah created us to be tested · Allah created us to worship Him alone. Obedience to divine law is the key to success in this life and the next.
@@baqirhemraj7639 “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” This quote has been attributed to the Dalai Lama, Haruki Murakami, and M. Kathleen Casey.
@@selmir369 Do we have a choice between pain and suffering, I think not. Pain and suffering are there to make us stronger and to rely on our Creator.
@@baqirhemraj7639 WE Are that Creator! NO OTHER! GOD IS BOTH, CREATOR And The Created! we can escape and overcome a lot of all pain and suffering, GOD SAID, Obey and, Above all, get the Understanding.
@@selmir369 If you are a creator, can you create a soul? Can you give life to a dead person? Can you take a life? Can you give sustenance? Can you create air, land, solar systems, animals, and human beings?
Swamiji has really answered it so beautifully. Eventually we are happy when others around us are happy. We have to do our bit in our potential, because it will help us and also others. I saw this saying on a random auto vehicle. "Andaru bagundali andulo nenudali". Its in Telugu, and means, "Everyone should be nice and happy and I should be amongst them". Highest form of selfishness is unselfishness.
Nice attempt at answering one of the most difficult questions facing the concepts of God religion. Swamiji is a well read person and a scholar. But the question remains and will remain forever🙂
He said it well. I think I’d take it one step further and say that belief in existence of a god is not a necessary condition to do good in this world. Also it is not necessary for us to have hope, and accept challenges that life on 🌎 throws at us.
I recently lost a friend to a sudden case of cancer. I also had to attend the funeral of a 14 year old who also passed away after so much bravery.
We need to be better to each other and not leave things up to an imaginary power in the sky.
Call a friend, connect with a stranger that needs help, pay it forward when someone does well by you.
I feel like, swamigy, a big hugging, for your honesty. 🙏🙏🙏🌳
Thank you swamiji . You started with the argument that suffering is to make the sufferer stronger and rejected it. Finally the suffering of beings around you can help you transform your Self.
If God is all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful, then suffering could logically not exist. It doesn't compute. Therefore, if God exists, then it is simply consciousness, or some other impersonal creative force. If this is the case, then we are all just consciousness doing what consciousness does -- one of those things being experieicing the universe through our eyes. Suffering just happens as a part of the conscious experience, just as pleasurable things happen.
He failed to give the answer on the nature of God, why suffering. 😂
It's only the characteristics of the slaves to worship their tormentors, not free man.
wow..
dafa
All living beings have sufferings.
Humans being are the only one who also suffer from there intelligence there mind.
And that is what he is referring to..
Law of karma in dharmic religion.
@@nikhilPUD01 We all fell here from Heaven because we all have black karma. This karma can only be scraped off of our souls through suffering and having a great teacher................falun dafa
God does not have intent the way we do. God doesn't feel things like we do unless he decides to take one of the forms using his maya.
Wise-Man: you have just repeated the old question but you have not given the Right Rational answer of that question.
Want to go over it again and again to understand its various perceptions and deeper meaning. Until now , I only understood and believed in the philosophy of karma behind all sufferings.
Thank you, Swami 🙏 It's always an addition to the pool of gyan, listening to your gospels.
If all the pleasant and unpleasant comes because of our karma then what is the use of praying god for health wealth etc
Until we suffer we will not know the pain of others we need to learn everything to be mature cause This world is a school God send us to be mature. Only a mature soul can get Liberation. Pranam 🌹🙏
This is what u wud do to ur children ... make them suffer so that they can be liberated ? How do u guys believe in this concept ?
“Part of the perfection of existence is the existence of imperfection within it, were there no imperfection, the perfection of existence would be imperfect.”
-al-Shaykh al-Akbar Ibn ‘Arabi
Maybe there is existence only. Perfection and imperfection ( even though subjective to perceiver) is varying status of universe one changing into other.
After listening to this, I understand the Queen Kunti a lot better and why she asked Lord Krishna to bless her with pain. Because the first thing I prayed without any second thought after listening to this was "Oh Lord! Give me more pain as blessing!"
can you share what you understood? I didnt get it 🙁
@@muktasane6046 When lord krishna was returning from indraprastha to Dwarka after the war, everybody was sad. Kunti was especially sad. She did not wanted krishna to go.
