PAIN AND SUFFERING

Pain and suffering are the products of thoughts analysed by the brain and passed on to the physique and mind respectively. Pain and suffering need not go together. One can have pain without suffering; so also one can have suffering without pain. While pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.Many a times pain causes fear which leads to suffering. It cannot be said that pain is illusory. At the same time if and when pain does not influence the mind, one need not suffer on account of pain.

Saints and Sages have undergone physical pain; but they never suffered on that account because of their entertaining only positive thoughts in their mind.

The pain and suffering are the individual's concern and the same cannot be shared by others except in the form of sympathy. Although sympathy is also a bad emotion it is not as bad as suffering. Sometimes sympathetic words of others may help to some extent to come out of suffering. In the process of expressing sympathy the sympathiser gets caught in emotion. Instead, if he is in a higher state of mind, his soothing words would help the other to come out of suffering to some extent. Ultimately, the individual concerned has to develop a positive attitude and reach a higher state of mind to escape from suffering.

In circumstances when an individual is in pain, he should be able to entertain a thought that the pain is only temporary and would pass on with time. With that thought, the suffering would get reduced. To the extent one identifies himself with his body alone, he distance himself from the positive side of his mind and the result is suffering and pain. A typical example is that of a pregnant woman's mind which never suffers even when she is in the pangs of delivery pain.

According to Hindu view, pain and suffering are a part of unfolding of 'karma' and pain and suffering are the consequence of one's past inappropriate action. The pain and suffering should not be viewed as a punishment but as a natural consequence of the moral law of 'Prakrithy'. "Sukasya dhukkasya no kopi datha; paroda - dathithi kubuddhyresha; aham karomeethy vridhabhimana; swakarma soothra grathathathi loka" says the Ancients. Pleasure and pain are not caused by anybody; if they are attributed to others, it is ignorance to think so;if one claims himself to be the doer it is a misplaced pride; the truth is that the world is knit by the thread of one's own karma.

The very sense of 'individual existence' ( 'entertaining sense of individuality') along with attraction and repulsion('raaga and dwesha') is the cause of suffering. One should perceive "Life" as a whole, to escape suffering. Similarly, Pain has to be viewed as a warning signal, for any disease in the human mechanism, which has to be remedied early.

Pain and suffering are a part of living and they appear in life's path. A person has to focus his mind on God-thought, thereby he is relieved of the pain and suffering to a great extent. 'Acceptance'of a higher Will - in other words learning the Art of Divine Acceptance would relieve us of all problems and bring in Peace.