Sai message for the day

[Guest guest]

God is the creator. He should have created only happiness. Why did he

create difficulties and troubles? Pardon me, Swami, for putting this

question.

 

Without difficulties you can never get happiness. 'Na sukhat labhyate

sukham'. You do not get happiness out of happiness. No hardships end

up in hardship. Without difficulties, you will never know the value

of pleasure.

 

For instance, you are spending your time in this airconditioned room.

If the value of air-conditioning is to be known, what you should do

is to come out and go round in the open space in bright daylight.

Even a mother would not be able to love her child, if there is no

death in her family. Here is an orange fruit. This has an outer

bitter skin. But within it you find sweet juice. So, both good and

bad co-exist. The bitter skin protects the inner sweet juice. Does it

not? Another thing you notice is, a thing that gives you happiness

now may make you unhappy later. Similarly, an unhappy thing now may

make you happy later.

 

So, nothing gives you absolute happiness or unhappiness. See, a

woollen coat in winter makes you happy, but in severe summer it makes

you unhappy. Does it not? So also a heater in winter makes you warm

and happy. But, in summer the same heater makes you very

uncomfortable and unhappy. Does it not? Therefore, happiness and

unhappiness depend on the time, circumstances and position. Pleasure

is an interval between two pains. Pain is an interval between two

pleasures. If you think of the difficulties and the intensity of

suffering in times of sadness the pain doubles. In bad times, you

should think of those days and moments when you were happy . Then,

the intensity of suffering decreases.

 

You should face all the difficulties as tests of God. A devotee

should welcome troubles which are the tests of his devotion and

faith. How do you expect a student to be promoted to the next higher

class without facing a test? Otherwise, he has to remain in the same

class. Can a doctor diagnose his patient's disease, prescribe

medicine and treat him without testing? How do you expect crude gold

to shine unless it is burnt, hammered and polished so as to be shaped

into an ornament? But, if you set some pre-condition that the gold

should not be hammered or burnt and yet you want a shining jewel,

will the goldsmith ever be able to make it?

 

You also know how you get sugar. The sugar-cane must be crushed and

the juice must be heated and processed so as to make sugar.

Otherwise, it is impossible to extract sugar. You know how an earthen

pot and a slate are made : The clay must be burnt repeatedly in order

to transform it into a pot which you lift and carry on your head.

Before the clay is made into a pot, it is trodden and trampled by

anybody and everybody. The pot does deserve a place over our head

because the clay has allowed itself to be burnt and processed. So,

you should not be afraid of difficulties in life.

 

In the epic Mahabharata, Kunti prayed to Krishna to give her sons and

herself more and more difficulties so :that they, can think of Him

unceasingly and fervently. Hence, both good and bad are created by

God for your redemption and liberation.