So lord krishna told her to ask a boon. She said "Give me pain as a boon". Krishna was very surprised by this. Kunti said, that until there is no pain Lord Krishna won't come to save. If a devotee is living in luxury, their devotion is less than those who live in pain. If u have everything, there is no need of god.
And this is not just a theory, it is clearly stated in many scriptures specially of lord krishna, that those who want to become true devotees, there life would be filled be sorrow.
Even meerabai who was born as princess, had to leave everything. It ia written that the first time lord krishna gave darshan to meera bai, it was before her wedding in her childhood and told her to marry. After her marriage, she did not get his darshan until she was grown up. Lord krishna was testing her devotion. Same is the case of surdas who was blind and poor, draupadi and even his own wife, srimati radha rani.
It is said in mahabharat, to Kunti by Lord Krishna, whoever choose the lath of devotion must be ready for misery in material life..
@@aesthetic_tanishka Thank You so much for the explanation ❤️🙏 Thanks a lot. I need to hear this right now.
@@aesthetic_tanishka I have a question , why Krishna became surprised. He is Lord God! He knows every single thing of our mind. He shouldn’t be surprised or confused. These two things are not expected from the God. I became confused about his lectures. Lot of contradictions about the attributes of God or Lord Krishna.
We should consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed. Therefore we should not lose heart ❤️. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal…….
0:13: The problem of evil in relation to the existence of God and the suffering of the poor and needy.
4:14: Theodicy and the law of karma in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism to explain the existence of suffering.
8:13: The concept of transitoriness and suffering according to Buddha's teachings
Loved this video. Clearly, the Swami is deeply familiar with all of the classical philosophical arguments. Even more, he has explored various other cultural interpretations of the problem of evil (suffering). I was amazed when he pointed out that not even the great Hindu Avatars have succeeded in ridding the world of suffering. I lean towards advaita and am not inclined to literally worship God, but if one of the Hindu Gods does end human suffering, I would think him/her worthy of my worship.
Finally someone who knows that wisdom is obtained through suffering...................falun dafa
@@jeffforsythe9514 lol. That doesn't justify the existence of suffering
@@millenialmusings8451 We were born on this planet because we sinned and acquired black karma on our souls. This karma can be removed only through suffering. This is just the way it is. Falun Dafa can help one to understand this process.
Advaita does not make avataras less powerful. It is just an incarnation of the same omnipresent God. Let me tell you God can end your suffering if you surrender your ego or connect with him thru some yoga. Else he had no way to control you. Remember he is not a dictator. You can chant mantras reduce your bad karma and experience better life. If you surrender thru yoga he takes control.
Suffering will never end. It is needed to guide us on our spiritual paths to find the Ultimate Truth: "Who Am I?"
Our sufferings lead us to our Salvation!
The conclusion is, even the swami doesn't know, why there is suffering in this world. Just live your life as it leads you. If you are lucky, you will flourish, if not you will suffer. That's all.
Nice,👌👌👌
The guy didn't answer the question! He just said its "your problem that you lost faith in God when you personally dealt with some hardship or suffering". That's not even close to explaining how a loving God exists if there is suffering in the world!
Did you not watch the whole thing ? He gave many answers. Law of karma, law of compounded decay, suffering to make you strong etc.
I think there’s no such a Personal Loving God.
I am sorry to say but he didn't answer the question.The question still remains unanswered.He just told how to deal with consequences of the question.
Agreed
@@krystalizedmagic4894 Agreed
23 answers choose which ever you want.. If you choose none.. Become a seeker yourself and enlighten us with your answer once you get it
@@artinterest5281 Sure
He said from the start that none of them are convincing 😊
The best answer I got so far. After watching/listening many lectures of Swami Sarvapriyananda, and following his lectures, I am now able to see through little bit and that little bit is now transforming me. It is so amazing.
Nonduality is true. A Course in Miracles has the same message. Look up Ken Wapnick on TH-cam.
Can you explain this a little more please?
The only real reason of suffering is weakness!
Neither any supernatural power can stop the evil and disaster nor it can protect the victims.
As long as you are strong you can solve and withstand any disaster and suffering . The moment you are weak you will suffer.
Kind of side-stepped the question on why there is suffering and instead offered that we can transform ourselves through suffering. Yet, an uplifting video from the Swami! 🙏🏼
Glad someone noticed that ! So many yes people these days online.
