Guest guest Posted September 7, 2007 Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 sai ram i did not understand end of the email... amrit sai ram all i know is that...nothing is impossible. --- Meera Bakshi <meeraharesh wrote: > Very happy to read this e-letter. > Jai Sai Ram. > Meera > --- Swamy Mahadevan <mahadevanvnswamy > wrote: > > > WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER? > > > > The topic for this evening's talk is, " Why do good > > people suffer? " > > The very fact, so many people have gathered here > > today, is sufficient > > proof of our interest in the subject. Almost at > > every place, where I > > go, in India or abroad, people put to me the > > question: " Why do good > > people suffer? " By Sai's Grace & blessings now > this > > is the > > right time for me to give an answer thro this > divine > > sssd group > > > > The story is almost the same everywhere. The > people > > say: " We have > > been honest and hard working: we have not hurt or > > exploited anyone: > > we have done as much good as we could: and yet we > > have had to suffer. > > What is the reason? " > > > > I am reminded of a young man. He built up a > > flourishing business in > > Mumbai. Then he turned his attention to spiritual > > things. He, as it > > were, handed over his business to his assistants, > > whom he trusted > > implicitly. They proved to be dishonest. Very > soon, > > this young man > > found himself in a difficult situation. He was on > > the verge of > > bankruptcy. Winding up his business, he went to > > America, where he > > opened a shop. Misfortune dogged his footsteps. > One > > afternoon, two > > black men entered his shop with pistol in their > > hands. One of them > > caught hold of him and said: " If you stir or utter > a > > word, you will > > not be alive! " The other ransacked the shop and > > filled the booty in a > > waiting van and, before any action could be taken, > > the two quickly > > vanished. > > > > In the course of a letter this young man wrote to > > me: " Why did this > > happen to me? I pray many times everyday. I seek > > God's help and > > protection. Every morning, as I get up, I offer a > > prayer: I spend > > some time in quiet meditation. Before I open the > > shop, I pray. > > Throughout the day I keep thinking of God and > offer > > small prayers to > > Him. I pray again in night, before I go to sleep. > I > > have hurt no one: > > I have cheated no one. I have never been > dishonest. > > Why, of all > > people, did this happen to me? " > > > > I think of a young woman. She stays in Singapore. > > She is God fearing. > > She is an active member of a Yoga Society. Some > > months ago, she came > > to India, along with her family members. They > > visited a number of > > sacred shrines. They met holy men and sought their > > blessings. Then > > they returned to Singapore. A few days thereafter, > > their office > > premises were gutted by fire, and precious > documents > > were destroyed. > > The girl, with tear filled eyes exclaimed: " Why is > > it that this > > happened to us? We visited India in a spirit of > > reverence, sought the > > blessings of a number of holy men and women. Why > did > > this happen to > > us! " > > > > I read concerning a woman. She went round the > world > > collecting rare > > and precious antiques. After six laborious years, > > she returned to her > > country where she planned to start business in > > antiques. A week > > before the inaugural function, a fire broke out, > and > > a number of > > shops including her own were destroyed. Her hard > > work of six long > > years proved futile. Her priceless collections, > her > > irreplaceable > > curios, were reduced to ashes! No insurance claim > > could compensate > > her adequately. She put the same question: " Why > did > > the All-Merciful > > God permit this to happen to me? " > > > > Let me tell you of another woman. She devoted the > > best part of her > > life to social service. She was by nature affable, > > amiable, > > energetic, and vivacious. She went out of her way > to > > bring joy and > > comfort into the lives of many. Suddenly, one day, > > she found herself > > losing balance as she walked. A few days later, as > > she returned home, > > one night, she stumbled and fell across the > > threshold of her house. > > The next day she was examined by a doctor, who, > > after a thorough > > check up, diagnosed the disease as multiple > > sclerosis. She was told > > that it was a degenerative nerve-disease which, > with > > passage of time, > > would gather momentum and restrict her mobility. > > Ultimately, she > > would not be able to walk without support and she > > would be confined > > to a wheel-chair. She might even lose bowel and > > bladder control and > > be dependent on others for her routine chores. > This > > lady too, could > > not understand why this had happened to her, when > > many of her friends > > lived normal, healthy lives. " Why did God permit > > this to happen to > > me? " she asked. > > > > Some people believe that there are certain > > obligations they owe to > > God, and if they fail to fulfill them, they or > their > > dear ones are > > punished. One such woman met me when I visited > > Ottawa, Canada. She > > told me that she recited the second, twelfth and > > eighteenth chapters > > of the Bhagavad Gita every day, before taking her > > lunch. She > > observed, also, the Satyanarayan fast, every > month. > > But during a > > whole month, she missed out on the recitation and > > the fast. The day > > after Satyanarayan her husband, who was perfectly > > healthy and normal, > > suffered a stroke, and has remained paralysed > since > > then. The woman > > put me the question that was uppermost in her > mind: > > " Has this > > anything to do with my failure to read from the > > scriptures and > > observe the fast? Is there any cause and effect > > relationship between > > the two? " > > > > I think of a young man. He was the only son of his > > parents, who are > > good and kind, and obliging by nature. With his > > pleasant manners, the > > young man easily won over the hearts of many who > > knew him. One night, > > the car in which he was returning home, collided > > against a truck, > > killing him and three of his other friends. When > the > > news was > > conveyed to his parents, they cried: " Why did the > > Merciful Lord allow > > this happen to us? Why was our only son snatched > === message truncated === ______________________________\ ____ Sick sense of humor? Visit TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when. http://tv./collections/222 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2007 Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 thank you sairam for this wonderful treatise on atma vidya On 9/4/07, Swamy Mahadevan <mahadevanvnswamy wrote: WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER?The topic for this evening's talk is, " Why do good people suffer? " The very fact, so many people have gathered here today, is sufficient proof of our interest in the subject. Almost at every place, where I go, in India or abroad, people put to me the question: " Why do good people suffer? " By Sai's Grace & blessings now this is the right time for me to give an answer thro this divine sssd group The story is almost the same everywhere. The people say: " We have been honest and hard working: we have not hurt or exploited anyone: we have done as much good as we could: and yet we have had to suffer. What is the reason? " I am reminded of a young man. He built up a flourishing business in Mumbai. Then he turned his attention to spiritual things. He, as it were, handed over his business to his assistants, whom he trusted implicitly. They proved to be dishonest. Very soon, this young man found himself in a difficult situation. He was on the verge of bankruptcy. Winding up his business, he went to America, where he opened a shop. Misfortune dogged his footsteps. One afternoon, two black men entered his shop with pistol in their hands. One of them caught hold of him and said: " If you stir or utter a word, you will not be alive! " The other ransacked the shop and filled the booty in a waiting van and, before any action could be taken, the two quickly