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Is Suffering necessary in the Spiritual life?

Many spiritual seekers in the past have felt that suffering and spiritual progress are inexorably linked. There are numerous examples of great saints who went through tremendous physical suffering during their life. For example St Teresa of Avila, St Francis of Assisi and many others suffered with painful illnesses throughout their life. In the Mahabharata we come across Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. She used to pray to Lord Krishna that she would always suffer so that she would be inclined to always think of him. When she was happy she said she would forget about Sri Krishna.

It seems a paradox that a God who embodies infinite love, and inner ecstasy should require a seeker to suffer in order to realise him.

However although some saints have made great progress despite physical suffering it would be wrong to think that suffering is necessary or even desirable. As Sri Chinmoy says:

?If suffering comes, we have to face it; we have to accept it as an experience on our way. But we do not have to add to our suffering in order to make further progress. We do not have to glorify suffering in order to make higher progress. I don’t have to cut off my arms or my nose in order to go to my Eternal Father. I don’t have to prove to Him how much I have suffered in order to reach Him. He is my all-loving Father and I have to approach Him with all my love. [1].

To get closer to God we need to raise our consciousness from our ordinary human consciousness to the divine consciousness. In the highest transcendental consciousness we aspire to there is no thought or emotion only a divinely fulfilling peace. If we are encumbered with negative thoughts and feel miserable because of an illness we will not be able to access this sublime consciousness. We should view suffering as an obstacle rather than something to be welcomed.

?We can easily do without it. If it comes, of course, we shall try to transform it with our inner light so that it can eventually be an added strength. But we shall not invoke it.? [2]

If suffering comes then it is the right approach to try to alleviate our suffering where possible. However although it is good to prayer for good health there is an even higher prayer, which is to accept our fate with equanimity. We shall pray for healing but if it is God?s will that we suffer then we should not be depressed by this experience. The great Saints were able to make progress because they were able to transform suffering into ecstasy. St John of the Cross recounts how even though he was suffering physical torture his divine experiences left him in an inner state of bliss. If we are able to identify with the soul rather than just the body we will be able to transcend our experiences of suffering. However when we are a beginner to the spiritual life this may be difficult. It is only advanced saints and mystics who are able to transform suffering into ecstasy.

When Sri Ramakrishna was suffering with throat cancer his disciples asked him,

?Why do you not pray to the Divine Mother for the cure of your illness??

Sri Ramakrishna replied:

?When I think of my Mother, the physical body vanishes, and I am entirely out of it. So it is impossible for me to pray for anything concerning the body…."

"The Mother has brought this illness on me in order to teach man how to think of the Spirit and how to live in God-consciousness, even when there is extreme pain in the body. When he body is suffering from excruciating pain and starvation, and when it is beyond all human power to give any relief, even then the Mother shows me that Spirit is the Master of the body.? [3]

However for aspiring seekers the most important thing to remember is that if we wish to experience realisation of our Source cherishing unhappiness and suffering will not help in any way. When we are unhappy we are far from a divine consciousness.

Footnotes

[1] `Is suffering necessary for spiritual progress? https://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/selfless-service-light/42.html>`__
[2] Is Suffering Necessary by Sri Chinmoy
[3] Article on Sri Aurobindo and Ramakrishna

Article by R.Pettinger

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Tribute to Sri Krishna

Sri Krishna

 

“God is proud of His Divinity in Sri Krishna.
Man is proud of his humanity in Sri Krishna.

Sri Krishna is the beloved Boatman who untiringly plies His Boat of Consciousness
between India’s unparalleled history and Her unrivalled spirituality.

The Gita is Sri Krishna’s Heart, His Vision-in-Fulfilment.
The Gita is humanity’s breath, its journey towards Immortality.

Sri Krishna’s Flute stirs the Universal Consciousness.
Sri Krishna’s Gita enchants the Transcendental Consciousness.

Sri Krishna plays on His Flute. We hear. We do something more.
We barter our body’s dust with His Soul’s Plenitude.

