10 | Suffering in the world – inevitable karma or can we overcome it? – Dr. Harbhajan Singh
After a public talk, an attendee commented that he struggled with the idea that terrible hardships in the world like wars or starvation could be seen as inevitable karmic destiny. Dr Harbhajan Singh agrees that no compassionate person can remain indifferent in view of such miseries. He describes the world as a playfield of negative and positive power and encourages all to make the best use of their discrimination power and live for others. The role of the individual should not be underrated. Everyone can contribute to an improvement with his practical example, by upholding the higher values our great teachers of humanity have taught.
Transcript of “Suffering in the world – inevitable karma or can we overcome it?”
Bonn, 6.10. 1994
Question: You say that, I try to say it in English – that we come again and again in this world and what happens with us, is made by us, or karma whatever. And I see terrible things in this world, in myself and outside, in the past and whenever. In this country sixty years before had an unbelievable war and millions of people lost their life. And I can’t accept that some child or whoever, women, man, have to die in such a gas chamber or what to say to you – unbelievable death. This is a kind of perverse and an inhuman. And it happens so that somebody must die for hunger, has not enough to eat or whatever is here in this world and I can’t go to this child which with despair and hunger and I say: “You create your way. This is what you must, what you must – this must be your experience to die for hunger.” I can’t accept it. It’s impossible for me.
So all the food was served, placed, delicious dishes were created. Lord Vishnu told: Well, all this meal is for you and you relish them very well. But only one condition. That while taking food your hands should not bend, your elbows should not bend. So without bending how can we bring the food to the mouth? So all were very much surprised as what to do with it? So these non-gods, they had no right understanding, they had no discriminating power. So they left the place thus remarking that: “We will take the revenge from lord Vishnu. He has insulted us, we cannot bear this insult. We’ll take the revenge”. They were very angry, so went back. But those gods and goddesses they remained sitting. They said: “It is spoken by lord Vishnu. So there is some secret in it, we should find the secret. What is that secret? So what is to do?” They started to know, they started to know the reason of all these things. So at last they could know: “It is very easy. You feed me and I feed you. So elbows will not bend. This arm will not bend.” You give the food to me and I give the food to you. And there will be no hungry in the world.
So these are examples we can put them into practice. So last year I spoke in UN here in Vienna in the primary session. I said, whether religious people, spiritual leaders or political persons, they have to live for others. They are living for self-existence. How the peace can be there in the heart of other people? Hungry is there. And if we live for others, we can spear lot of things. If you do not go beyond necessity, you can save lot of thing for other people. We are going beyond necessities. So there are problems in the world otherwise there can never be problem. There is a food for the hungry and water for the thirsty. It is a law.
So it is the man which has created and how he has created? Due to the negative facts in life. If anybody has the positive fact of life, he will purely live for others. Because his heart is for other people. He can only be happy when he feels others happy. He cannot be happy otherwise. So when Masters come in the world they want to see the children happy. They want – they give us such a food, bread of life and water of life, so that we are free from the clutches of the negative power and the barriers it has created. He makes all human beings to sit together. So that is their wish. So those barriers which have separated the man from man, nation from nation, brother from brother and it has created lots of bloodshed, hatred and strive, they want to wash it with the sweet water of life. So that is their purpose. They always do it like this.
So this awakening is a must. If you want to bring the heaven on earth, teaching is there. And you can become an example. So Master says – the same – means “those saints they were just like us. And we can also become like saint.” So every saint has a past and every sinner a future. So in this connection we can also do and now it is our heritage. It is our turn to have that things. If we lose that turn it may or may not be given to us again. Is it sure that we will get this man-body again? No. Because we are not knowing what we are who we are. By knowing the right aspect of life even we start from our own life what we are who we are. So when you start with a right way, right from your body you know that you are a living temple of God. And you have to do lot of things. You have to give the awakening. You have to pour in pour out all this right thoughts for you as well as for other people. That was the real purpose of human life that we have forgotten.
So in your opinion I really agree with you, because there is nothing to any controversy. Because this is all one opinion. Because we cannot help. You can help some people, to few people. That is up to your limits. But how you can help the whole humanity? By giving them the right understanding. By giving the – means – a way of life to live there. So all Masters who came in the world, at that moment even people created great problem for them. Christ was crucified. Now Christ is in the heart of everybody. Now we follow their teaching. So we have to become an example just to bring a change in the world. But change should be brought in the very real aspect, by following the footsteps of our competent Masters. Otherwise it is not possible. If you follow a wrong path, you have to go this side. You start going this side. Every day and with every breath you will be away from your destination.
So we have to follow the footsteps of our Master. So practical experience of our Masters are there in the Holy Scripture. If we exactly follow them, the way is out. The way is right. So this is how we can meet. This is how we can overcome all those problems. So this is in the hand of a man who can become Conscious co-worker of Divine plane. And you can help millions of people, not only one. So Master says: “God has created the whole creation. Can a disciple – can not a disciple create a city?” You are in the city. You may be only one in the whole city. You can bring overall change in the city. You can become a channel of true living, a truthful life. And you can teach others by your examples. Simply people will come to you and you can you really become an example. Only by seeing you, only by talking little with you they will have some radiation. They will – because they will get that radiation only through your practical life. When they get it from the practical life, they will trust you. So such people are needed and that is the teaching. It is not a paid preaching, it is to live for others. It is a matter of sacrifice for others. It is not to live a comfortable life but to sleep on thorny bushes. To sacrifice all our wishes for the cause of other people. Give them rest and to remain unrest. If you lose something it will interest others. But God will bless you. You are losing everything for others you are gaining everything in the heaven. That is a law.
So Masters come in the world they live hundred per cent for others. So this is the right cause, that is the real purpose, that is the real teaching. If there is any, I go everywhere, I said: “If there is a higher teaching than this please do tell.” Nobody tells. This is the highest way of life. Sant Kirpal Singh even used to give the experience. He said: “If you get somewhere higher than that please don’t go alone, also take me there.” But nobody could come there. Because this is the highest way of life. So a little bit more you could understand?