This question has perplexed humankind from the day they were able to understand the difference between pleasure and pain. We see disparity all around us and often wonder why one person has it so good while another has to struggle so much. Siddharth T Janakiraman has given a very lucid response to this question in Quora, which is worth looking at.
A quick answer that is often given is that we need to go through the bad times in order to appreciate the good times. While that may sound glib, there is truth in it. If life were always smooth, with no ups and downs, wouldn’t it become unbearably monotonous?
When we think about suffering, it helps to understand that it is really a matter of degree. Look at top performers in sports or entertainment. They put themselves through rigorous training, often suffering extreme pain, to achieve the level of ability they seek. And during competitions, they go through even more.
We may say they do it for glory, and that ordinary people don’t need to. But what is significant is that human beings are capable of tolerating suffering if there is a purpose. It comes down to mental preparation and acceptance. If they are prepared for it, they can endure it.
This is true in daily life as well. We can see people facing very difficult circumstances and yet remaining calm, while others react dramatically even to small inconveniences. The difference lies not in how much suffering a person experiences, but in the attitude with which they face it. Those who choose acceptance often discover that they have the strength to bear it.
Having seen how mindset plays a role, let us turn to the spiritual angle. Broadly speaking, there are two groups of people - those who believe that we live only once, and those who subscribe to reincarnation. For each, the explanation of suffering is different.
If you believe in a single lifetime, the chances are that you also believe that your life and circumstances were arranged by God. Then it becomes a matter of faith. Do you accept that God has a reason for putting you through this? If you ask to be relieved from what you face, are you in fact resisting what God has planned for you? Is that wise? Wouldn’t it be better to accept your circumstances, learn to cope with them, and reap the reward at the end? Those who can do this often find peace, while those who cannot end up restless and dissatisfied.
If you believe in multiple lifetimes, then the explanation is karma. God is not the architect of our suffering. We face the consequences of our past actions. How we deal with them now will shape what comes in the next lifetime. If we try to put things off, they will only return later, perhaps in an even stronger form. Isn’t it better to face them now and grow through them?
For those who believe in God, the way forward is devotion. Live your life in service to the divine, and face everything with gratitude. See everyone as manifestations of God and serve them willingly. In doing so, life itself changes - you find yourself able to accept what happens with a calm mind.
For those who do not believe in God, the deeper understanding lies in advaita vedantam - the philosophy that the creator and the created are not separate. Read what I have written about karma. Nothing happens randomly; everything is interconnected and purposeful. Accepting this truth brings peace, while resisting it brings suffering.
Nothing in life happens without reason. The difference lies in how we respond. If we accept suffering as part of the journey, we discover inner strength and peace. If we resist and struggle against it, we only deepen the pain.
So perhaps the answer to “Why is there suffering?” is this: it exists not to break us, but to help us grow, to accept, and ultimately, to find peace.
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