vanished.In the course of a letter this young man wrote to me: " Why did this happen to me? I pray many times everyday. I seek God's help and protection. Every morning, as I get up, I offer a prayer: I spend some time in quiet meditation. Before I open the shop, I pray. Throughout the day I keep thinking of God and offer small prayers to Him. I pray again in night, before I go to sleep. I have hurt no one: I have cheated no one. I have never been dishonest. Why, of all people, did this happen to me? " I think of a young woman. She stays in Singapore. She is God fearing. She is an active member of a Yoga Society. Some months ago, she came to India, along with her family members. They visited a number of sacred shrines. They met holy men and sought their blessings. Then they returned to Singapore. A few days thereafter, their office premises were gutted by fire, and precious documents were destroyed. The girl, with tear filled eyes exclaimed: " Why is it that this happened to us? We visited India in a spirit of reverence, sought the blessings of a number of holy men and women. Why did this happen to us! " I read concerning a woman. She went round the world collecting rare and precious antiques. After six laborious years, she returned to her country where she planned to start business in antiques. A week before the inaugural function, a fire broke out, and a number of shops including her own were destroyed. Her hard work of six long years proved futile. Her priceless collections, her irreplaceable curios, were reduced to ashes! No insurance claim could compensate her adequately. She put the same question: " Why did the All-Merciful God permit this to happen to me? " Let me tell you of another woman. She devoted the best part of her life to social service. She was by nature affable, amiable, energetic, and vivacious. She went out of her way to bring joy and comfort into the lives of many. Suddenly, one day, she found herself losing balance as she walked. A few days later, as she returned home, one night, she stumbled and fell across the threshold of her house. The next day she was examined by a doctor, who, after a thorough check up, diagnosed the disease as multiple sclerosis. She was told that it was a degenerative nerve-disease which, with passage of time, would gather momentum and restrict her mobility. Ultimately, she would not be able to walk without support and she would be confined to a wheel-chair. She might even lose bowel and bladder control and be dependent on others for her routine chores. This lady too, could not understand why this had happened to her, when many of her friends lived normal, healthy lives. " Why did God permit this to happen to me? " she asked.Some people believe that there are certain obligations they owe to God, and if they fail to fulfill them, they or their dear ones are punished. One such woman met me when I visited Ottawa, Canada. She told me that she recited the second, twelfth and eighteenth chapters of the Bhagavad Gita every day, before taking her lunch. She observed, also, the Satyanarayan fast, every month. But during a whole month, she missed out on the recitation and the fast. The day after Satyanarayan her husband, who was perfectly healthy and normal, suffered a stroke, and has remained paralysed since then. The woman put me the question that was uppermost in her mind: " Has this anything to do with my failure to read from the scriptures and observe the fast? Is there any cause and effect relationship between the two? " I think of a young man. He was the only son of his parents, who are good and kind, and obliging by nature. With his pleasant manners, the young man easily won over the hearts of many who knew him. One night, the car in which he was returning home, collided against a truck, killing him and three of his other friends. When the news was conveyed to his parents, they cried: " Why did the Merciful Lord allow this happen to us? Why was our only son snatched away from us? " A learned Rabbi has written a book titled, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. In this book the Rabbi narrates how his three year old son was afflicted with an incurable disease called Progeria. The effect of this disease, he was told, would be that the boy would not grow taller than three feet, would remain bald, and would age rapidly. Even as a child, he would have the appearance of an old man! Naturally, the father was grief-stricken. " Why has God permitted an innocent child to become the victim of such a disease? He asked. " He has hurt or harmed no one. Why has he been exposed to physical and psychological torture? " The author considers several similar cases and concludes that God is not omnipotent, as we believe Him to be. God has limited power. Within those limitations God can exercise His discretion. But there are forces over which He has no control. If those forces operate, God has no way of helping you out. Dr. Anne Besant, the founder of the Theosophical Society gave birth to a child who, during his infancy, suffered from convulsions. Suddenly, the fever would shoot up and the infant would have a series of fits. The suffering of the infant was more than the mother could bear. She was at a total loss to understand how the All-Loving, All-Merciful, All-Compassionate God had inflicted so much suffering on a harmless, guileless and perfectly innocent baby. She turned an agnostic and said that she was not sure if there was a God.She worked on the staff of " The New Review " . One day, she was asked to review `The Secret Doctrine' by Madame H.B. Blavatsky. As she went through this book, she came upon a chapter on Karma and Reincarnation. She read line after line of this chapter with deepening interest and a new awakening dawned on her. She began to understand that the present was not the only life that she or her child had lived; it was but one of the innumerable lives they had lived so far. The present life was but a fragment in the continuity of existence and, therefore what an individual suffered today could be the product of what he (or she) had done in an earlier incarnation. The mystery was unravelled. Her entire attitude towards life changed. The answer to the opt-repeated question, " Why do good people suffer? " becomes clear when we understand the operation of the law of karma and re-incarnation. The law of karma is the law of cause and effect. Every effect must have a cause. The effect we see now must have a cause, recent or remote. Whatever happens to me today has a cause behind it. Question: What is the concrete proof for this?Answer: You will get concrete proof when you practice silence and enter the depths within you. The meaning of the mystery of the endless adventure of existence is there within you. As you enter into the depths within, the mystery is unravelled.Question: Can you give us some concrete example?Answer: An example has been given in the Mahabharata. It concerns the blind King Dhritarashtra. After the Mahabharata war was over, Sri Krishna said to Pandavas and Kauravas and all others: " It is time for me to return to Dwaraka. But before I leave, tell me if there is anything I can do for you? " The blind King Dhritarashtra said to him: " I have bee good to everyone: I have not been cruel or unjust to anyone. Why is it that I am blind and have lost all my hundred children? " And Sri Krishna said to him: " I would wish you to get the answer for yourself. Meditate, go deep within yourself until you touch the astral self, and you will know! " Dhritarashtra entered into deep meditation and contacted his astral self. The astral self keeps a record of our earlier incarnations. Dhritarashtra discovered that in an earlier incarnation, he had been a tyrant king. One day as he walked by a lake side, he saw a swan-bird surrounded by a hundred signets. He asked his people to remove the eyes of the swan-bird and kill all the hundred signets just to please his passing fancy! He then understood why he was blind and had to suffer the loss of his hundred sons. Question: But isn't that a very lengthy process of getting to know?Answer: It is well worth it. You do not acquire a post graduate degree overnight. You have to put in years of study. Just as there is the science of nature, so also there is