Spiritual-Teaching.org
Letter # 26 Suffering
When I was at Arunachala there was a group of us of similar age who
shared our insights and stories. Quite often the topic of illness would
arise. We all fell ill in different ways due to malnourishment and
consequent anaemia or were the victims of a seasonal flu virus we
caught in a crowd. Sometimes it was malaria, typhoid or hepatitis. But
none of these incidents deterred us because we knew there was a
purpose to the suffering. It was a purification. Those moments, hours
or days in which we were generally alone with our pain were times of
intense loneliness as one would hover between self-pity and
frustrations the body struggled to regain normality. The feeling of
impotence was palpable.
During the illness, on the screen of the mind a flow of negative
thoughts, harmful emotions or physical twinges would invade one’s
consciousness. There was nothing one could do except patiently bear
the trauma. At one stage I endured one cold after another for perhaps
two months due to a lack of vitamin C as much as anything else. The
upshot was I took loads of lemon juice which in turn created an ulcer
in my stomach! Too much of anything is not good for us! Medicines
may heal us but they also can poison us too if improperly consumed.
We should keep in mind the Buddha’s admonition about the middle
way.
Moderation in all things. Too much asceticism is not good just as too
much involvement in sensory experiences is not good. Think of the
strings of a violin. Too taut the strings may break, too lax and the right
sound is compromised. Our physical lives develop a rhythm
depending on innate genetic factors, age, food, friendships, phases of
the moon and other disparate influences. The general rule in many
religions is that there is one day a week when we take time off. This is
important. Too often we are driven to achieve, to fill our days with
accomplishments. I discovered that one of the hardest aspects of any
spiritual practice (sadhana) is when to let go and relax. Not to do
anything but quietly digest what has recently occurred.
Impatience coupled with the sense of ‘nothing is happening’ makes
for dissatisfaction and from that we are easily diverted by seemingly
innocuous distractions, be it fantasies about our own importance or
enticing desires we imagine are gratifying. But we all know only too
well the insubstantial and ultimately frustrating after effect of a mind
out of control. It is akin to eating a meal that externally looks
scrumptious but whose inner content is a series of artificial flavours
with no nutritious ingredients. We are left disappointed and vaguely
hungry.
Waking up to the futility of attaining lasting happiness or peace of
mind through our normal daily lives with all its demands on our time
and the stress it involves, is a pivotal moment in our quest for
understanding. But where do we turn for help? It is up each of us to
seek what is appropriate for our individual disposition. Be it
Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism… all are
legitimate roads. Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek,
and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” This
applies to all religions. Essentially all it requires is sincerity and a
wholehearted commitment whatever the cost. Suffering is
an essential element in this request. The sharp energy suffering
generates drives us to seek. The turning point may be a book we
accidently discover; it may be something someone says which piques
our interest; it may be an illness that shuts down all our normal
behaviour and causes us to reevaluate our lives. Something shifts in
our consciousness.
Our suffering does not end there. In some ways it increases as we
come to terms with our past and all its so-called sins. Sin in the Greek
is an archery term that originally meant ‘missed the mark’, or more
broadly, losing one’s way. In other words, we need to clean up our act.
Just as we wash our clothes and our bodies when they get dirty so do
we need to clean up our minds and hearts. And this is painful. Some
of it we can do alone but there are concealed areas of our being that
require a mentor or guide to enlighten us.
In our spiritual journey, our meeting with a guide is a decisive
influence which paradoxically can also cause illness. It is the grace of
the guru and here I speak personally of that particular path of Sri
Ramana Maharshi. It is a mysterious force that removes our
ignorance, that is, our impurities and heals us. All who tread an
authentic spiritual path know of this energy that transforms our lives.
To give just one example, we see how important lineage is in the
Tibetan tradition. Each student has a valid mentor who guides them.
Our relationship with Sri Ramana Maharshi as a teacher is also
dependent on a direct connection. The implications of how it
functions is beyond my comprehension but it unquestionably exists as
many will attest who have spent years in the orbit of his divine grace.
To be inducted into a legitimate living tradition requires sincerity and a
willingness to work on one’s own deficiencies. The doors remain
closed until we demonstrate our dedication. We may think we are
alone but the divine energies which suffuse our universe are ever
alert. Like a spider’s delicate web, the universe vibrates at the
slightest touch, and responds appropriately.
We may pray for help but it is of no use if we do not listen. For this to
influence our lives in a positive way the harmful strands of wrong
thinking and feeling must be altered. The clue to their detrimental
activity is shown when we suffer and are blind to our responsibility
for it.
We suffer. We endure. Those who sincerely practise the teachings of
Sri Ramana Maharshi know this all too well. With the recognition and
acceptance of our accountability comes the direct realisation of the
vicious cycle of thoughts that binds us. We are caught rehashing again
and again a problem that simply won’t go away. As alluded to in a
previous Letter, Sri Ramana spoke about vasanas (tendencies) which
are like enemy soldiers who one after the other come out of the
fortress of the ahamkara, the individual consciousness which
generates the false identification of ‘I am’ with thoughts. We can cut
them down with the withering question ‘Who Am I?’ Who is asking
the question?
Rightly used suffering can give us the sharpness, the energy and sense
of purpose to exterminate our wrong sense of identity. Suffering can
be a laser beam that shines directly on the injury to our sense of
happiness. How often have we said when faced with an intolerable
situation, ‘There must be a better way.’ Suffering is a remedy if you
see it correctly in your life, then you realise that like a bitter medicine
it is actually a cure.
In Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, it is recorded:
“D.: Why does God permit suffering in the world? Should He not
with His omnipotence do away with it at one stroke and ordain the
universal realisation of God?
M.: Suffering is the way for Realisation of God.
D.: Should He not ordain differently?
M.: It is the way.
D.: Are Yoga, religion, etc., antidotes to suffering?
M.: They help you to overcome suffering.
D.: Why should there be suffering?
M.: Who suffers? What is suffering?”
Whether we accept it or not suffering opens us up to new vistas of
understanding and humbles us before the divine forces at play. It
breaks down our false pride and its concomitant delusions about our
importance. Life is forever teaching us to be vigilant.
Sri Ramana Maharshi: Suffering is the way for Realisation of God.
Devotee: Should He not ordain differently?
Sri Ramana Maharshi: It is the way!
