This material world however is a place which is full of suffering, either suffering caused by demigods, suffering caused by another living entity, or suffering caused by our own self. Both happiness and suffering will come in due course, however a man tries his best to check what so called suffering, still the suffering will come.
Especially in the age of Kali, people are mostly degraded, covered by darkness, misguided, and sinful. “According to the Padma Purana, our present trouble is due to the fructifying of seedling sins” (S.B 1.17.18 Purport). So, it is clearly mentioned here that we are suffering because of our misdeeds in the past, we should therefore undergo suffering as the result of our sinful activities in the past which is not completely paid.
But, as the devotees of the Lord, we should be able to tolerate what so called suffering in this material world. And we should dispose equally between suffering and happiness. “Thus even if the devotees see the mischief-mongers, they do not accuse them for the sufferings inflicted. They take it for granted that the mischief-monger is made to act by some indirect cause, and therefore they tolerate the sufferings, thinking them to be God-given in small doses, for otherwise the sufferings should have been greater” S.B 1.17.18 Purport). The devotees of the Lord never blame other for the cause of their suffering, because they perfectly understand that everything is ordained and arranged by the Lord himself, “Although the bull, or the personality of religion, and the cow, the personality of the earth, knew perfectly well that the personality of Kali was the direct cause of their sufferings, still, as devotees of the Lord, they knew well also that without the sanction of the Lord no one could inflict trouble upon them” (S.B 1.17.18 Purport). And therefore the devotees see that everything is the Lord’s mercy. Due to the humility of the devotee, they even think that the Lord even should give them more suffering because of their misdeeds in the past.
Just as one being tortured in a dream, even he is screaming and crying because of this torture, but as soon as he awakes from the sleep, actually there is no suffering, there is no torturing. Similarly, the suffering that affecting the living entity is simply like a dream. It just temporary. And the devotees of the Lord know this very well, therefore they do not really concern in the matter either suffer or happy. Both are the mercy of the Lord, when they are put in a happy situation by the Lord, they can execute devotional service to the Lord nicely in a happy mood, and if they are put in a difficulty, this difficulty will bring them closer to the Lord, just as queen Kunti who was praying to the Lord that all the calamities that she experienced would happen again and again. This is the attitude of the real devotee of the Lord.
In this regard, the principle is that the devotee of the Lord should be able to tolerate what so called suffering in this material world. Of course theoretically is essay to say, but practically is not as essay as we say. Therefore, we need to cultivate our faith in executing devotional service to the Lord, “but even those seedling sins also gradually fade away by execution of pure devotional service” (S.B 1.17.18 Purport). By keeping engage is the service of the Lord, all that sinful reaction from the previous life is ultimately vanquished, and when we are freed from the impurity, automatically the suffering is no longer there.
Definitely we should keep in the mind this principle, and be more prepared if somehow any difficulty afflicting us, and face it in the positive way. Must be there is a valuable lesson from any difficulty given by the Lord. And ultimately we should be more engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
Hare Krishna.
Your insignificant servant:
Vishnurata Das