the science of the spirit.The rishis of ancient India called it Atmavidya. Vidya means science. As natural sciences have their laws, so does Atmavidya, - the science of the spirit, - have its laws. One of those laws is the law of karma; another is the law of re-incarnation.Question: Could you explain this law of karma? Answer: The law of karma, simply stated, is the law of cause and effect. My Beloved Master referred to the law of karma as the law of the seed. As you sow, so shall you reap. You cannot sow thrones and reap apples. The law of karma is universal in its application: it applies equally to all. We are sowing seeds everyday in the field of life. Every thought that I think, every word that I utter, every deed I perform, every emotion I arouse within me, every feeling, fancy, wish that awakens within me, are seeds I am sowing in the field of life. In due course, the seeds will germinate and grow into trees, and yield fruit, - bitter or sweet, - which I shall have to eat. No one else can do that for me. There are causes that produce their effect immediately. There are other causes that produce their effect after a long time. As an example, if you go to a party and overeat, it is a cause you have created. This cause produces an immediate effect, - acute indigestion. There are other causes which take very long to produce their effect. But every cause must produce its effect; every seed must yield its fruit. This in simple words is the law of karma.We are told, all men are created equal. No one can be so blind or foolish as to imagine that there is actual equality of ability or environment or conditions of birth for all. Why, in the same family, all children do not have equality of ability or intelligence. There is a family of which the eldest son is an IAS officer and the younger is unable to pass the SSC examination. We have a proverb in Sindhi which says: " The mother gives birth to children, each brings with himself his destiny. " In other words, each one brings his karma with himself. There is a family of which youngest son is a multi millionaire, while the eldest is so poor that he and his children are virtually starving, literally begging for food.Two questions arise: 1. Is this inequality the result of karma? 2. And if so, is it fair?The answer to both, - as the great teachers of India have taught us, -is in the affirmative. You are the architect of your own destiny. You are the builder of your own life. Every thought, emotion, wish, action creates karma: and we have been creating karma for thousands, perhaps millions of years. If our thoughts, emotions and actions are benevolent, so called good karma results. If they are malevolent, evil or difficult karma is created. The good or evil we generate attaches its effect to us and remains in our life current until we have satisfied it by balancing it out.Question: Why is our past karma kept a secret from us? Answer: Don't you think it is a great mercy of God that our karmic links are not known t o us> Else, it may be difficult for us to live in the world. Thus, for instance, there may be a man whose wife, in the present incarnation, was his bitter enemy in an earlier incarnation and had now become his wife only to settle previous accounts. If all this were revealed to us, what would be our condition?Question: How did bad karma originate? Answer: Man was given free will; he was given the right of choice. He can choose between what the Upanishads call preya and shreya. Preya is the pleasant: the path of preya is the path of pleasure that lures us but leads to our degradation. As a Danish proverb has it: " After pleasant scratching comes unpleasant smarting. " Shreya is the good: the path of shreya may, at first, be difficult to tread but ultimately leads to our betterment and well-being and spiritual unfoldment. At every step man is given this choice. Many of us, alas, choose the easy path, -the path of pleasure, - and so keep on multiplying undesirable karma. Question: If all that happens today is the result of our past karmas, does it mean that everything is pre-destined?Answer: No, certainly not! We are the architects of our own destiny. We are the builders of our future. Many of us blame fate, kismet for our misfortune. But let me tell you, dear friends, that you are the builders of your own fate. Therefore, be careful especially of your thoughts. We pay scant attention to our thoughts, believing that they are of no consequence. We say, after all, it was only a thought, what does it matter? Every thought is a seed you are sowing in the field of life, and what you sow today, you will have to reap tomorrow.God has created a universe of beauty, fullness, happiness and harmony. Each one of us is a child of God. God wishes each one of us to be happy, healthy, prosperous, successful and to enjoy all the good things He has created. We keep ourselves away from all those bounties because of our karma. Change your karma and you will change the conditions in which you live. And you can change your karma by adopting a new pattern of thinking.Question: Can karmas be wiped off by japa?Answer: It is believed that the effects of karma can be mitigated through nama japa. In any case, the suffering can be reduced, because nama japa acts as a sort of chloroform. It is like going through an operation. The surgeon puts you under anesthesia and you come out of the operation without feeling the acute pain. Else the pain is so excruciating, that a person could die of it. This is what Nama Japa does to you.Question: Can saints take over the karma of their disciples? Answer: They can. However, normally, they do not wish to interfere with the law of karma. For they know that the law of karma is not punitive but reformative. The law of karma does not wish to punish us for what we may have done in the past. The law of karma wishes to reform us and so sends us experiences which may help on our spiritual advancement. It is true there have been cases when men of God have taken the karmas of their devotees upon themselves. It is like having birds released from their cages. A man may purchase the birds and set them free. Likewise, a man who is rich in the wealth of the Spirit may, if he so desires, pay for our karma and released us from the cage of maya. Question: Tell us how to face suffering?Answer: If our attention is on suffering they get magnified beyond all proportions. In the midst of suffering let us count our blessings. Usually, we suffer only in one area of our life. There are so many other things for which we should be grateful. Take a piece of paper and make a list of all the blessings you still have. There was a man who started from scratch and build up a flourishing business and one day become bankrupt. The first thing he did was to take up a piece of paper and write down all the things he still possessed. He found, he still had a great deal to be thankful for. With gratitude in his heart, he started anew and built up a still larger business. If we count on our blessings, our suffering recedes in the background.In all conditions of life, let us thank the Lord. Let us make it a habit, - to praise the Lord at every step, in every round of life. Even in the midst of fear and frustration, worry and anxiety, depression and disappointment, let these words come out of the very depths of our hearts: " Thank you, God! Thank you, God! " and we will be filled with a peace that will amaze us. When we thank the Lord all the time, we build for ourselves a ladder of consciousness on which we can climb and touch the very pinnacle of peace.Let me tell you the story of a woman. Her husband fell seriously ill. The doctors dispaired of his condition and said he would not be able to last longer than six months. The woman had deep faith in God and started thanking the Lord a thousand times everyday. " Thank you, God! Thank you, God! " she prayed again and again. " Thank you, God, for having healed my husband and made him whole. " She continued to offer his prayer even though there was no sign of healing in sight. Strange enough, a few months later, when the husband went for a check up, the doctors were amazed at his miraculous recovery. " A power above and beyond ours has been at work! " they exclaimed.Whatever be the condition in which you find yourself, whatever be the suffering through which you pass, keep on thinking the Lord all the time. When you do so, your heart expands and you become receptive to the helpful and healing forces of God.In every situation, do the very best you can and leave the result to the Lord. When Henry Ford was seventy-five years old, he was asked the secret of his success. He answered: " My life is built in these three rules. I do not eat too much, I do not worry too much and, if I do my best, I believe that what happens happens for the best. " Baba is every where just feel him and keep on saying 'Om Sai Ram' to whom so ever you meet.OM SAI SRI SAI JAI JAI SAI!!! Let us pray at the lotus feet of Bhagwan Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him Let us pray Shri Sai to give us the intellect and wisdom to make tomorrow's world a happier place to stay by following his principle of " Shraddha " and " Saburi " Jai Sai RamSwamy Mahadevan Bow to Shri Sai-Peace be to allBaba Bless you ever!