Sri Krishna is the shoreless ocean of Bliss.
But as soon as I sincerely dedicate myself to Him,

He presents me with His own Boat and takes me to the boundless Shore,
the Golden All.”

– Sri Chinmoy

 

"Lord Krishna is the matchless hero who held the fate of the emperors in the palm of his hand but himself never desired a throne.
The great hero who was born in a prison and died in solitude in a forest.
He gave the world the Bhagavad- Gita.

He is the architect of Dharma who lives forever in the hearts of the people of India and the whole world."

(Author – Srimurthi )

Related Links

  • Sri Krishna – homepage
  • Krishna the Eternal Mystery by Sri Chinmoy "…while he (Sri Krishna) was just a child he opened his mouth and showed his mother the whole universe. He was teaching his mother that the universe is nowhere else but inside him…"
  • Arjuna
  • Krishna’s Supreme Love a rhyming play about Sri Krishna, based on the writings of Sri Chinmoy writen by Sumanagli Morhall

 

Tribute to Hindu Wisdom

hinduism

A Tribute to Hinduism was started in 1996 by Sushama Londhe, an Indian-American who came to the U.S. and became interested in learning about the religious traditions of Hinduism. Over the past 10 years the site has done a very good job in presenting Hinduism in a good non sectarian light.

Many misconceptions about Hinduism abound. But at the heart of Hinduism are the sacred scriptures of the Vedas and Upanishads. Hinduism has also continually been reinvigorated by a succession of Saints, sages and Avatars.

The site has recently been renamed to Hindusisdom.info

O Lord Lead me from the unreal to the real.
Lead me from the darkness to light.
Lead me from death to immortality.
May there be peace, peace, and perfect peace.
  • a Sanskrit invocation from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishads 1.3.28).

Pages are very detailed and extensive such as Hindu Culture

and Women in Hinduism

Women and the Divine Word

"Profound thought was the pillow of her couch,
Vision was the unguent for her eyes.
Her wealth was the earth and Heaven,
When Surya (the sun-like resplendent bride) went to meet her husband.
Her mind was the bridal chariot,
And sky was the canopy of that chariot.
Orbs of light were the two steers that pulled the chariot,
When Surya proceeded to her husband?s home!"

The close connection of women with divine revelation in Hinduism may be judged from the fact that of the 407 Sages associated with the revelation of Rig Veda, 21 are women.

Christian Mystics

"I believe that everyone who wants to love unconditionally is a mystic. All children are born mystics, and if you were once a child, you were once a mystic. Christian mysticism is following the example of Christ as he followed the Father. And mysticism is not by any means restricted to Christianity: the Bible says, ?everyone who loves is begotten of God, and knows God.? (1 Jn. 4.7) God speaks in various ways, in every time and every place to "whosoever will."

From: Christian Mystics

Another Definition of a Christian Mystic

"As with any religion, there are two types found within Christianity. The first is the tribal member. He or she favors a literal, concrete reading of Christianity, asserting that God is a judge with a rule book. Those who don’t play for "our team" are damned to eternity, and it can be our job to help them along the way to that end."

"The second person is concerned not with knowing the rules and dogma, but with knowing the Mystery itself, which is to say living from within the experience of that Mystery. This is the search for and experience of that connection to and affirmation of God’s Presence on an ongoing basis. Here, the ideal is to live life from the very center of the Mystery, and to manifest into this world God’s compassion, love and mercy. It is to this group that Jesus of Nazareth belonged, and it is why, beneath the centuries of overlays in the name of scripture and tradition, we can still find at the heart Jesus to be of such central importance to our particular spiritual path."

Christian Mysticism

"In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love. ? 1 Jn 4.18.

I believe Christian mysticism is the essence of what Jesus Christ wanted. He didn’t come to have temples errected in his honour. It was his hope that people would find in their own hearts the living presence of God "The Peace that passeth understanding." Jesus came into the world not to condemn but illumine humanity.