"Why is there suffering?" The problem of evil, the question of evil is answered only once you know WHY you are experiencing this WORLD OF LIMITATION- the most esoteric secret in this entire Universe! And this question has finally been comprehensively answered by The Source of ALL. It makes perfect sense. And I have published this information in several different formats. Click and ye shall find. Elijah has returned, as prophesied.
@@vajraloka1 In Advaita vedanta there is No such God exists, who control the universe. So he answered from different philosophy
1. Law of karma
2. All compounded things decay.
Because suffering is inevitable that's why, if anything is created it's destruction is inevitable , same with suffering and yet while suffering one can lead a life of meaning , it's all on choices one makes!!
He said "if God exists"...that answers her question.
For the first time Swamiji's answers didn't satisfy me. Of course the speech was very enlightening and I got some significant insights, but I still don't get any contented answer of this question.
Yes...what I would like to put forward is... God has not created us...Both souls and supreme along with this physical world are eternal.... suffering or not....depends on actions....then what is the role of God.....he just shows us the right path....
@Vande Mataram perhaps yes...thanks for sharing...
He was asked to justify suffering.......the only answer is acceptance .... ....suffering is human , bliss is divine.....divinity is ideal......ideal is imaginary, non human, non earthly......and my life exists on earth....you cannot show me a distant house when my house is on fire
No body have those answers
Wow. Buddha essentially arrived at the second law of thermodynamics 2500 years ago. Fundamental insight into the reality of the world.
“The teacher is always silent during the test.” 😉💕
Recently I am failing the test. And its devastating.
There is a saying to the effect of "pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional". Suffering is the resistance to pain. So the question should instead be "Why is there pain?". One answer would be that without the experience of pain, there could be no experience of pleasure. Both have to coexist in polar opposition, and one will never win over the other (which means Heaven does not exist, or if it does, is the most boring place one can imagine).
There is suffering, because we do not know what we are. When you know what you are, you will not see this as suffering. ❤
Exactly. And what or who are we? Eternal servant of God without wanting anything in return.
There is suffering because man is sinful, evil and living in rebellion against God and His commandments.
Suffering doesn't exist. It's our brain Who Shows it to us Like that
@@GTGamingVirus That's like saying the message you just sent doesn't exist. It's just our eyes and brain telling us that. The whole "suffering doesn't exist" pitch is one of the biggest piles of dung bunk ever propagated. Suffering is a fact. It is real. It's a thing. It's reality. Good grief, why must time be wasted combatting such a foolish premise.
@@peterpulpitpounder the youtuber said that the world is illusion so suffering is also illusion right
One of the best answers .. true spiritual person can say this
Excellent answer with explainaition given by Swami ji, and the line " we can transform ourselves by doing welfare..." is of great meaning !
Thank you.
Your teacher is not correct.....................falun dafa
The question is still there how does the suffering of a baby who is dying by starvation or from a disease can be explained by Karma? Is there any convincing answer at all? Will there be any convincing answer ever? 🤔
I believe the answer would be: previous lifetimes accumulated karma that required resolution. I struggle accepting this answer myself. However, if I attempt to adopt the perspective that karmic law is baked into the universe with an impersonal ground of all being (Shiva, Brahman, etc), then I could see how a short life of suffering could be considered a merciful way of working through profoundly negative karma from a previous lifetime. As I said, I find this hard to accept as well. Very difficult question.
The fact is He quoted several authors and gave several examples but did not give a direct answer as to why there is suffering in this world
So true ! When suffering comes home we loose faith . Thanks for this wisdom and changed my point of view instantly 🙏🏼🙏🏼
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-`Aziz) and He is able to do all things (`ala kull sha’in qadir). The Qur’an has mentioned this hundreds of times. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah is the Creator and He is the Best Creator. “Glory be to Allah, the best Creator.” (Al-Mu’minun: 14)
But then the question comes why do pain and sufferings exist in the world. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. There are storms, earthquakes, floods, draught and famine. We also see people commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders; they fight and make wars. We know all these and many more problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are natural disasters. There are suffering for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people.
But we also know that this is not the whole story. Besides all these negative things, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. It is wrong to see one side of the coin and not to see the other side. Any philosophy that concentrates on one aspect of the creation and denies or ignores the other side is partially true and partial truths are no truth at all.
It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve.
There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly.
But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules?
Let us ask this question to understand Allah’s ways in His creation. The Qur’an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah’s Will (mashi’at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur’an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur’an has not given us all the details about Allah’s Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue:
1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.
