Public Satsang at Dubai- 27th August 2015

Swami: Suffering is not a state of the body, but a state of the mind.

Draupadi was humiliated in the court of the Kauravas because her own husbands, forefathers and elders had abandoned her and allowed her to be humiliated at the hands of the wicked Kauravas. She was perturbed, sad, and wondered why she must undergo such suffering when she had such powerful husbands to protect her and so many elders in the court who could have saved her. Eventually, she cried out to Lord Krishna. Initially, she cried out for help to her husbands and the elders, but finally she surrendered herself to Krishna. Though Krishna did not appear, her sari became inexhaustible and that was the proof of Krishna’s grace. When Draupadi was later pondering in her chambers about the incident, as to why this suffering was sent her way, she thought very deeply and decided that when she depended on herself, she had to suffer, when she depended on her husbands, relations and relatives, she had to suffer, but only when she depended on God and surrendered completely, there was no suffering, for He came and rescued her.

So long as you depend on your own skills, though you may pray, sing bhajans, do seva and do all activities that you consider spiritual, you have truly not surrendered your mind completely to God. Just by singing bhajans, you cannot get rid of suffering.

Anaesthesia completely deactivates you from the pains of the body, so even if you undergo an operation, you do not feel the pain the body has to undergo. Similarly, the mind that is completely absorbed in God, completely surrendered to God, will know no suffering. Until then, one will undergo suffering. Only a mind completely absorbed in God will know no suffering.