THE OTHER SIDE OF SUFFERING

 
Meher Baba often told us that suffering brought the individual closer to Him.

One day we were all sitting in the Mandali Hall enjoying a music programme in progress with a large number of people in attendance and in the gathering was a woman holding a small baby in her arms.

Suddenly at one point the baby started to cry, tugging at the mother in its efforts to be free. This greatly embarrassed the mother who kept her hold, but the more she tried to restrain and silence the child, the louder its cries became.

Baba of course noticed the mother's discomfiture and asked that the baby be allowed to crawl on the floor and as soon as this was done the cries were silenced and the baby gurgled happily in its new found freedom.

After the music stopped, Baba began to give a discourse and everyone's attention was focussed on what He was saying. Halfway through the discourse, Baba stopped and pointing to the baby who was close to falling over the threshold of the door, signalled that the mother should retrieve it and let it crawl near her.

Baba then interrupted His discourse to explain the following in these words: "When I say My nazar (grace) is on you, it means I allow you to play with your own little games just as you saw this baby do, and when you are about to fall and hurt yourself, I pick you up and put you in a safe place and let you continue with your game. However, when I pick you up, like the baby you throw a tantrum, for My act of picking you up appears in a form of suffering for you, but I know what is good for you. It is only your suffering that will bring you close to Me and when you suffer, know that My nazar is on you."