Comments on: The Utility of Suffering http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:41:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Suffering and pain | Expanding Thought http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-161415 Suffering and pain | Expanding Thought Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:33:21 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-161415 [...] has a wonderful post and contains link to a wonderful piece by Arun Shourie and a dialog with Baba Amte. I am sure most [...] [...] has a wonderful post and contains link to a wonderful piece by Arun Shourie and a dialog with Baba Amte. I am sure most [...]

]]> By: Dr. Rajendra http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-109304 Dr. Rajendra Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:07:16 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-109304 Could you please email me the address, telephone number and email ID of Baba Amte's 'Anandvan'. Thanks and regards, Dr. Rajendra Could you please email me the address, telephone number and email ID of Baba Amte’s ‘Anandvan’.

Thanks and regards,
Dr. Rajendra

]]> By: Subbaraman Iyer http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-71035 Subbaraman Iyer Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:48:07 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-71035 Suffering can indeed be put to work and this is only by "work". In fact, I believe that the only antidote to suffering and relief from pain is by being of service to others. Perhaps the story may help: Once in a small village in India there was a woman whose only son (born after 20 years of prayer) died a tragic death. She was so overwhelmed with grief that she contemplated ending her life as she found no reason to live. Her neighbour suggested that she visit a wise holy man who can help overcome her grief. After a lot of hesitation she relented. She visited the holy man and asked him whether there were any prayers or magical incantations to bring her son back to her. Instead of sending her away, or reasoning with her he said to her " Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life". Upon hearing that the woman quickly set off to look for the magical seed. She first came to big mansion, knocked the door and asked " I am looking for a house that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place? It is very important to me ." They told her " You have to come to the wrong place" and began to pour out the tragic things which has befallen them. The woman then thought to herself " Who is better able to experience these poor unfortunate people than I who have experienced sorrows on my own and can understand how they feel". She therefore stayed to console and comfort them and then went on again to search for a home that had never known sorrow. But wherever she went, to huts and to palaces, there was never one without tales of sorrow and grief and misfortune.Ultimately she became so involved in listeneing to other people's sorrow that she forgot about her quest for the magical mustard seed. Never realising that it had actually driven the sorrow out of her lives. Suffering can indeed be put to work and this is only by “work”. In fact, I believe that the only antidote to suffering and relief from pain is by being of service to others.

Perhaps the story may help:

Once in a small village in India there was a woman whose only son (born

after 20 years of prayer) died a tragic death. She was so overwhelmed with

grief that she contemplated ending her life as she found no reason to live.

Her neighbour suggested that she visit a wise holy man who can help overcome

her grief. After a lot of hesitation she relented.

She visited the holy man and asked him whether there were any prayers or

magical incantations to bring her son back to her. Instead of sending her

away, or reasoning with her he said to her ” Fetch me a mustard seed from a

home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of

your life”. Upon hearing that the woman quickly set off to look for the

magical seed. She first came to big mansion, knocked the door and asked ” I

am looking for a house that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place? It

is very important to me .” They told her ” You have to come to the wrong

place” and began to pour out the tragic things which has befallen them. The

woman then thought to herself ” Who is better able to experience these poor

unfortunate people than I who have experienced sorrows on my own and can

understand how they feel”. She therefore stayed to console and comfort them

and then went on again to search for a home that had never known sorrow. But

wherever she went, to huts and to palaces, there was never one without tales

of sorrow and grief and misfortune.Ultimately she became so involved in

listeneing to other people’s sorrow that she forgot about her quest for the

magical mustard seed. Never realising that it had actually driven the sorrow

out of her lives.

]]> By: haha http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-66601 haha Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:07:08 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-66601 maybe there's no god, its an idea some people have others dont. I lean towards the adwaita type answer.... Collectively all beings make up god is how they answer it...It appeals to me in that we are all in this universe together but my position is still why does there have to be a concept of god. And that too for most is essentially a jewish framework of looking at it. maybe there’s no god, its an idea some people have others dont.
I lean towards the adwaita type answer….
Collectively all beings make up god is how they answer it…It appeals to me in that we are all in this universe together but my position is still why does there have to be a concept of god.
And that too for most is essentially a jewish framework of looking at it.

]]> By: Gaurav http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-64359 Gaurav Wed, 10 Jan 2007 10:28:31 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-64359 Atanu, Question, Why must God be kind, "good at heart". May be God considers humans in the same way as they consider ants. Atanu,

Question,

Why must God be kind, “good at heart”.
May be God considers humans in the same way as they consider ants.

]]> By: jala http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-63571 jala Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:48:24 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-63571 Thank you, Going by the heading, I was looking for philosophy, but what an inspiring Story. Thanks Again. Thank you, Going by the heading, I was looking for philosophy, but what an inspiring Story.
Thanks Again.

]]> By: Kumar Narasimha http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-63531 Kumar Narasimha Tue, 09 Jan 2007 05:07:50 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-63531 Great post, Atanu. Truly uplifting. I wish we tell stories like this in our schools... Great post, Atanu. Truly uplifting.
I wish we tell stories like this in our schools…

]]> By: Raghuveer http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-63495 Raghuveer Mon, 08 Jan 2007 23:23:11 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-63495 On the subject of suffering, it is incredible if you dwell on how the brain really causes it and how we experience it. Impossibly tiny nerve impulses cause pain that can be excruciating...and sometimes even when the organ in question doesn't exist (phantom limbs)! Am halfway through the fantastic book 'Phantoms in the brain' by VS Ramachandran and recommend to gain insight into a different dimension altogether. Rudimentary discourses of the realized masters (like Nisargadatta) start to make sense when given experimental/scientific proof. It is humbling, frustrating and mind-blowing when you realize that the feeling of 'self' is just an illusion created by the brain and all our feelings (suffering, love, hate, lust etc) are just electric signals! On the subject of suffering, it is incredible if you dwell on how the brain really causes it and how we experience it. Impossibly tiny nerve impulses cause pain that can be excruciating…and sometimes even when the organ in question doesn’t exist (phantom limbs)!

