Why good people suffer
By Karmayogi
We do not ask why tall boys fail or handsome persons are
sometimes foolish. We know tallness is
unrelated to good performance in exams and pretty faces have nothing to do with
mental brilliance. But we often expect that good people should be
rewarded with prosperity. We fail to see that handsome looks are a physical
characteristic and success in life is an ability to organise a productive work.
We also see that some good people are poor, neglected and are the butt end of
unjust treatment.
It is possible to enumerate most of the reasons for this phenomenon: 1. First
of all, those we consider good people are good in their behaviour and are not
really GOOD; 2. Most of them are inefficient and some of them are lazy; 3. There
is a belief that pious people are naturally good which is not true; 4. The
first qualification for a pious man is truthfulness. Very few of them or none
of them will qualify under this head; 5. In our society harmless people, i.e. people
endowed with no talents, are considered good, as they do not meddle in
others' affairs. It may be good behaviour but not real goodness.
The spiritual definition of goodness is knowledge of Truth. When Truth acquires
knowledge, goodness is born. If we find one who fits this description, he will
be a shining star in the society, endowed with strength and abundance. There is
one more characteristic of the popular belief. Those who are ritualistic and
given to ceremonies go down as GOOD people in the eyes of the public.
In modern times, rituals and ceremonies are partially outdated. By definition,
those who believe in rituals and ceremonies are not rational but traditional. As
tradition is yielding place to modern life, tradition is in conflict with present
day life.
Naturally, when conflict arises, suffering too arises. There is a greater
conflict in them. While they do not give up rituals, they ardently seek all the
modern aspects of present day life — higher education, modern food,
modern house, the latest entertainment and much more importantly, modern
beliefs. Thus by their active preferences they intensify the naturally inherent
conflict. Conflict means suffering, lower
efficiency, poor income and moving to the margin of the society, as social growth
is by HARMONY.