The fact that suffering is an inevitable part of our journey does not cancel our urge to help and save. Rather often it is the sight of suffering that has given birth to kindness and compassion and most of all Love. Not that the birth of compassion at the sight of suffering justifies the suffering itself. Yet it is the sight of human suffering that gave birth to the one with the most compassionate heart and mind the world has ever known, – the Buddha. The Mother reminds us never to forget Sri Aurobindo’s Compassion that led him to sacrifice his entire life to the transformation of human consciousness which is the ultimate radical solution for a complete freedom from all kinds of suffering.
The important thing to understand here is that suffering is not something willed by the Divine. If that were so it would remain forever in creation with the stamp of eternity. Suffering arises due to an inevitable necessity of the evolutionary process as creation awakens to consciousness and joy inherent in creation. But since the awakening starts from a state of unconsciousness and inertia it chases every step forward as a shadow or a chain of ignorance and unconsciousness and pain. Yet in the end it is Joy and Love and Light and Truth that are the victors.
We can be on the side of the shadow by dwelling upon suffering and making a gospel out of it. Its logical conclusion would be that not only should we show no kindness and compassion but rather inflict pain and Suffering. Such is the gospel of the Asura who justifies pain and suffering not so much as an original necessity but as the original plan of God who makes us suffer so that we may worship Him!
In reality however the Divine Forces are ever engaged in pulling creation out of misery and suffering. The difference however between the divine vision and the human understanding is that while Divine Compassion understands the true cause of suffering which is ignorance and unconsciousness and falsehood, the human itself in ignorance reacts with pity and tries to address only the outer conditions and situations. It is like the surgeon cutting the pupa prematurely rather than assisting the delivery of the butterfly. In other words, while we must have kindness and compassion, we must try to understand the real rather than apparent causes of suffering and work towards finding a true and lasting solution, as the temporary ones often only take away the true needed effort. It is the difference between giving medicine to relieve pain and boosting the immune system and finding ways and means so that disease becomes impossible.
