"Why Good People Suffer?" The Same Tiresome Question!!

When one does a search on Google, the question in the title will receive almost 447,000 hits, and "Why bad things happen to good people" gets 109,000 hits. Google Books Ngram Viewer shows that since the 1940s, there has been an increase in the frequencies of the use of the string "Why good people suffer" in sources printed between late 1930s and 2020.

People who ask these questions have oftentimes been trying to make sense of the various wrong and unwanted occurrences that have happened or are happening in their lives. Many philosophers and even psychologists have endeavoured to answer them but a close study of their responses will tell that they are inadequate, incomplete and even unsatisfactory; hence there has been an increase in the number of people who are searching for the answer.

Of course, many mahatmas, enlightened masters, sages and rishies have given their views on the topic, too. One of such views comes from a direct disciple of Swami Sri Sivananda maharaj of Rishikesh, who has given the most exhaustive answer to the question in his book where he has given commentaries on Arunagirinathar's Kandar Anubhuti (pgs126, 127, 128) :

"Every individual is an ego-center, as it were, that disturbs the cosmic balance by its actions and thoughts which are mostly desire-prompted and selfish actions, and even by our thoughts.... Good results follow good actions and bad from bad. This law of Karma is referred to as unrelenting; it has no friends or enemies, and it is very scientific in its working --- not even a single Karma, however small it may be, can go unrewarded. 

"There is no such thing as striking a balance. If one does, say, 10 good karmas and 8 bad, the latter 8 cannot be cancelled with 8 of the former and only the balance of 2 good enjoyed. No. All the 10 good and all the 8 bad have to be individually rewarded according to each one's intensity. Hence, it is called inexorable. This is the reason why we come across good people suffering, though they might not have done any wrong in this life, which suffering is due to their past wrongs. It is also not uncommon to see evil-doers enjoying in this life, for similar reasons. Indeed, the law of Karma is terrible and mysterious. But it equally assures one's future good for the good deeds done now, and vice-versa."

Therefore, what should our attitude be towards our inexorable karmas?

The author continues to expound on the topic:

"This body has been given to us as a result of our past actions. Our (pleasant and painful) experiences in this span of life are already determined by the effects of our past actions that have caused this life. Hence, all our experiences will pass away and come to an end one day, when the force of the momentum that caused them ceases. Therefore, undue importance is not to be attached to this earthly life. Neither are we to be overjoyed when desirable experiences come, nor are we to be depressed and sunken when undesirable ones present themselves, as both will pass away. 

"Life is transitory (verse-27). Such a life should not be taken as real, as the all. God is the great Reality, the all-perfect, "red" in His entire being. He is to be sought always, whatever be one's condition. Otherwise, one is easily tossed about by every little happening in life, like a dry leaf that is thrown hither and thither by the wind. But he who has resorted to God remains unaffected like a mountain, which is not shaken a bit even by the strongest wind. One who holds fast to God, that is, whose mind is fixed on God, is not easily shaken by the passing events in life. He knows that these experiences come and go, but do not touch his inner, real personality. But the man of the world, for whom the things of world are the only reality, to whom nothing higher exists, is easily carried away by every little incident in life. If his bank balance fails, he collapses. If his dear ones depart, his life becomes sapless. These come as shocking incidents that break his weak heart. But he who is devoted to God knows that the things of the world are subject to change and that they will leave him any moment, and so he is not affected by them. Only he who takes them as permanent realities gets a rude shock when they are separated from him, which is bound to happen because of the working of the law. Persons and things are brought together and separated by their Karmas, as logs of wood in a river are joined or separated by wind. The law of Karma is no respecter of our joys and sorrows. It works relentlessly. Hence, knowing the transitory nature of things of this phenomenal life, one should take refuge in that which is 'red', i.e., perfect and permanent (God), so that one may not be tossed about by the passing events of this illusory life, says Arunagirinathar."

That is quite right and fine, we would say reading the above. But the obdurate and painful question comes up, "Does it, therefore, mean that we are some helpless puppets in the hands of Destiny, fated to (in the words of the author) 'tossed about' by Karmas?"

"No" says Swami Sivananda's disciple: "Our life is governed by the relentless law of Karma which is merciless. BUT the law-giver (the Lord) is full of mercy. So long as one does not take refuge in the Lord, the law of Karma works inexorably. Once, we surrender ourselves to God, the law loses its hold on us. As long as we take this world as real and ourselves as the doers of deeds and act with the expectation of their fruits, we cannot escape the working of the law. The idea of agency or doership and enjoyership is what makes us subject to the working of the law and is the cause of our bondage. But those who take refuge in the Lord and act as His instruments, for His pleasure, in the participation of His will, without expectation of rewards, as worship of the Lord, as offerings unto Him go beyond the working of this hard law. Hence, resort to the merciful Lord is the only way to be freed from the merciless law of Karma. The law can be overcome only by surrender to the Law-Giver; the Lord's Maya is transcended only by His grace, as Bhagavan Sri Krishna says: 'Verily, this divine illusion of Mine (Maya), made up of the (three) qualities (of Nature), is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me alone cross over this illusion.' (Gita VII-14). The child gets rest in the play of 'hide and seek', only when it returns to the granny who initiated and keeps the play going. 'O Lord, thou art the Perfect One. How long should I be mercilessly kicked about by this inexorable Karmas? How long will I rejoice in this world, taking it as real? Grant me proper understanding (Viveka). Grant me love for thy Feet. Save me, O Perfect One, O peacock-rider, O glorious One, O valorous One! How can thou be called Perfect, when I, thy slave, am tormented by this illusory life? Does my suffering befit Thine all-perfectness? No. Hence, save me,' is the seeker's appeal to the Lord."