2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one’s health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says:
“(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10)
The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur’an says:
“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45)
But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur’an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles:
“If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45)
3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.
4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661)
So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah’s natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?” Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test.
May Allah keep us on the right path, Ameen!
Allah Almighty knows best.
@@thetrueguidance-----3601
The word Allah has been used by Arabic people of different religions since pre-Islamic times. The origin of the title Allah goes back before Muhammad, who found that the Meccans worshipped a supreme deity whom they called Allah. Along with Allah, however, they also worshipped a host of lesser gods and “daughters of Allah. Later it has been used as a term for God by Muslims (both Arab and non-Arab) and even Arab Christians after the term "al-ilāh" and "Allah" were used interchangeably in Classical Arabic by the majority of Arabs who had become Muslims.
God ( Allah if you please) is in each creation (including plants, animals, minerals, air, water, etc ). This God aka SOUL exists in all above creations. This SOUL is the LIGHT which comes from the universe.
This LIGHT is ONE ☝️ and INDIVISIBLE !!!!
Please stop 🛑 this division and understand in your little limited minds that ALLAH, KRISHNA, MOSES, CHRIST, ETC ETC are nothing but ONE ☝️ !!!
Lastly UNITED WE STAND, divided we fall. UNDERSTOOD 🤔 ?
@@thetrueguidance-----3601 Why you stupid
Sorry, the difference between knowledge and wisdom Is suffering. We were put here on this planet to suffer to redeem our souls.
Very nice video, he said "all you can do is the best you can" this is so true!
Thank you swami for sharing his wisdom. Human being needs to learn to adapt changes in himself, society and universe. It is not an easy task as everything become even more complex today. Many choose to blame others, society, environment etc. Adaptation is the golden rule that is how human survive over thousands of years. Theory of evolution still valid today.
You are the God. You are suffering because you are praying instead of commanding.
Did anyone get answer to the question ‘If God Exists, why is there suffering’? I did not.
Swami Sarvapriyananda himself mentions for every answer he gave that it is not a valid solution. Does this video continue further and resolve the issue? If so, will someone direct me to that video? Thanks.
In our suffering , we reach out to heaven for help.We can also reach out to help those who are suffering .God sees us and reaches down .
If God’s create us , then he will gives us the tools 🛠 to protect ourselves from suffering, which is our minds, and our nation, to help each other’s, and makes us feel free from suffering !
I wish we bring back this education in schools, we are missing out on our heritage we are missing out on unbelievably teaching of swami ji at grassroot level, ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
God cannot do away with suffering, we have to undergo the struggle to get a better jannmam in the next birth.
Could it be that God did not create humans, but that they evolved from stardust? Therefore evil is an evolutionary force. Not created as such, but a consequence.
Actually that is the correct answer according to empirical research.
We have evolved and that's true. I am a ardent theist but I know evolution is true.
@@samarthbarshi1916 what's ardent theist?
@@chitranshsrivastav4648 Ardent means "enthusiastic or passionate" and theist means one who believes in a God/supernatural creator. I'm not OP but I would assume that saying that they are an ardent theist was a way of conveying a deep belief in a creator God but one that didn't specifically creator humans. Instead, one that created the conditions that allowed humans to come to be as well as evil, "good", "bad", and all other phenomena~
@Subhobrata Chakravorti nature is god.
It is a combination of two things: karma and free will. The creator endowed us with absolute free will. Limited only by our minds and bodies. As such all forms of evil are possible and inevitable. In the case of suffering that is not a result of exercising one’s free will, then the cause is karma, either from current or past life.
Sometimes it feels as is life is a cosmic dish and all masala needed for some super dish being cooked and some day all the questions die . Freedom from suffering. Thank you guruji 🙏🍓🍓🍓🍓🙏
Finally someone who knows that wisdom is obtained through suffering...................falun dafa
Swamiji, like millions of people the world over, I, too, am an ardent admirer of you. Your answer to this question is very frank and honest. Indeed it's very difficult to give a clear-cut answer to it.
Swamiji, is this a concern of those religions that believe in an extra-cosmic god who supervises the happenings in the world of his own making? Christianity, for instance. G. M. Hopkins, the Jesuit poet-priest, has a beautiful sonnet on a related topic "Thou art, indeed, just, my Lord", wherein he asks a disarming question "Why do sinners' ways prosper"? and the servants of God continue to suffer! Thomas Hardy, the novelist, often raises the question of an omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent God and the suffering in the world. He seems to suggest that the Deity is not even once-omni!!!
