Sufferings of Pain and Pleasure

[Guest guest]

Greetings advaitins,

 

Some commented on another list, "suffering is our teacher and our

master".

 

Sufferings is our teacher? What are sufferings? Pain?

 

All the pain and pleasure we experience are in a way - suffering.

Separateness from our Divine Reality causes us to experience and

indulge in various worldly experiences and suffer unknowingly without

even being aware of it.

 

In the Hindu epic, Mahabharata, Kunti asks the Lord to shower her and

her family with painful sufferings, so that they may never forget Him. To

me, pleasure looks like a greater suffering than pain, because it is the

one where God is completely forgotten.

 

Pain then material pleasures, then pain again is the order of life and

the waves of the ocean of Prakrti (nature of the cosmos). The question

is whether you want to associate yourselves with the turbulent waves

or the deep-rooted mighty but calm oceans.

 

Suffering from pleasure is to prepare one for pain. Only after

experiencing pleasure, can one fully appreciate the mighty blows of

pain. When this happens, detachment from material indulgences and

attachment to the Spiritual Identity will arise slowly.

>From pain, one is prepared for the forthcoming pleasures. When the

pleasures arrive, all spiritual efforts is discarded and indulgence

becomes the order of the day. With the amount of pleasure that

overwhelms the person, nobody thinks that pain will ever return. But it

does.

 

After this, like the immunity of the body that increases at every

entrance of the similar pathogens, the spiritual aspirant will

automatically realize the transient and insecure nature of pain and

pleasure. He will think, "There is no way I can WANT pleasure but NOT

WANT pain. If this is the case, I don't want pleasure too! But there

must be true lasting happiness out there. What is it?" He will stop

building houses on the waves but would start to look for firm solid

ground.

 

Next, with firm control over the detachment of both material pleasures

and pain, the spiritual aspirant searches earnestly and finally finds from

the Lord Within, the Wisdom that would free him and grant him

everlasting spiritual Bliss of just Being. Standing on the waves, he

dives into the mighty, yet calm oceans and finds the Pearl of Wisdom

hiding in the Oyster of his Heart. He dived with the protective gear of

self-control and he found the Pearl safely. He no longer is a limited

individual suffering from the turbulence of the waves, but has become

one with the mighty oceans. The waves are merely an outer facade of

the oceans.

 

Do I think sufferings of pain and pleasure is a Master Teacher? No!

God (your Spirit) is. Pain, pleasures and sufferings are mere phases.

Like passing through many levels of the education system, each

individual soul has to experience every kind of feeling both emotionally

and physically, whether good or evil, painful or filled with material

pleasure or spiritual bliss. Each soul also has to perform all kinds of

actions and speak all kinds of words, both kind and soothing as well

as evil and stinging. Every action has a reaction and resound. All the

good and bad that you do is invisibly done to yourself through many

births in different bodies. Unlike our education system, where one

chooses a field and specializes in it, in the Spiritual Education cutting

across births, each candidate for Liberation experiences almost

everything, unless by the Grace of God.

 

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna outlines three stages, Tamasic -

spiritual regression, dullness, ignorance, indulgence as the primary

school, Rajasic - spiritual stagnation, aggresiveness, passion, pride as

the secondary/ high school and Sattvic - spiritual progress, goodness,

moderateness etc. as the university of His education system.

Graduates are not produced in batches every semester like

accountants (Sri Yukteswar's joke) but appear from time to time being

shining examples to the world.

 

If the feet is tender, it can be very sensitive to feeling and very

vulnerable to pain. Nature wants it to suffer so that its outer skin

becomes tougher. This is also demanded of souls. Be equal-minded in

times of pain and pleasure, says Krishna.

 

But, spiritual aspirants would pray for Him to grant that (the ability to

endure), rather than giving pleasures and restraining pain because

receiving pleasures is like stretching the rubber band, the more it is

stretched, the more painful it will be when it is let go. When we gain

the equal-minded ability to endure, He will take both pain and pleasure,

but give Bliss and Peace.

 

What more can I ask other than His sweet protection?

 

WISDOM:

 

"Suffering entitles you more to the Grace of the Lord. When suffering

comes in waves, one behind the other, be glad that the shore is near,

bear them bravely. Like cowards, do not throw the blame on some

outside power or develop dislike for the Lord." -Sathya Sai Baba.

 

"Those who seek to acquire steadiness of faith must first acquire the

strength to bear grief and pain, insult and injury. The succession of joy

and grief must help confirm the faith and make it immovable. That

alone can evidence true devotion." -Sathya Sai Baba.

 

--

Warmest regards,

Ruben

ruben

_____________

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe."

- Tao Te Ching

[Guest guest]

Greetings Ruben and all Advaitins,

 

What a beautiful text! Thanks for it.

 

Claude

 

advaitin , "Ruben" <rubenn@m...> wrote:

> Greetings advaitins,

>

> Next, with firm control over the detachment of both material

pleasures

> and pain, the spiritual aspirant searches earnestly and finally

finds from

> the Lord Within, the Wisdom that would free him and grant him

> everlasting spiritual Bliss of just Being. Standing on the waves,

he

> dives into the mighty, yet calm oceans and finds the Pearl of

Wisdom

> hiding in the Oyster of his Heart. He dived with the protective

gear of

> self-control and he found the Pearl safely. He no longer is a

limited

> individual suffering from the turbulence of the waves, but has

become

> one with the mighty oceans. The waves are merely an outer facade of

> the oceans.

>