Day: September 27, 2025

Swami ji said…

“मैंने अपने जीवन में बहुत कष्ट देखे हैं…” “मेरा जीवन कष्ट से भरा है…”
“बहुत मुश्किल से वह कष्ट काटा है मैंने…” This is the din we hear around us, as each of us, tries to, vociferously,
draw attention to our suffering — magnifying the pain we had to endure, highlighting the intensity of the grief and sorrow we experienced — in an evident attempt to make it clear to everyone around us -“मेरे कष्ट से बड़ा,किसी का कष्ट हो ही नहीं सकता…”

But, how are we going to live a lifetime if we allow ourselves to be submerged in such shallow, hollow, self-pitying thoughts? Are we running a race, holding a placard stating the nature of our ‘कष्ट’ – waiting to be declared the proud winner of the coveted title of the person – “जिसका जीवन बहुत कष्टदायी रहा है..”

One can never deny the fact that – “जीवन में कष्ट आयेंगे…” It is not possible for any of us to pass through the number of days, we are destined to live, without ordeals, obstacles, and issues coming our way. But, we have created the biggest problem for ourselves by giving them a larger-than-life importance – by becoming so greatly attached to the ‘कष्ट’ – that we talk about it endlessly, refuse to let it go, and keep reflecting on it regularly — often unaware that – “वह कष्ट, जिसे हम अब भी पकड़े हुए हैं, वह कब का कट चुका है…”

A spiritual seeker must always remember the words said to him by his self-enlightened गुरु – “जो कष्ट आकर कट जाये उसे कष्ट नहीं कहते…” Once a devotee understands the depth of these words, he is able to deal with his difficulties and tackle them in a mature, rational manner. Once he comprehends that -“कष्टों से वह मुँह नहीं मोड़ सकता है…”— for it is his ‘कर्म’ that is at play before him — his attitude towards suffering begins to change. He might not be aware of the divine fact – that his गुरु is able to see the कष्ट long before it arrives at the devotee’s doorstep and in His unfathomable way has already diluted the potent, lethal effect of the suffering that His devotee will have to go through. And, if, the devotee remains calm and steadfastly focused on the teachings of his ‘गुरु’ during hardships, he will realise that the ‘गुरु’ has carried him through the storm miraculously — leaving him with nothing more than a few superficial scratches at best – which he was meant to, destined to bear in this lifetime.

In fact, suffering — which we all fear — too has its benefits. The mind is such that, in good times, it becomes completely lost in enjoyment. There is little incentive to reflect on the ‘soul’, ‘कर्म’, God, or anything spiritual — for the material world holds our senses captive during days of comfort and pleasure. It is only when we suffer, when we look for relief, that we begin to reflect on spiritual matters. For in suffering, it is the ‘senses’ that are in pain — not the ‘soul’. And thus, in suffering, we find solace in the ‘soul’ — for it remains untouched by physical or emotional pain. It is during suffering that we most try to withdraw from the material world and from attachments of every kind.

It is suffering that shows us the importance of recognising the ‘soul’ and the ‘body’ as distinct. It is suffering that forces us to ‘observe ourselves’ as separate from our emotions. We come to realise that even the mind is not the real “us,” and that it is only through controlling the mind that we can truly influence how we feel.

Thus, do not lament about your sufferings of the past — for they are gone and done with – and are now a part of your past. The very fact that you have emerged from them largely unscathed means that your ‘guru’ was right by your side, holding your hand, giving you the strength needed – during all those moments of sickness, disease and difficulties and above all – the benign eye of God. When you see trouble brewing, breathe a sigh of relief — for it is a sign that the worst is about to pass, with the help of God…“जितना कष्ट कट जाये — उतना ही अच्छा है।”

Use the pain of suffering as a reminder to stay on the right side of ‘कर्म’ and to cleanse the mind of the stains left by the material world. Accepting ‘कष्ट’
without lamenting about our ill – luck , our ‘बुरी किस्मत’ ;without complaining as to why are we the ones to suffer over and over again and when we stop playing the victim card – it is only then that we can truly say that we have understood the essence and the core message of the sacred ‘ज्ञान’ that was imparted to us by our ‘गुरु’.