j. Why does God allow suffering?

Suffering is relative. To a billionaire with all the luxuries and security of life available, an individual residing in a small apartment in a crime-ridden neighborhood of a metropolis is suffering. A wealthy person, despite his/her wealth can be suffering from depression, while a young boy playing with marbles on the dusty streets of a poor country can be in bliss. 

Suffering has a purpose for all. It is not just physical and what is visible on the surface. Suffering, the state of mind, is karmic accounting at work–for both the one who suffers, and for the one who is the cause of the suffering. For the one who is suffering, it is a repayment of karmic debt, and a cleansing activity. To the one who is the cause of suffering, it is an accrual of karmic debt for a future settlement. For those (hopefully us), who are not suffering and notice the suffering in the world, it is an opportunity to address it to further cleanse ourselves and get closer to the divine.

We must understand that the Atma or Soul, the expression of the Life Force within us, is immortal. It is a traveler that is occupying this body temporarily and will move on.

We think that death is bad. This is a misconception. It is the only certainty we are the most sure about. The issue is death that is inflicted by others and unnatural causes. Being killed, just like suffering, is a karma-driven interruption, in what is otherwise expected to be a natural course of life.

Other reading material:

Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand Hinduism Q & A: Why Does God Allow Suffering

Contributor: Rajeev Singh

Location of this post (10j): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/why-does-god-allow-suffering/