How Do Hindus View Suffering?
HOW DO HINDUS VIEW SUFFERING?
Hinduism is an ancient religion and is a mixture of several different faiths.
The religion includes the beliefs of the early inhabitants together with the beliefs of others from around the last three thousand years.
Due to the diversities in the religion, it may seem that a number of Hindus may appear to be followers of a different religion - this is not so.
The differing of beliefs can be seen in the view of suffering. It is one of the most vital concepts in Hindu philosophy.
Suffering is "to undergo or be subjected to pain."1
Pain does not just mean physical torture. It could mean anything from struggling to make ends meet, to being mentally unstable.
Suffering may be internal, like physical pain, or external, resulting from the environment around.
The three major religions that is Christianity, Judaism, Islam (known as the religions of the book) have their own teaching on what it means to suffer.
The idea of suffering in the Christian tradition is particularly conventional.
The Old Testament book of Job depicts a righteous man who loses everything that he has, and in turn has inflicted upon him diseases.
The view of suffering is found in the characters Zophar, Bildad, Eliphaz, who believe that the main reason Job is suffering in such a gruesome way is because of his actions. Job may have appeared to be a righteous man on the outside, but beneath, Job could have been a man whose heart was not fully pure, and therefore was being punished by God.
Here the conventional Christian attitude is that suffering is a result of ones own actions.
In The New Testament the belief is that suffering may not have been brought upon by the individual but by their parents or others around them.
In Hinduism the attitude towards suffering is varied.
An overall approach can be found in the four noble truths. Even though it is from the religion of the Buddhist, I feel that it can be applied to any religion that has to discuss the issue of suffering.
The four noble truths are:
- suffering exists.
- there is a cause of suffering.
- suffering can be stopped.
- there is a way, the noble eight-fold path.
It is from this statement that I will base this assignment.
It does not take much for one to realise what the world today is full of. Around us there is strife, consistent bloodshed, poverty, and millions of people in prolonged torment.
"The universe is a chain of killing and being killed, of devouring and of being devoured. The whole (world) is just food and the eater of food."2
When one stops to reflect on the situation, it is obvious that suffering in the world does exists - it is inevitable, the reason being , it is due to man and his greed.
Suffering in the Hindu world can be seen within the caste system.
In the Hindu tradition, its members are divide into for groups or castes.
First is the Brahmans. They are considered to be the priestly or intellectual caste.
Second are the Kshatriyas. They are referred to as the warrior and ruling caste.
Third are the Vaisya. They are known as the commercial and agricultural caste.
Fourth are the Sudras. They are understood to be the caste who labour.
Suffering may not be experienced by the first three castes, but is experienced in the remaining caste. Such suffering includes not only physical and mental suffering, but, " legal, social, and religious disabilities."3
The Hindus attitude towards the caste system, is that it represents the life a person lived in the past. This then ...
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Second are the Kshatriyas. They are referred to as the warrior and ruling caste.
Third are the Vaisya. They are known as the commercial and agricultural caste.
Fourth are the Sudras. They are understood to be the caste who labour.
Suffering may not be experienced by the first three castes, but is experienced in the remaining caste. Such suffering includes not only physical and mental suffering, but, " legal, social, and religious disabilities."3
The Hindus attitude towards the caste system, is that it represents the life a person lived in the past. This then leads us to discuss the belief in Karma (this will be discussed below).
So whatever caste a person is born into, whether it be the priestly or even the labourers, it is no one else's fault but the individuals. If one finds themselves within the lower castes they then know that the former life lived was not worthy, and so now faces the consequences, together with being given the chance to change.
"It emphatically lays down that an individual's rise or fall is the social scale in the next life depends entirely on the good or bad deeds which he performs in the present life."4
On this point the majority of all Hindus agree that suffering is inescapable in this world.
When considering the first noble truth it is here that we find differing theories.
One view is suffering can be seen as an illusion.