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2007 Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 Jesus Brother Swamy Mahadevan You are the only first person in my life to open my eye from my evil activities & also my bhahan Dr.pooja Sai Bhatia. You both used to send all he spiritual mails to me, I am the one I ignored all your advices & ur mails I used to delete. its true my dear brother. becauses my dad and mum, then brothers & sisters nobody is giving any such of advices in my life, I used to spoil all the girls thats my hobby.My Hobby is drink 24 hours, smoke, spoil the girls. Here I spoiled your name and Pooja's name also everywhere including your Project 'Sai Gramam " , that you know then also you starts giving advices to me, thats my Jesus " Jis Ka Koi Nahi Us Ka Kuda Hai Yar ho " Bro.Swamy mahadevan today only I read your article " Why do the good people suffer " really excellant and very very beautiful work done by you. Bro.Swamy mahadevan try to send Sai Satcharita & Sai Gayathri, whatever you are telling I will be following it as per Jesus words. Thro your this article you opend my eyes, really my dear no words from my side to give any appreciation to any body then Bro. Kumar Mahadevan is also doing a very beautiful services, I will be wriiting to him as well as Pooja and Princes. Can anybody can suggest my trip to shirdi and parthi from UK? Planning to go Shirdi & Parthi as per your advice, please u give me the location and other details my brother. As per your instruction last week I joined in your group and also all the sai devotees group by Jesus Permission. as per ur instruction i will be posting jesus articles if jesus permitts Jesus Bless everybody aries for jesus services , " Swamy Mahadevan " <mahadevanvnswamy wrote: > > WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER? > > The topic for this evening's talk is, " Why do good people suffer? " > The very fact, so many people have gathered here today, is sufficient > proof of our interest in the subject. Almost at every place, where I > go, in India or abroad, people put to me the question: " Why do good > people suffer? " By Sai's Grace & blessings now this is the > right time for me to give an answer thro this divine sssd group > > The story is almost the same everywhere. The people say: " We have > been honest and hard working: we have not hurt or exploited anyone: > we have done as much good as we could: and yet we have had to suffer. > What is the reason? " > > I am reminded of a young man. He built up a flourishing business in > Mumbai. Then he turned his attention to spiritual things. He, as it > were, handed over his business to his assistants, whom he trusted > implicitly. They proved to be dishonest. Very soon, this young man > found himself in a difficult situation. He was on the verge of > bankruptcy. Winding up his business, he went to America, where he > opened a shop. Misfortune dogged his footsteps. One afternoon, two > black men entered his shop with pistol in their hands. One of them > caught hold of him and said: " If you stir or utter a word, you will > not be alive! " The other ransacked the shop and filled the booty in a > waiting van and, before any action could be taken, the two quickly > vanished. > > In the course of a letter this young man wrote to me: " Why did this > happen to me? I pray many times everyday. I seek God's help and > protection. Every morning, as I get up, I offer a prayer: I spend > some time in quiet meditation. Before I open the shop, I pray. > Throughout the day I keep thinking of God and offer small prayers to > Him. I pray again in night, before I go to sleep. I have hurt no one: > I have cheated no one. I have never been dishonest. Why, of all > people, did this happen to me? " > > I think of a young woman. She stays in Singapore. She is God fearing. > She is an active member of a Yoga Society. Some months ago, she came > to India, along with her family members. They visited a number of > sacred shrines. They met holy men and sought their blessings. Then > they returned to Singapore. A few days thereafter, their office > premises were gutted by fire, and precious documents were destroyed. > The girl, with tear filled eyes exclaimed: " Why is it that this > happened to us? We visited India in a spirit of reverence, sought the > blessings of a number of holy men and women. Why did this happen to > us! " > > I read concerning a woman. She went round the world collecting rare > and precious antiques. After six laborious years, she returned to her > country where she planned to start business in antiques. A week > before the inaugural function, a fire broke out, and a number of > shops including her own were destroyed. Her hard work of six long > years proved futile. Her priceless collections, her irreplaceable > curios, were reduced to ashes! No insurance claim could compensate > her adequately. She put the same question: " Why did the All- Merciful > God permit this to happen to me? " > > Let me tell you of another woman. She devoted the best part of her > life to social service. She was by nature affable, amiable, > energetic, and vivacious. She went out of her way to bring joy and > comfort into the lives of many. Suddenly, one day, she found herself > losing balance as she walked. A few days later, as she returned home, > one night, she stumbled and fell across the threshold of her house. > The next day she was examined by a doctor, who, after a thorough > check up, diagnosed the disease as multiple sclerosis. She was told > that it was a degenerative nerve-disease which, with passage of time, > would gather momentum and restrict her mobility. Ultimately, she > would not be able to walk without support and she would be confined > to a wheel-chair. She might even lose bowel and bladder control and > be dependent on others for her routine chores. This lady too, could > not understand why this had happened to her, when many of her friends > lived normal, healthy lives. " Why did God permit this to happen to > me? " she asked. > > Some people believe that there are certain obligations they owe to > God, and if they fail to fulfill them, they or their dear ones are > punished. One such woman met me when I visited Ottawa, Canada. She > told me that she recited the second, twelfth and eighteenth chapters > of the Bhagavad Gita every day, before taking her lunch. She > observed, also, the Satyanarayan fast, every month. But during a > whole month, she missed out on the recitation and the fast. The day > after Satyanarayan her husband, who was perfectly healthy and normal, > suffered a stroke, and has remained paralysed since then. The woman > put me the question that was uppermost in her mind: " Has this > anything to do with my failure to read from the scriptures and > observe the fast? Is there any cause and effect relationship between > the two? " > > I think of a young man. He was the only son of his parents, who are > good and kind, and obliging by nature. With his pleasant manners, the > young man easily won over the hearts of many who knew him. One night, > the car in which he was returning home, collided against a truck, > killing him and three of his other friends. When the news was > conveyed to his parents, they cried: " Why did the Merciful Lord allow > this happen to us? Why was our only son snatched away from us? " > > A learned Rabbi has written a book titled, When Bad Things Happen to > Good People. In this book the Rabbi narrates how his three year old > son was afflicted with an incurable disease called Progeria. The > effect of this disease, he was told, would be that the boy would not > grow taller than three feet, would remain bald, and would age > rapidly. Even as a child, he would have the appearance of an old man! > Naturally, the father was grief-stricken. " Why has God permitted an > innocent child to become the victim of such a disease? He asked. " He > has hurt or harmed no one. Why has he been exposed to physical and > psychological torture? " The author considers several similar cases > and concludes that God is not omnipotent, as we believe Him to be. > God has limited power. Within those limitations God can exercise His > discretion. But there are forces over which He has no control. If > those forces operate, God has no way of helping you out. > > Dr. Anne Besant, the founder of the Theosophical Society gave birth > to a child who, during his infancy, suffered from convulsions. > Suddenly, the fever would shoot up and the infant would have a series > of fits. The suffering of the infant was more than the mother could > bear. She was at a total loss to understand how the All-Loving, All- > Merciful, All-Compassionate God had inflicted so much suffering on a > harmless, guileless and perfectly innocent baby. She turned an > agnostic and said that she was not sure if there was a God. > > She worked on the staff of " The New Review " . One day, she was asked > to review `The Secret Doctrine' by Madame H.B. Blavatsky. As she went > through this book, she came upon a chapter on Karma and > Reincarnation. She read line after line of this chapter with > deepening interest and a new awakening dawned on her. She began to > understand that the present was not the only life that she or her > child had lived; it was but one of the innumerable lives they had > lived so far. The present life was but a fragment in the continuity > of existence and, therefore what an individual suffered today could > be the product of what he (or she) had done in an earlier > incarnation. The mystery was unravelled. Her entire attitude towards > life changed. > > The answer to the opt-repeated question, " Why do good people suffer? " > becomes clear when we understand the operation of the law of karma > and re-incarnation. The law of karma is the law of cause and effect. > Every effect must have a cause. The effect we see now must have a > cause, recent or remote. Whatever happens to me today has a cause > behind it. > > Question: What is the concrete proof for this? > > Answer: You will get concrete proof when you practice silence and > enter the depths within you. The meaning of the mystery of the > endless adventure of existence is there within you. As you enter into > the depths within, the mystery is unravelled. > > Question: Can you give us some concrete example? > > Answer: An example has been given in the Mahabharata. It concerns the > blind King Dhritarashtra. After the Mahabharata war was over, Sri > Krishna said to Pandavas and Kauravas and all others: " It is time for > me to return to Dwaraka. But before I leave, tell me if there is > anything I can do for you? " The blind King Dhritarashtra said to > him: " I have bee good to everyone: I have not been cruel or unjust to > anyone. Why is it that I am blind and have lost all my hundred > children? " And Sri Krishna said to him: " I would wish you to get the > answer for yourself. Meditate, go deep within yourself until you > touch the astral self, and you will know! " > > Dhritarashtra entered into deep meditation and contacted his astral > self. The astral self keeps a record of our earlier incarnations. > Dhritarashtra discovered that in an earlier incarnation, he had been > a tyrant king. One day as he walked by a lake side, he saw a swan- > bird surrounded by a hundred signets. He asked his people to remove > the eyes of the swan-bird and kill all the hundred signets just to > please his passing fancy! He then understood why he was blind and had > to suffer the loss of his hundred sons. > > Question: But isn't that a very lengthy process of getting to know? > > Answer: It is well worth it. You do not acquire a post graduate > degree overnight. You have to put in years of study. Just as there is > the science of nature, so also there is the science of the spirit. > > The rishis of ancient India called it Atmavidya. Vidya means science. > As natural sciences have their laws, so does Atmavidya, - the science > of the spirit, - have its laws. One of those laws is the law of > karma; another is the law of re-incarnation. > > Question: Could you explain this law of karma? > > Answer: The law of karma, simply stated, is the law of cause and > effect. My Beloved Master referred to the law of karma as the law of > the seed. As you sow, so shall you reap. You cannot sow thrones and > reap apples. The law of karma is universal in its application: it > applies equally to all. We are sowing seeds everyday in the field of > life. Every thought that I think, every word that I utter, every deed > I perform, every emotion I arouse within me, every feeling, fancy, > wish that awakens within me, are seeds I am sowing in the field of > life. In due course, the seeds will germinate and grow into trees, > and yield fruit, - bitter or sweet, - which I shall have to eat. No > one else can do that for me. There are causes that produce their > effect immediately. There are other causes that produce their effect > after a long time. As an example, if you go to a party and overeat, > it is a cause you have created. This cause produces an immediate > effect, - acute indigestion. There are other causes which take very > long to produce their effect. But every cause must produce its > effect; every seed must yield its fruit. This in simple words is the > law of karma. > > We are told, all men are created equal. No one can be so blind or > foolish as to imagine that there is actual equality of ability or > environment or conditions of birth for all. Why, in the same family, > all children do not have equality of ability or intelligence. There > is a family of which the eldest son is an IAS officer and the younger > is unable to pass the SSC examination. We have a proverb in Sindhi > which says: " The mother gives birth to children, each brings with > himself his destiny. " In other words, each one brings his karma with > himself. There is a family of which youngest son is a multi > millionaire, while the eldest is so poor that he and his children are > virtually starving, literally begging for food. > > Two questions arise: > 1. Is this inequality the result of karma? > 2. And if so, is it fair? > > The answer to both, - as the great teachers of India have taught us, - > is in the affirmative. You are the architect of your own destiny. > You are the builder of your own life. Every thought, emotion, wish, > action creates karma: and we have been creating karma for thousands, > perhaps millions of years. If our thoughts, emotions and actions are > benevolent, so called good karma results. If they are malevolent, > evil or difficult karma is created. The good or evil we generate > attaches its effect to us and remains in our life current until we > have satisfied it by balancing it out. > > Question: Why is our past karma kept a secret from us? > > Answer: Don't you think it is a great mercy of God that our karmic > links are not known t o us> Else, it may be difficult for us to live > in the world. Thus, for instance, there may be a man whose wife, in > the present incarnation, was his bitter enemy in an earlier > incarnation and had now become his wife only to settle previous > accounts. If all this were revealed to us, what would be our > condition? > > Question: How did bad karma originate? > > Answer: Man was given free will; he was given the right of choice. He > can choose between what the Upanishads call preya and shreya. Preya > is the pleasant: the path of preya is the path of pleasure that lures > us but leads to our degradation. As a Danish