Freedom From Pain (Pain: Enemy or Friend? II )

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Saint Tulasidas makes a charming comparison between butter and the heart of a Jivanmukta. Butter melts, he says, when itself subjected to the heat of fire, but the heart of the illumined one melts with compassion merely at the sight or even the thought of the fire of pain and suffering consuming others'. The pain-relief that the illumined ones can bring in our lives is far more effective than any medicine can ever hope to do.

Finally, one word more about enemy-pain. Two thousand years ago a great Teacher of mankind preached a sermon atop a mount in West Asia and taught, among other things, 'Love your enemies.' That is a wonderful teaching and if we decide to apply it in the present context, it simply means we must love enemy-pain. Love pain? Ridiculous! It won't be ridiculous if we add that the statement is made strictly from the spiritual standpoint.

We must love pain because it is a great teacher and can do us a world of good. The fact that most of us do not recognize pain as a teacher and a benefactor is a tragedy, but that is besides the point. To some of us at least, who are ready for spirituality, pain ceases to be an enemy to be feared and condemned. Pain becomes our benign teacher. Kahlil Gibran says in 'The Prophet', his all-time classic: 'Your pain is the breaking of a shell that encloses your understanding.' (8. Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet (London: Pan Book Ltd., 1980) p.61.)

Once our understanding is freed and awakened, it at once becomes clear that pain is invincible; medicine may subdue it for a while but pain cannot be permanently annihilated. We also realize that our physical and mental suffering is only the tip of the iceberg. The real pain is existential, hidden from gross perceptions. Only when this pain is recognized and experienced do we really feel the urgency of finding a permanent solution to life's problems. Spiritual life really begins at this stage, as we have mentioned earlier. So whether pain is our friend or enemy depends on how we look at it. It may be perhaps in our own interest to look upon pain as our teacher-friend.

This does not, of course, mean that we must court pain or reject medicine when confronted with pain in our day-to day life. To say that pain is our teacher friend is not to say that we must seek it. And to say that medicine cannot solve the pain-problem in the ultimate sense is not to say that medicine is useless. The 'dehypnotization therapy' of Vedanta usually takes a long time and it can be seriously hindered if pain goes beyond manageable limits.

So, as far as it is practicable, we must make the best use of the remarkable achievements of modern medicine in keeping pain in check, but we must not delude ourselves into thinking that medicine is the panacea for pain-problems for all time. We must recognize the limitations of medicine along with its utility. Nothing in the world is useless but everything has its limitations. If we learn the art of using everything wisely within its limitations, we shall be able to get over our own limitations and be united for evermore with the Unlimited — the Atman, our true Self.

Freedom from pain is in our own hands. 'Much of your pain is self-chosen,' says Kahlil Gibran. All of your pain is self-chosen,. says Vedanta. For, after all, Thine only is the hand that holds The rope that drags thee on. Then cease lament, Let go thy hold... Say, 'Om, tat sat, Om!'