"Like all empirical phenomena, like empirical existence itself, suffering is an illusion, a mirage."5
Such a belief is accepted by the Upanishads. Suffering depicted in the scripture is not a real experience, it is unreal. It is unreal in the sense that although the physical body is affected the inner self is not.
"The body may suffer but that the self which pervades it is not affected."6
Suffering is seen then by the scripture as an illusion, it is not an actual experience. Then again it must be impossible to say that something is not there if one can actual feel and respond to it.
The Upanishads realise that once a person is born into the world, they are automatically placed in an environment in which evil and suffering exists. Therefore because of all the influences surrounding them, the body will then gradually take on the forms of the world. Man becomes corrupt as he focuses on looking out for himself.
The god Brahman is to be connected with the idea of suffering as an illusion.
Everything that happens within this world is said to be the manifestation of Brahman.
"I am the body, his mental attitude. I am the Brahman."7
Man is not the owner of his body, everything from his outer being to the inner being is that of Brahman.
If Brahman is then the controller of a person from the inward out, then whatever problems an individual is faced with should not really affect them. This is because it is the owner of the body, not them that has to deal with the problem, but Brahman.
If one looks at the relationship between the Hindu and Brahman, it is possible to understand why suffering should be seen as an illusion, because really the person being affected is Brahman. The individual may feel that it is them that has to cope with the misfortunes that come to them. If they accept the fact that it is Brahman who is overseer of the body then there is no need to be aggrieved. On the other hand if they do not recognise that fact then of cause the suffering they are experiencing will be as
"real as do the objects of the world."8
"Suffering therefore, is only a problem so long as it appears to be a final and inescapable truth. But when it is realised that the self is not bound forever to the transient world of suffering, but rather that it is Brahman, then suffering can no longer occur."9
If one was then to ask a Hindu the question 'does suffering exist?' the answer most likely to be heard is no - suffering is only a 'fragment of the imagination.'
Just as there were varying views on whether suffering exists or not, there is also differing views as to what causes suffering.
Like all other religions, some Hindus believe that the cause of suffering is the result of one's actions known as karma.
The Hindus attitude towards suffering is to be found in the doctrine of karma.
If one can understand this doctrine clearly, then so to, the theme of suffering can be clearly understood.
The doctrine basically states that every action of an individual will no doubt produce some results whether it be good or bad. The consequences of the actions will determine the life of an individual. For the individual to experience the results of his actions, another life experience is needed - hence the doctrine of reincarnation.
The two doctrines can not be separated, it is impossible to talk of one without the other.
In Christianity this doctrine is known as retribution. The actions committed in the past life can be depicted in the life the individual leads in the next.
"His past acts, for instance, determine the kind of body which he assumes, the family, society, and position in which he may be born."10
For example if the actions of a past life was moral, then the following life would be a life of satisfaction. If on the other hand the actions were unjust, then, the individual would encounter a new life of hardship.
Every action that an individual performs has a direct result or even a consequence.
"An individual's present position and suffering are a consequence of his own actions."11
The basis for such a view is held in the Hindu belief in reincarnation. After death the soul is reborn in another form of life.
The aim of reincarnation is to enable the individual to reach perfection so that they can be one with God.
Such a cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth is known as samsara.
If providing the past life of an individual was good then their soul would then automatically be with the Divine. If on the other hand the past life was bad then a chance is given to the individual to make up for the bad deeds done in their last life.
Death then is viewed by the Hindus as something which is to be looked forward to - it is a step towards a new life in which one is given the chance to change.
If one's present life is full of nothing but suffering then in the next, life will be a vast improvement. Suffering in one life may then lead to an improved life.
Suffering is then brought upon a person if they have done something in their life that has been corrupt. If one is to go around doing bad deeds, then the bad deeds will eventually take its toll on them, hence the suffering.
Another cause for suffering is due to ones lack of faith and lack of devotion to the Divine.