proverb has it: " After > pleasant scratching comes unpleasant smarting. " Shreya is the good: > the path of shreya may, at first, be difficult to tread but > ultimately leads to our betterment and well-being and spiritual > unfoldment. At every step man is given this choice. Many of us, alas, > choose the easy path, -the path of pleasure, - and so keep on > multiplying undesirable karma. > > Question: If all that happens today is the result of our past karmas, > does it mean that everything is pre-destined? > > Answer: No, certainly not! We are the architects of our own destiny. > We are the builders of our future. Many of us blame fate, kismet for > our misfortune. But let me tell you, dear friends, that you are the > builders of your own fate. Therefore, be careful especially of your > thoughts. We pay scant attention to our thoughts, believing that they > are of no consequence. We say, after all, it was only a thought, what > does it matter? Every thought is a seed you are sowing in the field > of life, and what you sow today, you will have to reap tomorrow. > > God has created a universe of beauty, fullness, happiness and > harmony. Each one of us is a child of God. God wishes each one of us > to be happy, healthy, prosperous, successful and to enjoy all the > good things He has created. We keep ourselves away from all those > bounties because of our karma. Change your karma and you will change > the conditions in which you live. And you can change your karma by > adopting a new pattern of thinking. > > Question: Can karmas be wiped off by japa? > > Answer: It is believed that the effects of karma can be mitigated > through nama japa. In any case, the suffering can be reduced, because > nama japa acts as a sort of chloroform. It is like going through an > operation. The surgeon puts you under anesthesia and you come out of > the operation without feeling the acute pain. Else the pain is so > excruciating, that a person could die of it. This is what Nama Japa > does to you. > > Question: Can saints take over the karma of their disciples? > > Answer: They can. However, normally, they do not wish to interfere > with the law of karma. For they know that the law of karma is not > punitive but reformative. The law of karma does not wish to punish us > for what we may have done in the past. The law of karma wishes to > reform us and so sends us experiences which may help on our spiritual > advancement. It is true there have been cases when men of God have > taken the karmas of their devotees upon themselves. It is like having > birds released from their cages. A man may purchase the birds and set > them free. Likewise, a man who is rich in the wealth of the Spirit > may, if he so desires, pay for our karma and released us from the > cage of maya. > > Question: Tell us how to face suffering? > > Answer: If our attention is on suffering they get magnified beyond > all proportions. In the midst of suffering let us count our > blessings. Usually, we suffer only in one area of our life. There are > so many other things for which we should be grateful. Take a piece of > paper and make a list of all the blessings you still have. There was > a man who started from scratch and build up a flourishing business > and one day become bankrupt. The first thing he did was to take up a > piece of paper and write down all the things he still possessed. He > found, he still had a great deal to be thankful for. With gratitude > in his heart, he started anew and built up a still larger business. > If we count on our blessings, our suffering recedes in the background. > > In all conditions of life, let us thank the Lord. Let us make it a > habit, - to praise the Lord at every step, in every round of life. > Even in the midst of fear and frustration, worry and anxiety, > depression and disappointment, let these words come out of the very > depths of our hearts: " Thank you, God! Thank you, God! " and we will > be filled with a peace that will amaze us. When we thank the Lord all > the time, we build for ourselves a ladder of consciousness on which > we can climb and touch the very pinnacle of peace. > > Let me tell you the story of a woman. Her husband fell seriously ill. > The doctors dispaired of his condition and said he would not be able > to last longer than six months. The woman had deep faith in God and > started thanking the Lord a thousand times everyday. " Thank you, God! > Thank you, God! " she prayed again and again. " Thank you, God, for > having healed my husband and made him whole. " She continued to offer > his prayer even though there was no sign of healing in sight. Strange > enough, a few months later, when the husband went for a check up, the > doctors were amazed at his miraculous recovery. " A power above and > beyond ours has been at work! " they exclaimed. > > Whatever be the condition in which you find yourself, whatever be the > suffering through which you pass, keep on thinking the Lord all the > time. When you do so, your heart expands and you become receptive to > the helpful and healing forces of God. > > In every situation, do the very best you can and leave the result to > the Lord. When Henry Ford was seventy-five years old, he was asked > the secret of his success. He answered: " My life is built in these > three rules. I do not eat too much, I do not worry too much and, if I > do my best, I believe that what happens happens for the best. " > > Baba is every where just feel him and keep on saying `Om Sai Ram' to whom so ever you meet. > > OM SAI SRI SAI JAI JAI SAI!!! Let us pray at the lotus feet of Bhagwan Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him > > Let us pray Shri Sai to give us the intellect and wisdom to make tomorrow's world a happier place to stay by following his principle of " Shraddha " and " Saburi " > > Jai Sai Ram > Swamy Mahadevan > Bow to Shri Sai-Peace be to all > Baba Bless you ever!!! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER?The topic for this evening's talk is, "Why do good people suffer?" The very fact, so many people have gathered here today, is sufficientproof of our interest in the subject. Almost at every place, where I go, in India or abroad, people put to me the question: "Why do goodpeople suffer?" By Sai's Grace & blessings now this is the right time for me to give an answer thro this divine SAI groupThe story is almost the same everywhere. The people say: "We have been honest and hard working: we have not hurt or exploited anyone: we have done as much good as we could: and yet we have had to suffer. What is the reason?"I am reminded of a young man. He built up a flourishing business in Mumbai. Then he turned his attention to spiritual things. He, as itwere, handed over his business to his assistants, whom he trusted implicitly. They proved to be dishonest. Very soon, this young manfound himself in a difficult situation. He was on the verge of bankruptcy. Winding up his business, he went to America, where heopened a shop. Misfortune dogged his footsteps. One afternoon, two black men entered his shop with pistol in their hands. One of themcaught hold of him and said: "If you stir or utter a word, you will not be alive!" The other ransacked the shop and filled the booty in awaiting van and, before any action could be taken, the two quickly vanished.In the course of a letter this young man wrote to me: "Why did this happen to me? I pray many times everyday. I seek God's help andprotection. Every morning, as I get up, I offer a prayer: I spend some time in quiet meditation. Before I open the shop, I pray.Throughout the day I keep thinking of God and offer small prayers to Him. I pray again in night, before I go to sleep. I have hurt no one:I have cheated no one. I have never been dishonest. Why, of all people, did this happen to me?"I think of a young woman. She stays in Singapore. She is God fearing. She is an active member of a Yoga Society. Some months ago, she came to India, along with her family members. They visited a number of sacred shrines. They met holy men and sought their blessings. Then they returned to Singapore. A few days thereafter, their office premises were gutted by fire, and precious documents were destroyed. The girl, with tear filled eyes exclaimed: "Why is it that