Apart from Karma, what other answer/s is/are there in our Hinduism especially in Advaita Vedanta?
Thank you so much Swamiji ! 🙏🙏🌹
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-`Aziz) and He is able to do all things (`ala kull sha’in qadir). The Qur’an has mentioned this hundreds of times. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah is the Creator and He is the Best Creator. “Glory be to Allah, the best Creator.” (Al-Mu’minun: 14)
But then the question comes why do pain and sufferings exist in the world. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. There are storms, earthquakes, floods, draught and famine. We also see people commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders; they fight and make wars. We know all these and many more problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are natural disasters. There are suffering for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people.
But we also know that this is not the whole story. Besides all these negative things, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. It is wrong to see one side of the coin and not to see the other side. Any philosophy that concentrates on one aspect of the creation and denies or ignores the other side is partially true and partial truths are no truth at all.
It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve.
There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly.
But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules?
Let us ask this question to understand Allah’s ways in His creation. The Qur’an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah’s Will (mashi’at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur’an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur’an has not given us all the details about Allah’s Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue:
1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.
2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one’s health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says:
“(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10)
The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur’an says:
“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45)
But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur’an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles:
“If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45)
3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.
4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661)
So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah’s natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?” Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test.
May Allah keep us on the right path, Ameen!
And Allah Almighty knows best.
“This too shall pass!” ~ Osho
I know of people who have suffered all their lifetime and died. How did suffering make them stronger?
Read about Reincarnation theory and Past life Regression.
This is an unanswerable question and therefore the venerable Swamiji, I'm afraid has fudged the issue. The only solution is that either the creator is not all powerful or that he couldn't care less about us humans' perception of evil!
Sorry but it didn't really answer the question...
Pls study the law of karma you will get all answer God has given us free will so our thought process is ans to all happyness and misery.
@@Multi5111The law of karma is a poor excuse. Why do so many good people suffer or have a bad death ever after doing good things, even devotees? Some say it's due to past life actions, but if God is omnipotent, why can't karma be dealt with in the same life? We don't remember our past lives, so why face consequences we don't understand? It doesn't make sense. This is why either don't believe in God or see Him as cruel.
Suffering is enevitable, you are here to suffer as per Vedas but I don't remember which one.
Thank you Swami ji for words Religion is fundamentally optimistic. Yesterday i read a quote of Periyar which had so much disrespect fr religion n to those who believe in God.🌿🌱🙏
It seems u need false comfort which religion provides 🙂 ... but truth can set u free from religious beliefs.
@@SenthilKumar-pb3nu 🌱✨😊🇮🇳✨🙏✍🏻
Suffering is the consequence of our ego not understanding our inner essence. Once you discover this (enlightenment), there can be pain (because of our material physical composition) but not suffering.
Pranam Swami, you're the real guru
His teachings are way off....................falun dafa
His explanation is superb
He cannot be compared with
Any other swameejis
With the question of karma will arise the question of the creation of humans and animals itself. Why create and then write the laws of karma which appears so newtonian sort. Then, our religion says creation and karma, suffering life death etc are part of God's leela. He is playing. Our life is a mere game for him. Let there be humans, let them suffer, then they will pray to me, so I will descend upon earth as an avatar and help him.... sort of theory.
And ppl believe in this $#$#
God is not there to ease your life but by following his principles and through sufferings letting your personality grow to counter the endless possibilities of challenge of existence. God fortifies you for present and future of the life
He didn't actually answer the question though as most of the religious leaders avoid this seemingly unanswerable question.
It is simple really , as god is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient , he is capable of causing misery and as well happiness otherwise would he be called all powerfull if he cannot cause misery. The terms like happiness and suffering are human perspective, god hold no such perspective but we are manifestation of god, ultimately god himself is suffering and being happiness as part of his play .
There's never a good answer as to why there should be suffering ever to anyone in the first place, while you can clearly picture a happy world but it never really happens. Instead, people justify this reality...
Also, if a guy is created evil, then, obviously he would do evil. But everything is just bummed off as being karma. All the time. Was it really necessary for everything to be this way?
Listen alan watts
Listen his Advita vedanta lectures and I'll get all answers 🙏
the question remains unanswered though
What a brilliant homily by Swamiji!
