default image for post
Sufferings to remember God
November 24, 2011  |  radhanath-swami

Richard (now Radhanath Swami) travelled to Dehra Dun to see Anandamayi Ma, an extraordinary woman who was also the guru of Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India. Anandamayi Ma defined wisdom as the ability to see everything in relation to the whole. She gave a beautiful explanation of suffering; she said all sorrow comes from the sense of me and mine. “All sorrow is due to one’s keeping apart from God. When you are with Him, all pain disappears.” She also explained to Richard that the world is endlessly oscillating between pleasure and pain; there can be no stability or security in this world. All suffering in this world is to remind us to turn our thoughts toward God who alone will give us solace.

On hearing Anandamayi Ma’s explanation of suffering, I wonder why God gives us tests and sufferings in this world; why can’t he make it easy for us and carry us back to His loving kingdom easily. Radhanath Swami says in spiritual life sufferings are important because they purify us of the material contaminations of the heart and they provide us with the strength to progress towards God. If we do not go through suffering at all, we would take spiritual life cheaply, says Radhanath Swami.

In her poem “There Is a Reason for Everything,” the poet Helen Steiner Rice wrote:

“Our Father tests us often
With suffering and with sorrow;
He tests us not to punish us,
But to help us meet tomorrow.
For growing trees are strengthened
When they withstand the storm;
And the sharp cut of a chisel
Gives the marble grace and form….
So whenever we are troubled
And when everything goes wrong,
It is just God working in us
To make our spirits strong. “

Radhanath Swami’s best friend, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, on whose insistence Radhanath Swami wrote ‘Journey Home’ also described God’s grace beautifully. Bhakti Tirtha Swami went through external sufferings in the form of cancer and amputations etc, especially during the last phase of his life. But he accepted these difficulties with grace and dignity, teaching all of us how to accept sufferings in this world. With heart felt gratitude to God for his sufferings, he composed the following:

“I asked for strength, and God gave me difficulties to make me strong
I asked for wisdom, and God gave me problems to solve….
I prayed for favours, and God gave me opportunities”

I asked God to grant me patience, and God said:

“No, suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.”
I received nothing I wanted
I received everything I needed.”

Radhanath Swami says that such heart-felt sentiments open our eyes to the understanding of why are sufferings and tests necessary: they help us to grow deep and take full shelter of God.

Related Posts:


81 Comments


  1. Great explanation.

    View Comment
  2. Very nice message from the life of Radhanath Swami.

    View Comment
  3. In suffering we should remember God.

    View Comment
  4. Many millions of thanks to Radhanath swami for the wonderful teachings..

    View Comment
  5. deep realization. Thanks for sharing

    View Comment
  6. This is real and sustainable ground for POSITIVE THINKING!

    View Comment
  7. Golden statement by maharaj “If we do not go through suffering at all, we would take spiritual life cheaply”

    View Comment
  8. accepting difficulties with grace is the way to receive the Lord’s mercy. thank you for the enlightenment

    View Comment
  9. Beautiful article.

    View Comment
  10. very useful website i found it very interesting

    View Comment
  11. Wonderful article. Has changed my perspective towards suffereing. Thank you

    View Comment
  12. Great vision to see difficulties to opportunities.
    this vision will make life blissful as there is no sorrow in life because it would be grace of god to strengthen yourself.

    View Comment
  13. Sufferings are stepping stones to success.

    View Comment
  14. All suffering in this world is to remind us to turn our thoughts toward God who alone will give us solace.

    View Comment
  15. Great Explanation by his holiness, as when there will be sufferings people will be forced to take shelter of God otherwise there is the tendency of individuals that they claim themselves to be GOD. But by undergoing these suffereings they come to the conclusion that there is something HIGHER than us and than they take shelter.Thank you very much His Holiness…..

    View Comment
  16. WONDERFULLLL….

    View Comment
  17. Amazing understanding of the sufferings and obstacles.

    View Comment
  18. wonderful understanding of suffering

    View Comment
  19. Really Real Technical Knowledge.

    View Comment
  20. suffering is the zeast of everything in material world

    View Comment
  21. wonderfull article maharj gave to us…..
    same this HG murari pr also taought us in voice
    wonderfull

    View Comment
  22. Really for wisdom how much ensity Radhanath swami has taken.Thank you for setting nice example.

    View Comment
  23. Thank you for sharing with us how suffering brings us one step closer to God if we have the right attitude.

    View Comment
  24. Wonderful article.

    View Comment
  25. Thank you for enlightening.

    View Comment
  26. Wonderful Hare Krsna !

    View Comment
  27. Thank you Radhanath Swami for this completely different yet powerful perspective towards sufferings.

    View Comment
  28. If we do not go through suffering at all, we would take spiritual life cheaply.Thank you very much swamiji for sharing such a beautiful thoughts.

    View Comment
  29. Great article !!

    View Comment
  30. Many thanks to Radhanath swami for his wonderful analogies on How suffering and pain can be a wonderful impetus for progress in spiritual life.

    View Comment
  31. “…why are sufferings and tests necessary: they help us to grow deep and take full shelter of God.” – HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj ki jai!
    Sufferings are an opportunity to take shelter of the Supreme…

    View Comment

Leave a Reply