this happened to us? We visited India in a spirit of reverence, sought the blessings of a number of holy men and women. Why did this happen to us!"I read concerning a woman. She went round the world collecting rare and precious antiques. After six laborious years, she returned to hercountry where she planned to start business in antiques. A week before the inaugural function, a fire broke out, and a number ofshops including her own were destroyed. Her hard work of six long years proved futile. Her priceless collections, her irreplaceablecurios, were reduced to ashes! No insurance claim could compensate her adequately. She put the same question: "Why did the All-Merciful God permit this to happen to me?"Let me tell you of another woman. She devoted the best part of her life to social service. She was by nature affable, amiable,energetic, and vivacious. She went out of her way to bring joy and comfort into the lives of many. Suddenly, one day, she found herselflosing balance as she walked. A few days later, as she returned home, one night, she stumbled and fell across the threshold of her house. The next day she was examined by a doctor, who, after a thorough check up, diagnosed the disease as multiple sclerosis. She was told that it was a degenerative nerve-disease which, with passage of time, would gather momentum and restrict her mobility. Ultimately, she would not be able to walk without support and she would be confined to a wheel-chair. She might even lose bowel and bladder control and be dependent on others for her routine chores. This lady too, could not understand why this had happened to her, when many of her friends lived normal, healthy lives. "Why did God permit this to happen to me?" she asked.Some people believe that there are certain obligations they owe to God, and if they fail to fulfill them, they or their dear ones arepunished. One such woman met me when I visited Ottawa, Canada. She told me that she recited the second, twelfth and eighteenth chapters of the Bhagavad Gita every day, before taking her lunch. She observed, also, the Satyanarayan fast, every month. But during awhole month, she missed out on the recitation and the fast. The day after Satyanarayan her husband, who was perfectly healthy and normal, suffered a stroke, and has remained paralysed since then. The woman put me the question that was uppermost in her mind: "Has this anything to do with my failure to read from the scriptures and observe the fast? Is there any cause and effect relationship betweenthe two?"I think of a young man. He was the only son of his parents, who are good and kind, and obliging by nature. With his pleasant manners, the young man easily won over the hearts of many who knew him. One night, the car in which he was returning home, collided against a truck, killing him and three of his other friends. When the news was conveyed to his parents, they cried: "Why did the Merciful Lord allowthis happen to us? Why was our only son snatched away from us?"A learned Rabbi has written a book titled, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. In this book the Rabbi narrates how his three year old son was afflicted with an incurable disease called Progeria. The effect of this disease, he was told, would be that the boy would notgrow taller than three feet, would remain bald, and would age rapidly. Even as a child, he would have the appearance of an old man!Naturally, the father was grief-stricken. "Why has God permitted an innocent child to become the victim of such a disease? He asked. "Hehas hurt or harmed no one. Why has he been exposed to physical and psychological torture?" The author considers several similar casesand concludes that God is not omnipotent, as we believe Him to be. God has limited power. Within those limitations God can exercise Hisdiscretion. But there are forces over which He has no control. If those forces operate, God has no way of helping you out.Dr. Anne Besant, the founder of the Theosophical Society gave birth to a child who, during his infancy, suffered from convulsions.Suddenly, the fever would shoot up and the infant would have a series of fits. The suffering of the infant was more than the mother could bear. She was at a total loss to understand how the All-Loving, All-Merciful, All-Compassionate God had inflicted so much suffering on a harmless, guileless and perfectly innocent baby. She turned an agnostic and said that she was not sure if there was a God.She worked on the staff of "The New Review". One day, she was asked to review `The Secret Doctrine' by Madame H.B. Blavatsky. As she went through this book, she came upon a chapter on Karma and Reincarnation. She read line after line of this chapter withdeepening interest and a new awakening dawned on her. She began to understand that the present was not the only life that she or herchild had lived; it was but one of the innumerable lives they had lived so far. The present life was but a fragment in the continuityof existence and, therefore what an individual suffered today could be the product of what he (or she) had done in an earlierincarnation. The mystery was unravelled. Her entire attitude towards life changed.The answer to the opt-repeated question, "Why do good people suffer?" becomes clear when we understand the operation of the law of karma and re-incarnation. The law of karma is the law of cause and effect. Every effect must have a cause. The effect we see now must have a cause, recent or remote. Whatever happens to me today has a cause behind it.Question: What is the concrete proof for this?Answer: You will get concrete proof when you practice silence and enter the depths within you. The meaning of the mystery of theendless adventure of existence is there within you. As you enter into the depths within, the mystery is unravelled.Question: Can you give us some concrete example?Answer: An example has been given in the Mahabharata. It concerns the blind King Dhritarashtra. After the Mahabharata war was over, Sri Krishna said to Pandavas and Kauravas and all others: "It is time for me to return to Dwaraka. But before I leave, tell me if there isanything I can do for you?" The blind King Dhritarashtra said to him: "I have bee good to everyone: I have not been cruel or unjust toanyone. Why is it that I am blind and have lost all my hundred children?" And Sri Krishna said to him: "I would wish you to get theanswer for yourself. Meditate, go deep within yourself until you touch the astral self, and you will know!"Dhritarashtra entered into deep meditation and contacted his astral self. The astral self keeps a record of our earlier incarnations.Dhritarashtra discovered that in an earlier incarnation, he had been a tyrant king. One day as he walked by a lake side, he saw a swan-bird surrounded by a hundred signets. He asked his people to remove the eyes of the swan-bird and kill all the hundred signets just toplease his passing fancy! He then understood why he was blind and had to suffer the loss of his hundred sons.Question: But isn't that a very lengthy process of getting to know?Answer: It is well worth it. You do not acquire a post graduate degree overnight. You have to put in years of study. Just as there isthe science of nature, so also there is the science of the spirit.The rishis of ancient India called it Atmavidya. Vidya means science. As natural sciences have their laws, so does Atmavidya, - the science of the spirit, - have its laws. One of those laws is the law of karma; another is the law of re-incarnation.Question: Could you explain this law of karma?Answer: The law of karma, simply stated, is the law of cause and effect. My Beloved Master referred to the law of karma as the law ofthe seed. As you sow, so shall you reap. You cannot sow thrones and reap apples. The law of karma is universal in its application: itapplies equally to all. We are sowing seeds everyday in the field of life. Every thought that I think, every word that I utter, every deedI perform, every emotion I arouse within me, every feeling, fancy, wish that awakens within me, are seeds I am sowing in the field oflife. In due course, the seeds will germinate and grow into trees, and yield fruit, - bitter or sweet, - which I shall have to eat. Noone else can do that for me. There are