We talk about our suffering but we ignore the suffering caused to all other species.If one species should be removed from earth , then that species is humans.
Both Joy/happiness and Suffering/agony are necessary.Human should embrace it. Nothing stays forever. Without suffering human won't understand happiness.
That sounds like a good argument at first. How can we understand happiness unless we have experienced pain and suffering? But when you look at a serious natural disaster, like large numbers of people dying from an earthquake or volcanic eruption, how is their pain, the loss of their lives, and the pain to their friends and families balanced by any happiness? For 'contrast' to be a good reason, it must be supported by the actual and equal existence of happiness. But this doesn't happen in our real world: there is no balance between the deaths and any creation of new life or happiness in those who died.
So let me answer this question.... As Krishna..... This universe is my body... All joy or suffering happens within me.... I am bound by the laws of Karma myself.... This is the nature of my existence.... Without darkness there cannot be light....
Suffering is in the eye of the beholder, just like beauty is. God, source, spirit allows “suffering” because it is “allowing you your own experience”.
beautiful
Unfortunately Swamiji didn’t answer to the basic question. I was hoping an answer from him.
Talk was interesting but the answer to the question of why suffering exists still remains. Especially for babies.
Let's face it.He keeps saying we lose faith when it happens to us..the question is...why are innocent children being killed in natural disasters?Why???He cannot answer that but giving excuses like karma and bullshit!!!
Charan Sparsh, Gurudev. Thanks a lot for sharing this with us all.
"I cant lie to myself being CONFIDENT about all these"
God is most compassionate says every religion, But if you watch the world suffering you feel the Truth is Contrary.
Spiritual knowledge of Hinduism , Buddhism, Jainism, Sufism is awesome.
Sufism doesn't come under Dharmic traditions. Sorry. But yeah it is evolved from "Bhakti" to attract people to convert to islam.
Bhuddism, Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism and others comes under Dharma.
@@bhaveshtochabbra6853 right
You always feel better when somebody stops hitting you with a big stick.
Excellent! hindu,hindu hu aters should listen to this and appreciate the greatness of Sanathana Dharma!
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-`Aziz) and He is able to do all things (`ala kull sha’in qadir). The Qur’an has mentioned this hundreds of times. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah is the Creator and He is the Best Creator. “Glory be to Allah, the best Creator.” (Al-Mu’minun: 14)
But then the question comes why do pain and sufferings exist in the world. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. There are storms, earthquakes, floods, draught and famine. We also see people commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders; they fight and make wars. We know all these and many more problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are natural disasters. There are suffering for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people.
But we also know that this is not the whole story. Besides all these negative things, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. It is wrong to see one side of the coin and not to see the other side. Any philosophy that concentrates on one aspect of the creation and denies or ignores the other side is partially true and partial truths are no truth at all.
It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve.
There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly.
But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules?
Let us ask this question to understand Allah’s ways in His creation. The Qur’an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah’s Will (mashi’at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur’an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur’an has not given us all the details about Allah’s Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue:
1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.
2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one’s health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says:
“(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10)
The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur’an says:
“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45)
But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur’an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles:
“If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45)
3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.
4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661)
So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah’s natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?” Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test.
May Allah keep us on the right path, Ameen!
Allah Almighty knows best.
@@thetrueguidance-----3601 lol
@@thetrueguidance-----3601 please pray allah terrorism removes from our planet he can do everything 👍🙏
Surprised that this lovely and knowledgeable man didn't or couldn't answer the question.
You please ask him in private and you will get the real answer. The answer is, there's is enjoyment even in suffering, the enjoyment of being. But this cannot be told to a 14 year old teenager. It would be adding insult to injury.
@sreejithMU Thank you. It might be possible for advanced meditators to relate to pain without suffering, but countless numbers of people have suffered terrible pain with no 'enjoyment'. So the question remains.
@@johntyler100 No, I'm not talking about spiritual practitioners but common people.
Just ask this question, why do we depict pain and suffering in our movies and in other forms of arts and literature? Who will go for a movie in which all goes well?
the answer is ignorance of our true selves.
there is no one who is suffering only this ego and body is suffering which is not our true selves
*This video gave me Positive vibes, thank you so much!*
your positive new age or eastern gnostic vibes will not get you to heaven only salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ our lord and savior will save you.