Am halfway through the fantastic book ‘Phantoms in the brain’ by VS Ramachandran and recommend to gain insight into a different dimension altogether. Rudimentary discourses of the realized masters (like Nisargadatta) start to make sense when given experimental/scientific proof. It is humbling, frustrating and mind-blowing when you realize that the feeling of ’self’ is just an illusion created by the brain and all our feelings (suffering, love, hate, lust etc) are just electric signals!

]]> By: Shivani http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-63322 Shivani Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:48:02 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-63322 Thanks ! for sharing this....Very touching. "Suffering should be looked upon as a gift of God"- No no. I would not think thus. Surely, we all appreciate the beauty of flowers without crushing them?. Thanks ! for sharing this….Very touching.

“Suffering should be looked upon as a gift of God”- No no. I would not think thus. Surely, we all appreciate the beauty of flowers without crushing them?.

]]> By: Shreyas http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-63061 Shreyas Mon, 08 Jan 2007 05:26:30 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-63061 Arun Shourie's accounts are brilliantly written. The question of suffering is something that has bothered me for too long and long enough for me to dismiss the existence of an omnipotent, good-at-heart God. Even after this post, I feel the utility of suffering in lending others perspective for their own hardships would still not answer Alok. The logic still seems perverted. A very thought-provoking post, Atanu. Thanks. Arun Shourie’s accounts are brilliantly written. The question of suffering is something that has bothered me for too long and long enough for me to dismiss the existence of an omnipotent, good-at-heart God. Even after this post, I feel the utility of suffering in lending others perspective for their own hardships would still not answer Alok. The logic still seems perverted.

A very thought-provoking post, Atanu. Thanks.

]]> By: amar http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-62685 amar Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:14:27 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-62685 Dear Atanu, All I want to say is: "Thanks for posting this"! Regards Dear Atanu,

All I want to say is: “Thanks for posting this”!

Regards

]]> By: Sudipta Chatterjee http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-62521 Sudipta Chatterjee Sun, 07 Jan 2007 16:47:46 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-62521 Atanu... this was really really good. Thanks a lot for sharing this with us. Atanu… this was really really good. Thanks a lot for sharing this with us.

]]> By: Kishore Verma http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-62361 Kishore Verma Sun, 07 Jan 2007 13:48:16 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-62361 The reason for the existence of suffering is an easy question to answer though one may need to reconcile oneself with the answer one finds for oneself. Without suffering, there would be no joy, like there is good food because there is bad food. A personal experience of suffering is the greatest teacher. We must always thank all those who “give” us pain. Soon, the realization about the real source of our pain will come. If Buddha had not empathized with the feeling of pain of suffering of others at a relatively young age, he would not have spent his life looking for the cause of all suffering and there would have been no Buddha. Suffering should be looked upon as a gift of God for our evolution into higher spiritual beings. Having not received an opportunity to suffer is to have missed out on a life that can become potentially divine. The reason for the existence of suffering is an easy question to answer though one may need to reconcile oneself with the answer one finds for oneself.

Without suffering, there would be no joy, like there is good food because there is bad food. A personal experience of suffering is the greatest teacher. We must always thank all those who “give” us pain. Soon, the realization about the real source of our pain will come. If Buddha had not empathized with the feeling of pain of suffering of others at a relatively young age, he would not have spent his life looking for the cause of all suffering and there would have been no Buddha. Suffering should be looked upon as a gift of God for our evolution into higher spiritual beings. Having not received an opportunity to suffer is to have missed out on a life that can become potentially divine.

]]> By: apu http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-62336 apu Sun, 07 Jan 2007 12:59:07 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-62336 I think this is one of the best posts on your site, or atleast my favorite to date. Why suffering should exist is a question perhaps impossible to answer; What can be answered (as your article does so well)is what suffering brings, apart from its obvious pain. I think this is one of the best posts on your site, or atleast my favorite to date. Why suffering should exist is a question perhaps impossible to answer; What can be answered (as your article does so well)is what suffering brings, apart from its obvious pain.

]]> By: Pankaj http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-62288 Pankaj Sun, 07 Jan 2007 11:54:23 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-62288 Thanks Atanu for sharing this. Arun Shourie is truly one of the best public figures we have today. All his books are a great education. One can read most of his writings here: http://arunshourie.voiceofdharma.com/ Best. Thanks Atanu for sharing this. Arun Shourie is truly one of the best public figures we have today.

All his books are a great education. One can read most of his writings here:

http://arunshourie.voiceofdharma.com/

Best.

]]> By: India » Blog Archive » Dad and Son http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/comment-page-1/#comment-62182 India » Blog Archive » Dad and Son Sun, 07 Jan 2007 08:50:22 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/01/07/the-utility-of-suffering/#comment-62182 [...] ng. It renews my faith in the essential goodness of … – more – The rumours of a cold war between Salman and John have been maki [...] [...] ng. It renews my faith in the essential goodness of … – more – The rumours of a cold war between Salman and John have been maki [...]

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