causes that produce their effect immediately. There are other causes that produce their effectafter a long time. As an example, if you go to a party and overeat, it is a cause you have created. This cause produces an immediateeffect, - acute indigestion. There are other causes which take very long to produce their effect. But every cause must produce itseffect; every seed must yield its fruit. This in simple words is the law of karma.We are told, all men are created equal. No one can be so blind or foolish as to imagine that there is actual equality of ability orenvironment or conditions of birth for all. Why, in the same family, all children do not have equality of ability or intelligence. Thereis a family of which the eldest son is an IAS officer and the younger is unable to pass the SSC examination. We have a proverb in Sindhiwhich says: "The mother gives birth to children, each brings with himself his destiny." In other words, each one brings his karma withhimself. There is a family of which youngest son is a multi millionaire, while the eldest is so poor that he and his children arevirtually starving, literally begging for food.Two questions arise:1. Is this inequality the result of karma?2. And if so, is it fair?The answer to both, - as the great teachers of India have taught us, - is in the affirmative. You are the architect of your own destiny.You are the builder of your own life. Every thought, emotion, wish, action creates karma: and we have been creating karma for thousands, perhaps millions of years. If our thoughts, emotions and actions are benevolent, so called good karma results. If they are malevolent, evil or difficult karma is created. The good or evil we generate attaches its effect to us and remains in our life current until we have satisfied it by balancing it out.Question: Why is our past karma kept a secret from us?Answer: Don't you think it is a great mercy of God that our karmic links are not known t o us> Else, it may be difficult for us to livein the world. Thus, for instance, there may be a man whose wife, in the present incarnation, was his bitter enemy in an earlierincarnation and had now become his wife only to settle previous accounts. If all this were revealed to us, what would be ourcondition?Question: How did bad karma originate?Answer: Man was given free will; he was given the right of choice. He can choose between what the Upanishads call preya and shreya. Preya is the pleasant: the path of preya is the path of pleasure that lures us but leads to our degradation. As a Danish proverb has it: "After pleasant scratching comes unpleasant smarting." Shreya is the good: the path of shreya may, at first, be difficult to tread butultimately leads to our betterment and well-being and spiritual unfoldment. At every step man is given this choice. Many of us, alas,choose the easy path, -the path of pleasure, - and so keep on multiplying undesirable karma.Question: If all that happens today is the result of our past karmas, does it mean that everything is pre-destined?Answer: No, certainly not! We are the architects of our own destiny. We are the builders of our future. Many of us blame fate, kismet forour misfortune. But let me tell you, dear friends, that you are the builders of your own fate. Therefore, be careful especially of yourthoughts. We pay scant attention to our thoughts, believing that they are of no consequence. We say, after all, it was only a thought, what does it matter? Every thought is a seed you are sowing in the field of life, and what you sow today, you will have to reap tomorrow.God has created a universe of beauty, fullness, happiness and harmony. Each one of us is a child of God. God wishes each one of usto be happy, healthy, prosperous, successful and to enjoy all the good things He has created. We keep ourselves away from all thosebounties because of our karma. Change your karma and you will change the conditions in which you live. And you can change your karma by adopting a new pattern of thinking.Question: Can karmas be wiped off by japa?Answer: It is believed that the effects of karma can be mitigated through nama japa. In any case, the suffering can be reduced, becausenama japa acts as a sort of chloroform. It is like going through an operation. The surgeon puts you under anesthesia and you come out of the operation without feeling the acute pain. Else the pain is so excruciating, that a person could die of it. This is what Nama Japadoes to you.Question: Can saints take over the karma of their disciples?Answer: They can. However, normally, they do not wish to interfere with the law of karma. For they know that the law of karma is notpunitive but reformative. The law of karma does not wish to punish us for what we may have done in the past. The law of karma wishes to reform us and so sends us experiences which may help on our spiritual advancement. It is true there have been cases when men of God have taken the karmas of their devotees upon themselves. It is like having birds released from their cages. A man may purchase the birds and set them free. Likewise, a man who is rich in the wealth of the Spirit may, if he so desires, pay for our karma and released us from the cage of maya.Question: Tell us how to face suffering?Answer: If our attention is on suffering they get magnified beyond all proportions. In the midst of suffering let us count ourblessings. Usually, we suffer only in one area of our life. There are so many other things for which we should be grateful. Take a piece ofpaper and make a list of all the blessings you still have. There was a man who started from scratch and build up a flourishing businessand one day become bankrupt. The first thing he did was to take up a piece of paper and write down all the things he still possessed. Hefound, he still had a great deal to be thankful for. With gratitude in his heart, he started anew and built up a still larger business.If we count on our blessings, our suffering recedes in the background.In all conditions of life, let us thank the Lord. Let us make it a habit, - to praise the Lord at every step, in every round of life.Even in the midst of fear and frustration, worry and anxiety, depression and disappointment, let these words come out of the verydepths of our hearts: "Thank you, God! Thank you, God!" and we will be filled with a peace that will amaze us. When we thank the Lord all the time, we build for ourselves a ladder of consciousness on which we can climb and touch the very pinnacle of peace.Let me tell you the story of a woman. Her husband fell seriously ill. The doctors dispaired of his condition and said he would not be ableto last longer than six months. The woman had deep faith in God and started thanking the Lord a thousand times everyday. "Thank you, God! Thank you, God!" she prayed again and again. "Thank you, God, for having healed my husband and made him whole." She continued to offer his prayer even though there was no sign of healing in sight. Strange enough, a few months later, when the husband went for a check up, the doctors were amazed at his miraculous recovery. "A power above and beyond ours has been at work!" they exclaimed.Whatever be the condition in which you find yourself, whatever be the suffering through which you pass, keep on thinking the Lord all the time. When you do so, your heart expands and you become receptive to the helpful and healing forces of God.In every situation, do the very best you can and leave the result to the Lord. When Henry Ford was seventy-five years old, he was asked the secret of his success. He answered: "My life is built in these three rules. I do not eat too much, I do not worry too much and, if I do my best, I believe that what happens happens for the best."Baba is every where just feel him and keep on saying `Om Sai Ram' to whom so ever you meet.OM SAI SRI SAI JAI JAI SAI!!! Let us pray at the lotus feet of Bhagwan Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards himLet us pray Shri Sai to give us the intellect and wisdom to make tomorrow's world a happier place to stay by following his principle of "Shraddha" and "Saburi"Jai Sai RamSwamy MahadevanBow to Shri Sai-Peace be to allBaba Bless you ever and ever!!! 1 of 1 Photo(s) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.