Real Suffering - Birth, Death, Old Age, and Disease
The definition of suffering in Kṛṣṇa consciousness goes beyond the temporary pains of daily life. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that "real suffering" is constituted by four inescapable factors: birth, death, old age, and disease. While modern civilization busies itself with solving temporary problems, it remains dangerously ignorant of these four real miseries that bind the eternal soul to the material world.
The Four Real Miseries
According to the Bhagavad-gītā (13.9), true knowledge involves perceiving the evils of birth, death, old age, and disease (janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that these are the real problems of life. Whether one is rich or poor, no one can avoid the pain of taking birth, the degradation of old age, the torment of disease, and the finality of death.
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-Gita 13.9 that the real sufferings of the material world are four - janma-mrtyu jara-vyadhi (birth, death, old age and disease). In the history of the world, no one has been successful in conquering these miseries imposed by material nature.
- Krsna says that: Your real suffering is these four things, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi (Bhagavad-Gita 13.9): repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. Actually this is your problem.
- Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam (Bhagavad-Gita 13.9). Intelligent persons should always keep in view that, these are my real sufferings.
- This is real suffering. Why the eternal soul should be subjected to birth, death, old age and disease.
Temporary vs. Permanent Suffering
Commonly, people consider a lack of money, a quarrel with a friend, or a minor illness to be suffering. Śrīla Prabhupāda categorizes these as "temporary sufferings" or "extra" problems. Even if one solves all these temporary issues and lives a comfortable life, the real suffering of death and rebirth remains untouched. Modern civilization is criticized for evading the real issues while becoming entangled in the temporary ones.
- Temporary I have got some misunderstanding with some friend, or temporary I do not get some nice food, and therefore suffering - these sufferings are extra, but real suffering is this - janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi.
- The modern civilization is practically . . . they are evading, evading the real sufferings. They are engaged in temporary sufferings.
- Human beings are so blind rascals, they do not see that this is real suffering.
- People have become so dull-headed, they cannot understand what is the real suffering, and neither they have any inquiries how to mitigate the sufferings.
The Cycle of Transmigration
The underlying mechanism of real suffering is transmigration—the soul moving from one body to another. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the very process of entering a mother's womb and remaining there in a packed-up condition is a terrible suffering that people forget. Liberation means stopping this cycle. As long as one has to accept a material body, suffering is inevitable.
- Our real suffering is the transmigration from one body to another. That we do not know.
- Our real suffering is to take birth and remain in the womb of the mother.
- Liberation from repeating birth and death. That is our real suffering. The modern, rascal civilization, they do not know actually what is the end of suffering. They do not know. There is no education. There is no science.
- People don't know what is the real suffering of his life. Deham punar janma naiti mam eti. That is the real suffering - cycle of birth and death.
The Cause and the Solution
Why does the eternal soul suffer? Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that it is due to the soul's struggle with the mind and senses in the material world (prakṛti-sthāni karṣati), driven by forgetfulness of God. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to save humanity from this real suffering. By cultivating divine qualities and understanding the self, one becomes fit for liberation. A true vaiṣṇava is aware of this reality and preaches to awaken others to their actual problem.
- Real suffering is because the living entity has forgotten God, so he is being punished in different way by the material nature.
- He has come to this material world, prakrti, and . . . or mental concoction, he's creating his plan and struggling for existence. This is real suffering. So Krsna consciousness movement means to save him from real suffering.
- This is his real suffering. He's part and parcel of God. Qualitatively, he's as good as God, but he's suffering. Why he's suffering? Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati (Bhagavad-Gita 15.7). He has come to this material world.
- A Vaisnava is para-duhkha-duhkhi. He knows what is the real suffering of humanity.
Conclusion
Real intelligence requires identifying the real enemy. As long as we are content with merely patching up the temporary inconveniences of life, we remain defeated by the material energy. Śrīla Prabhupāda urges us to recognize the fourfold miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease as our true adversaries and to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness as the only scientific method to conquer them forever.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Real Suffering. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.