OF INDIFFERENT GODS & HUMAN PAIN & MISERY

Philosophy

OF INDIFFERENT GODS & HUMAN PAIN & MISERY

August 19, 2024

All pain is self-inflicted and all misery self-created

Dr. Jernail S. Anand

It is a revolting statement if I say all pain is self-inflicted and all misery self-created. It will set you thinking about your own pain, and you will immediately point out the people who subjected you to pain. When we look at miserable people, most of the times, it is because of poverty, and sometimes, it is lack of poverty and abundance of wealth which makes our lives miserable. This is a painting of human life, which I have drawn with broad touches of the brush. If we enter into these statements, at places they might look overstated. But I am talking of pain and misery in general terms, not particular, and I feel man himself is responsible if he is in pain, and if misery becomes a permanent guest.

We are generally in the habit of accusing others for all the problems that we are facing, whereas the fact is just the reverse of it. We put others in problem, and then, they cause problems for us. Pain comes to us in reverse motion. We do not directly cause pain to ourselves. The trajectory of pain is: we cause pain to others, and then, they cause pain to us. In the same way, misery is the result of a mental condition in which others have nothing to do. Yes, if we make others miserable, we will not remain happy for long.

The greatest pain reliever is Love. Look into your heart. If you have it, pain will automatically go. But, if you do not possess it, no one can help you.

Men are an intelligent race, and they know the definition of happiness rather too well. If they do not know, they will immediately Google it, and write down what Keats said about happiness, and how he was different from what Shelley said. Some of us who have been diehard students of literature, would not stop short of quoting Thomas Hardy who said “happiness is but an occasional episode in the general drama of pain”. We can score points in a debate by quoting these people, who could philosophize about pain, and in spite of all their wisdom, could not get rid of it, rather poets like Keats died in pain.

Intelligence and Understanding

Therefore, intelligence has nothing to do with an accurate understanding of pain. We accuse others of causing pain to us. And, if there is no one in the neighborhood who could be blamed, we very easily chastise gods quoting Gloucester in King Lear: ‘As flies to wanton boys, are we to gods, they kill us for their spot’. As for me, I do not believe in this dictum because it is a drugged statement by a broken heart. Why should gods be after men when men are enough to haunt themselves with their foul actions?

Pain and misery are cobwebs which, like a poisonous spider, our mind weaves, in jealousy, anger and insecurity

Who brings pain upon us human beings? My thesis is: We, ourselves. We are intelligent, but not wise. We have been drugged with knowledge which falls short of wisdom. We love to grope in darkness of doubt and uncertainty, rather than know the facts and come to terms with reality. Romantic as we are, we expect too much from this life, and in this excitement, forget that we need to undertake some actions which are for the good of the earth. Our entire attention is focused on our own wellbeing, our own welfare and our own gain. So, you can see how well ‘gain’ and ‘pain’ rhyme. Men of such a mentality need no enemies to give them trouble. Their minds keep them on tenterhooks, and suspended on the burning fire of ambition, roasting in constant heat of desire and passion. So long as we do not mind our reactions and charm our tongue, we shall keep suffering. But if we stop giving pain to society, and start loving the earth and its offspring, pain shall evaporate.

Treat well and be treated well

In the same breath, we can treat misery also. Misery too is self-created. Nobody can make you miserable in your home. First of all, if someone has come to cause problems for us, we have to check when we had sent an invitation to him. Misery is the result of our wrong priorities. We do not know the art of arranging our things in a proper order. More or less, we cannot fight with gods for giving this and not giving that to another person. This is not our preserve. At the most, what we can do is: not to cause misery to anyone. And, at the same time, ensure that at our home, we follow the dictum: treat well, and be treated well. Most of the misery has its roots in our misunderstanding of the divine phenomenon. Gods want us to give away a part of our wealth, in order to validate it, as the sources of wealth are never righteous. The more we give, the greater will be the store of our joy. The more we keep our things to ourselves, the greater is the unhappiness and misery that we mount upon ourselves.

Pain and misery are cobwebs which, like a poisonous spider, our mind weaves, in jealousy, anger and insecurity. Everybody wants happiness, but not everyone knows that we ourselves are responsible for the pain and misery that queue up at our doors.

Take Away

What does earth want of its offspring? Let us read the writing on the grass:

Stop thinking you are very powerful, and if you do some wrong, you will go scot free. Gods do not inflict pain on the people who are capable of doing this ‘favour’ amply to themselves. The earth does not want its sons and daughters to live in misery. They need nothing more than reorganizing and repatterning the things. The greatest pain reliever is Love. Look into your heart. If you have it, pain will automatically go. But, if you do not possess it, no one can help you.

Read: Knowledge was Satan’s Choice for Man: Was there no Tree of Wisdom in Garden of Eden?

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Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, President of the International Academy of Ethics, is author of 167 books in English poetry, fiction, non-fiction, philosophy and spirituality. He was awarded Charter of Morava, the great Award by Serbian Writers Association, Belgrade and his name was engraved on the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. The Academy of Arts and philosophical Sciences of Bari [Italy] honored him with the award of an Honorable Academic. Recently, he was awarded Doctor of Philosophy [Honoris Causa] by the University of Engineering and Management, Jaipur. Recently, he organized an International Conference on Contemporary Ethics at Chandigarh. His most phenomenal book is Lustus: The Prince of Darkness [first epic of the Mahkaal Trilogy]. Email: anandjs55@yahoo.com