A common theme I found in Hinduism and Jainism is that they depict how this human form is bound to attract Karma , thereby attract suffering. Look at the stories of the Avataars , was the life of Krishna and Ram devoid of suffering ? Not at all .Such stories make the idea of transcending human form and attaining moksha more lucrative . Jainism goes a further step by showing that while you can't run from the negative consequences from your bad Karma , if your Karma is good you also enjoy divine intervention in case you were to get undeserved suffering. In Jainism , Kamath had a beef with Lord Parshwanath that was carrying on from several reincarnations , no doubt Lord Parshwanath did suffer in his lifetime , but also got protection from Dharnendra and Padmavati.
So if god exists then what was the need to create this leela or drama in which animal suffers,human is also suffering i like to pet stray dogs svery female dog give birth to 6 puppy of them only 1 survive rest 5 die very bad death last year near 20 puppies were born in my area of them only 4 survived most of them were hit or crushed by car what was their sin to born and die this horrible most of the spiritual masters give answers in the vontext of humanity but there are other creatures also who are suffering and dying
My inlow died last year, hewas such an incredible man, no words to explain, got sick and died... i was very sad, now I understand...
This didn't answer the fundamental question being asked, why suffering at all, even initially? You can help to alleviate suffering of your own and others I agree, but that doesn't answer the actual question. Why suffering at all?
I don't know why he didn't pointed this out but it is your karma that you have got this destiny. the karma that you have accumulated from over the births and realms that you have come from!
@@ForthDimensional but thats just nonsense. Born. Suffer. Die. Why? You say karma... ok.. why? Why karma at all, fundamentally? For what purpose does suffering solve?
@@frankfrmfkd one day you will know that this is a dream. 😊 ये दुनिया एक स्वांग है ।
@@ForthDimensional 😂😂. What dreamer allows children to be raped and mutilated?
@@frankfrmfkd You are the dreamer. I am the dreamer it's us who have manifested this world. May your tiny brain can work around things!
As a result of my upbringing I became very submissive and insecure but spread love and kindness all my life. In return I received humiliation and neglect... was strange what happened... all those people who hurt me and put me down died from illnesses... It is scary when I think about all those days... so be kind, never think bad about people, smile, give hugs, comfort other people, you never know what’s happening in their lifes, because, God is watching...
The more I've learned over the years, the more I've come to realize that God doesn't help people because he has already helped them from birth. Think about it. Everything in Sanatana Dharma is centered around man becoming a God and developing his inner powers. You have been given inner powers that can be awakened through yoga to the point where if you use them nothing is impossible to you. You can heal any illness, create anything you want, destroy anything you want, even transcend death if you want. Seeing that all of this is possible, there is no excuse as to why anybody would need to suffer. If a person is suffering it's because they do not have the power or the knowledge to get out of that suffering state, despite having the ability to. God does not need to do anything. Everything has been granted. If you suffer, it's your own fault that you are. If you become a god like you're supposed to, you wouldn't be suffering.
Yea very convincing
Sole purpose of this life is to realise the "The God that is within you". All sufferings end there.
Shreemad Bhagwat Geeta
We are already God like, eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. However, we are covered by so many false identifications. Godly we already are, although tiny small and God is unlimited big. The small always serves the whole. This is our constitutional position. But imitation Gods we can never be. Eternally servant, yes. And this is the highest bliss.
Sir, I am Sneha.
your reply has shown me ray of hope...🙏
if possible please, guide me that how to overcome this suffering.
How to realise our true self.?
"Why is there suffering?" The problem of evil, the question of evil is answered only once you know WHY you are experiencing this WORLD OF LIMITATION- the most esoteric secret in this entire Universe! And this question has finally been comprehensively answered by The Source of ALL. It makes perfect sense. And I have published this information in several different formats. Click and ye shall find. Elijah has returned, as prophesied.
🙏🙏🙏.. I am convinced at the very end..I bow down to you 🙇♂️..
But Swamiji still did not answer why there is suffering, if God exists. 🙏
He has explained nicely
Nobody can, he gave you theories, just pick the one that floats your boat.
"Why is there suffering?" The problem of evil, the question of evil is answered only once you know WHY you are experiencing this WORLD OF LIMITATION- the most esoteric secret in this entire Universe! And this question has finally been comprehensively answered by The Source of ALL. It makes perfect sense. And I have published this information in several different formats. Click and ye shall find. Elijah has returned, as prophesied.