The Cowherd

A common question that most seekers have is, “Why do good people suffer?” Sometimes, we wonder- why do good people die? For what reason truly do great individuals undergo suffering or for what reason do terrible things happen to great individuals? When we see our near and dear ones suffering due to diseases, loss of loved ones and other hardships, we often wonder- he was such a pious man, God is unjust in tormenting him,

Well, good people suffer because of their past karma. In life there is no direct relationship between the actions we do and the results we get. This makes it abundantly evident that our present life results are determined not only by our present thoughts and actions but also our past life actions.

Life is fair

At a superficial level, life seemingly shows to us great individuals who get the brunt of misery, while wrongdoers appreciate life. How is this fair? And we often tend to complain that the justice system is broken or that life is unfair in general.

At a deeper level, life is a mixture of both pleasure and pain. The ones who we think are happy, i.e., living a rich life, enjoying famous and posh lifestyle etc. may have their own problems that do not meet our eyes. In a way, both bad and good people suffer, but it doesn’t meet your eye equally. Doesn’t everybody experience pain and suffering in some manner? So isn’t the very inquiry itself futile? Since an individual is doing externally well, it doesn’t mean there will be no experiencing pain throughout everyday life.

When will pain and suffering end?

Pain and sufferings occur for all of us, irrespective of whether we are positive or negative. Unbiasedly, the presence of torment or an actual impediment can’t be denied. Yet, the level of distress delivered is abstract. It’s kind of relative as well. A rich man losing a thousand bucks is not same as a poor one losing.

Pain and suffering will end, when your past life negative karma is exhausted. Negative karma will not cancel out against positive karma. You’ll surely have to experience the results of both good and bad karma.

Let alone pain and suffering, no two people are equal in any way. They experience different things differently. Everything is based on one’s past actions. In this regard, life is fair- as you sow, so shall you reap. There is no exception for anyone.

How to find peace in this chaos

Given the reality of life, how do good people manage their suffering? Good people remain good because they do not take to negative means to fight the hardships they face. For example, if one’s wife dies, he could take to alcohol and crib about his fate for the rest of his life or spent the rest of his life in a meaningful way, say by doing some charity in the fond memory of his wife and accrue some good karma. So, irrespective of the events in life, if our constant endeavor is in indulging in positive and noble actions, it’ll show in life, not necessarily in this birth, but for sure in the future ones. Developing a personal relationship with God and conversing with Him will be a great way to find peace in this process of birth and death to find internal peace.

We need to understand that not everything is controllable in life. So instead of engaging in debating whether all such uncontrollable things are fair or unfair, we must focus on what is controllable- our thoughts, speech and actions. If we can’t stop the rain, however by utilizing an umbrella can save ourselves from getting wet, because we can’t really control rain but carrying an umbrella is definitely doable.