Is suffering necessary in life to attain God, or can it happen without it?

At Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj in Vrindavan, a private dialogue with Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj. Sadhaks ask questions about their lives and sadhana, and Maharaj Ji provides answers.

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Anil Upadhyay from Noida asks "Radhe Radhe, Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji, is suffering necessary in life for spiritual development and the attainment of God? Yes, because the soul has become bound in favorable circumstances and happiness. That is why when the yearning for supreme spirituality awakens in someone's heart—like the ancient emperor Maharaj Manu and Shatrupa Ji. They could have kept their kingdom. They could have built a palace for their bhajan, but instead they lived in a small leaf hut, or under the open sky enduring heat and cold and rain, while chanting the name of God. They performed such great tapasya that Sri Sat-Chit-Ananda Bhagwan Ram Himself became their son.

He was born as Dasharatha and Kausalya.

So the attachment in pleasures, in favorable circumstances, in happiness—the affection we have for the body and the world—this is the cause of birth and death. This attachment must be cut. Suffering cuts it.

It is like when desire for life is strong. If a terribly painful disease strikes you and there is no special remedy available, you yourself will begin pleading with God, "Let my body go, that would be good." The attachment to the body fades. You begin praying, "If my body could leave, that would be good." Then adversity comes. When you had wealth and comfort, many friends would shake your hand and show you great love and affection.

When adversity comes, you will know who truly loves you. No one loves you.

Suffering and adversity—these are things that reveal the truth about the world. If you have no money, if your body cannot work, then you will see whether anyone loves you. No one will. Truly, it is in adversity that we learn the reality: that no one in the world belongs to us. And in adversity, we call out to God with sincere longing: "O Lord, now there is no one but You."

So it seems to me that God should graciously give us such adversity as would destroy our attachment to money, our love of pleasures, and our body-identification—adversity that would turn us toward God.

I know this must sound frightening to you—adversity is indeed a dangerous thing.

But truthfully, in my life, what sadhana could not accomplish, kidney failure did. Because I called out to God with deep longing: "Father, O Lord, I have been with you since childhood. Now I cannot practice sadhana. Now I am only dependent on You."

So true surrender arose from this illness.

Based on our own experience and the teachings of scripture, we must conclude: when God gives suffering and adversity along with the company of saints—not just suffering and adversity alone, but adversity together with the company of saints—then that life is blessed. That life is fulfilled. Such a person accepts their relationship with God and begins the worship of God.

Human birth is given, and if there is no worship of God, then understand truly, dear one—it is completely wasted life. No matter what else you have, it is completely wasted life. Completely wasted.

Even Indra, the king of the gods, sat on his throne. One desire sent him to the body of a python.

We think as humans: if even Devraj Indra can attain the body of a python,

how much more can Emperor Bharat, despite being the son of Rishabhdeo, fall and be born as a deer?

How long would it take for us to become a worm in a ditch?

Human birth is given for the worship of God, not for wasting life merely enjoying pleasures.

This understanding will come when you face suffering upon suffering, when you have no one beside you. Then you will remember that you have one Companion—the one called God. "O God, now You alone are my support. Only You can sustain me."

Right there, the course of life changes.

So we bow to that suffering, that adversity, which turns us toward God.

We curse that happiness and wealth that distances us from God.

We bow to that adversity and suffering that places us at God's feet, that gives us shelter at God's feet.

If Vibhishana had not been kicked out, no matter how much a devotee he was, he would not have taken shelter at Ram Ji's feet. He might have chanted Ram Ram, but he would not have surrendered.

When Ravana kicked him, when he was completely cast out and expelled from his position and his brother's affection, from everything—only then did he take shelter in God.

Adversity is absolutely essential.

This text is taken from auto-generated video captions—there may be errors in the transcription. Please listen to the video for the authentic discourse.

Original video: Bhajan Marg (YouTube)