Q&A-25: "Why does man suffer when God has created man in His own image?"

The question is put in Biblical terms. According to the Bible, the original man Adam, was no doubt created in the Divine image, and he had then no suffering. But he disobeyed the Divine commandment and thereby incurred sin. But this did not end with him, sin was inherited by man, his progeny. All the trials and tribulations of mankind are attributed to this original sin of his ancestor which has been inherited by man. This is understandable and acceptable to people who have been brought up in certain traditions and who accept them unquestioningly. To others it seem very queer.

The Hindu mind has thought of it in more philosophic terms. Unlike the Christian, the Hindu will make a hard and fast distinction between the spirit (Atman) and the body-mind. The Atman, the essence in man, is never created, it is held by some to be an aspect of His being, or by other thinkers as a spiritual centre distinct from Him but still inseparably related with Him. Samsara or involvement of the Atman as Jiva, i.e. in association with body-mind is without a beginning. The association is brought about and determined by Karma or the effects and tendencies brought about by action. But how this association originally came? No thinker or scripture answers because it is unanswerable. They only point out that, as this association is without a beginning in the cyclic process of Samsara, it would be more profitable to bring abut its end than search for its beginning. The Atman is blissful, but Karma, which has brought it into indistinguishable association with body-mind, is the cause of all its sufferings. But even these joys and sufferings have a great meaning. Through the experiences of repeated lives, more and more refined body-minds are evolved, with which the Jiva is ultimately enabled to attain freedom and be established in his blissful nature. So according to this theory we will attain bliss if we find our identity in the Atman, but a mixed condition of sufferings and happiness will be our lot so long as we are identified with the body-mind.

Courtesy: "Spiritual Quest: Questions & Answers" by Swami Tapasyananda, Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai-600004.