Hari Om
Suppose a child does something wrong and his mother slaps him, does this action of the mother make her merciless? No. This is, in fact the grace of the mother that she is trying to correct her child from the very beginning. If we get a boil in our body, we go to doctor. The doctor operates and removes that boil, giving us immense pain. Now, does that mean the doctor is merciless? No. The doctor is giving us treatment. He is getting rid of our pain.
Similarly, we have forgotten God since eternity and have attached ourselves to the objects of this world and are full of material vices like lust, anger, greed, jealousy etc. If we do not get miseries in this world, we will never think of God. We are suffering so much, and still we do not surrender to God. Think, if there was no suffering in the world, then who would have remembered God? Initially, these miseries of the world make many people walk towards God. Therefore, the miseries of the world are not the hardheartedness of God. In fact, it is His Grace in disguise. Saint Kabir said:
“Sukh ke maathe sil pare naam hiye te jaye,
balihari wa dukh ki jo pal pal naam rataye”
Happiness is not good if it makes a man forget the Holy Name of the Lord whereas sorrow should be regarded as a boon and a blessing because it makes us remember God every moment.
When we endeavor elevating our soul, we will realize that material comfort does not contribute to self-growth. Hardships push us towards higher consciousness. Swami Vivekananda said, “Life is the continuous unfoldment of a being under circumstances tending to press it downwards.” Circumstances will create difficulties, and will press us downwards. But when we face them, we will be forced to enhance our abilities and understanding, and in the process we will grow internally.
So, when we implement this perspective, we will see the Grace of God in all situations, and even more in adverse circumstances.
FAQ: Guruji, you say God gives miseries for our own good to make us think of Him but why God gives miseries to people who are already praying and thinking about Him?
Answer:
Most of us pray and think about God for our own selfish reasons or for worldly attainments and therefore we are indirectly thinking about ourselves (Egoistic requirements of I, mine and myself and not GOD). The realization what God expects from us is to get the complete knowledge of surrender, that is possible only through selfless devotion. Until this is achieved, miseries will continue. The day when we realize that God is in everyone and everything and that we should not hurt anyone, He will look at us mercifully to own us entirely. Until this realization is achieved even in between material attainments will also become a burden for more miseries to come in life.
Our devotion and prayers to God should not be for attaining world through God or God through world, but they should be for attaining God through God.
Hope it is clear.
GF’ Blessings.