"If anyone hears my wordsand does not keep them faithfully it is not I who shall condemn him, since I have come not to condemn the world, but to save the world. ?Jn. 12.47"

The Christian mystics are a source of great inspiration for us. Unfortunately they were often persecuted, but they showed that it was possible to experience the divine Christ Consciousness. One story that is quite striking is about St John of the Cross. St John of the Cross was tortured and kept imprisoned. But even in these pitiful conditions he experienced the Divine. This is a poem "I cobbled their shoes" which explains how he was guided to see the divine in all. It reminds me of Jesus Christ’s immortal utterance.

"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

For more poetry of Christian Mystics. See Christian Mystics at Poetseers

Happiness of Being

ramana maharshi

Ramana Maharshi

Happiness of Being is a new website developed by Michael James and dedicated to the great Spiritual Master Ramana Maharshi .

"Happiness lies deep within us, in the very core of our being. Happiness does not exist in any external object, but only in us, who are the consciousness that experiences happiness. Though we seem to derive happiness from external objects or experiences, the happiness that we thus enjoy in fact arises from within us."

Mirabai and Akbar Play

Sri Krishna

Here is a play recently performed for Sri Chinmoy and his students. Its aim is to illustrate how misunderstandings between religions are an ancient challenge for humanity, but as Sri Chinmoy teaches, there is hope for the oneness of all humanity, and that historical figures such as Sri Krishna, Mirabai and Akbar The Great can inspire us and show is the way.

View: Play of Mirabai and Akbar

Script by Sumangali Morhall

selected scenes

[Enter Mirabai and her statue of Krishna]

Narrator:

The honeyed sun came closer to,
but shyly veiled himself from view,
drawing spices from the air.
The maiden moon watched soft and fair.
Early stars came out to glisten.
Bells and creatures stilled to listen:

[Mirabai?s music starts]

Tiger harkened out of sight
Peacock nestled for the night
Spider paused upon his yarn.
The young princess of Rajasthan
sweeter, finer than them all
sang behind a jewelled wall.

[Enter Mother & Father. Mirabai still sings]

Father [furious]:

If I see that Moghul scum
in ten miles of my country come
That rank Mohammedan I?ll curse
with fleas or warts or death, or worse!
I?ll pluck his whiskers one by one!
I?ll light his hair to see him run!
I?ll skin his ears, I?ll roast his eyes!

Mirabai and Akbar play

Poems of Ben Okri

 

african

The Awakening Age

O ye who travel the meridian line,
May the vision of a new world within you shine.

May eyes that have lived with poverty’s rage,
See through to the glory of the awakening age.

For we are all richly linked in hope,
Woven in history, like a mountain rope.

Together we can ascend to a new height,
Guided by our heart’s clearest light.

When perceptions are changed there’s much to gain,
A flowering of truth instead of pain.

There’s more to a people than their poverty;
There’s their work, wisdom, and creativity.

Along the line may our lives rhyme,
To make a loving harvest of space and time.

Copyright Ben Okri, 1999

 

By: Ben Okri

More Poems of Ben Okri

Brief Biography of Ben Okri

March 15, 1959) is a Nigerian poet and novelist. Having spent his early childhood in London, he and his family returned to Nigeria in 1968. He later left for England, embarking on studies at the University of Essex. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Westminster (1997) and the University of Essex (2002), and was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2001.

Since publishing his first novel, Flowers and Shadows (1980), Okri has risen to international acclaim, and he is often described as one of Africa’s greatest writers. His best known work, The Famished Road, was awarded the 1991 Booker Prize, making him the youngest winner of that prize. He has also been described as a magic realist, although he has shrugged off that tag. His first-hand experiences of civil war in Nigeria are said to have inspired many of his works. He writes about both the mundane and the metaphysical, the individual and the collective, and his writing enthrals the reader, drawing him/her into a world with vivid descriptions.

Okri is a Vice-President of the English Centre for the International PEN, an association of writers with 130 branches in over 100 countries. He is also a member of the United Kingdom’s Royal National Theatre.

From: Wikipedia – open source