On 6th February this year, we received a comment on the blog titled, Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi - Part 1: The Mystery of Life and God Consciousness (posted on 10 June 2010). That blog contains Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi's answer to the question "If there is a God, why is there so much misery in this world? Does He not see? Or hasn't He the power to remove these evils?"
Mother says: "The creation itself is full of grief. How can one understand joy if there is no sorrow? And how can everyone be happy at the same time? There is a story that once Sita said to Rama, 'Why do you not remove everybody's miseries? Make everyone in your kingdom—all your subjects—happy. You can do it if you like.' Rama answered, 'Can everyone be happy at the same time? Well, they can, if you so desire. Why not satisfy all their needs from the royal treasury? Just as you wish.'
"Then Rama called Lakshmana and said, 'Go and tell everyone in my kingdom that all their needs will be supplied from my treasury.' When the people heard this, they came and explained their needs. The treasury was laid open. Everyone lived in happiness. But such was the dispensation of Rama that soon the roof of the royal palace showed cracks and water seeped through. Masons were sent for to repair the crack. But there were none to be found. Where was any labourer to be found? The subjects also came and complained that because there were no masons or workmen, their houses and buildings were falling to pieces. Then, seeing no other way, Sita said to Rama, 'We cannot suffer in the wet like this! Let everything be as it was. Then we can get workmen again. Everybody cannot be happy at the same time.' 'So be it,' answered Rama. In the twinkling of an eye everything was as it used to be. One could get workmen again. 'Lord, it is true that this life is only a game of yours!' said Sita."
"No one can suffer for all time. No one will spend all his days on this earth in suffering. Every action brings its own result, and one gets one's opportunities accordingly."
Disciple: "Then is everything the fruit of Karma?"
Mother: "What else, if not Karma?"
I was reminded of the words of Swami Vivekananda:
It is misery that teaches more than happiness;
It is poverty that teaches more than wealth;
It is blows that bring out the inner fire, more than praise.
My personal experiences so far have been such that every time I experienced intense misery I turned to God and got immediate solace. Miracles happened. And they strengthened my faith in the Almighty.
God hears our call. And it is 100% true that He comes running towards us as Sri Ramakrishna explains through the child-mother parable:
So long as the child remains engrossed with its toys, the mother looks after her cooking and other household duties. But when the child no longer relishes the toys, it throws them aside and yells for its mother, then the mother takes the rice-pot down from the hearth, runs in haste, and takes the child in her arms.
Pain and misery are temporary as also happiness and peace. May the God give us the wisdom not lose heart in the case of the former nor get carried away by the latter.