"The cause of the problem of suffering focuses on three characteristic fallings in the human condition, namely greed (labha), ignorance (avidya), and indifference (pramada)."12
The individual loses sight of the relationship held between Brahman, and instead possesses the desire for the tangible things of the world. It is as soon as the individual follows their mind and not their heart, does the experience of suffering take place.
"Suffering arises only when one attaches himself to limited or transient objects as though they are permanent."13
If one keeps their eyes focused on the Divine then everything will be more than satisfactory, but on the other hand if the eyes stray then the consequence will ultimately be suffering.
Together with Christianity, Hindus view suffering in a positive note, that is, suffering can help strengthen the individual in their faith.
In their time of need one would turn to the divine to find comfort and reassurance that everything will be right in the end.
Suffering is then seen as an experience that reinforce one's faith.
Another advantage of suffering is that it maybe an indication of better things to come in life. An individual can not expect to pass through life without having to come across difficulties, life would be 'boring' so to speak. Suffering in one's life may lead to a better life in the next and so suffering should be appreciated.
"Suffering is an experience, a part of the universe of being. It may be beneficial particularly if it is the foundation of better things."14
There is a way out of suffering. Suffering is an experience which can easily be removed.
"The Hindu view is that suffering is inevitable in this world and that the only way to deal with it is in fact to reject the world and seek release from it."15
The solutions to suffering can be found in the doctrine of moksha. It is the doctrine where on can seek either liberation or release from the world fraught with corruption.
The first way in which release can be brought about is by devoting oneself wholly to Brahman. This involves not only prayer but worship. Time needs to be taken out to focus on the almighty.
Another way is through the way of action. This again brings to remembrance the doctrine of karma. By doing good deed the self becomes pure. By doing bad deeds then the self becomes corrupt.
The final solution is said to be through yoga. It is through this physical exercise does one become united with Brahman.
As discussed previously, one of the causes for suffering was due to man's indulgence towards the material substances of the world. So if man disregards his lust for the world, then suffering itself will not be experienced.
Man needs to be completely detached from the substances of the world and instead need to attach himself to the divine in order to prevent the occurrence of suffering. An additional way to solve the problem is if one is to take suffering as an illusion.
"The way to alleviate suffering is precisely to realise indeed that it is nothing, at most it is a mere manifestation."16
To conclude suffering in the religion is viewed in many terms. In my personal view suffering is part of life. Life would not be life if there was no such thing as suffering. I am not saying that suffering is nothing of importance, it is, when one is brought into a world surrounded by suffering, it becomes part of life, one has to learn to cope with it.
In order to apprehend the concept in detail, one has to have an in-depth understanding of the various doctrines discussed above. It can be argued whether suffering exists or not, but what is clear is whatever the decision there is a way in which to prevent suffering. Essentially it is committing the mind body and soul to God. By doing this then the life being lived will no doubt be free from distress.
Bibliography
-Benjamin Walker, "Hindu World", London vol. 2, 1968.
-John Brockington, "Hinduism and Christianity", Macmillan, 1992
-Arun Shourie, "Hinduism: Essence and Consequence", Vikas New Delhi, 1970
-A.L Herman, "A Brief Introduction to Hinduism", Oxford 1991
-J Bowker, "Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World", London, 1975
-Richard Lannoy, "The Speaking Tree", Oxford, 1971
-K.W Morgan, "The Religions of the Hindu World", New York Press, 1954
-K.N Tiwari, "Suffering: Indian Perspectives", Motilal Barnarsidass Delhi, 1986
Concise Oxford Dictionary
2 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 200
3 The Religions of the Hindus page 145
4 The Religions of the Hindus page 147-148
5 Hinduism: Essence and Consequence page 153
6 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 216
7 Hinduism: Essence and Consequence page 154
8 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 216
9 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 214
0 The Religions of the Hindus page 128
1 Hinduism and Christianity page 119
2 A Brief Introduction to Hinduism page 31
3 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 214
4Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 207
5 Hinduism and Christianity page 133
6 Hinduism: Essence and Consequence page 153
