Why do innocent people, even children, suffer if God is kind and equal? This timeless question has stirred hearts and challenged faith for centuries. In this thoughtful article, Sai Baba answers about human suffering through a heartfelt conversation with a troubled traveler. Set in the serene backdrop of Shirdi, Baba lifts up deep spiritual truths about karma, fairness, and the unseen causes of life’s pain, guiding us beyond blame, toward understanding and peace.
Why Do People, Even Children, Suffer If God Is Kind and Equal?
The traveler sat beneath a neem tree outside the quiet expanse of Shirdi. The evening sky was painted in hues of orange and deep blue, the soft rustling of leaves adding to the tranquil atmosphere.
Yet, peace did not touch the traveler’s heart. His mind was troubled.
He had seen suffering, children born into hunger, the sick left in pain, the innocent caught in misfortune. And yet, he had always been told, God is kind. God is equal to all.
How could both be true?
As he sat in silent contemplation, Shirdi Sai Baba approached, His flowing kafni brushing against the dust-covered earth. With His usual grace, He sat beside the traveler, gazing into the horizon.
“Why do you look troubled, child?” Baba asked, His voice as soothing as the evening breeze.
The traveler hesitated, then spoke.
“Baba, if God is kind and equal to all, why do people, especially children, suffer?”
Baba smiled as if He had heard this question countless times before. He picked up a handful of dust and let it slip through his fingers.
“Before I answer,” He said, “Tell me, child, how do you know that God is kind and equal?”
The Illusion of Expectation
The traveler frowned.
“Baba, I have always been told so. My parents, my elders, the scriptures… they all say God is merciful.”
Baba chuckled.
“Ah! And if your elders had told you the opposite, would you believe that instead?”
The traveler fell silent. He had never thought of it that way.
Baba continued, “Most people believe in God not through direct experience, but through secondhand words. And so, they form expectations, if God is kind, suffering should not exist. But tell me, child, does the universe itself reflect this fairness you expect?”
The traveler thought.
A bird swooped down and caught an insect in mid-air. A deer fell prey to a tiger. A farmer watched helplessly as his crops withered in a drought.
“No, Baba. Life does not always seem fair.”
Baba nodded.
“Yet, you expect fairness only in human suffering. You see a child suffer and ask, ‘Why did God allow this?’ But do you ask the same when the tiger hunts for its meal? Is fairness an absolute law, or merely a wish born from human emotion?”
The traveler lowered his gaze. “Then… is God not kind?”
Baba laughed gently, placing a hand on the traveler’s shoulder.
“Come, let me show you something.”
The Law of Cause and Effect
Baba led the traveler to the village well, where an old woman struggled to pull up a bucket of water.
“Look at her hands,” Baba said.
The traveler saw deep callouses, hardened over time. Her hands had worked for years, pulling countless buckets.
“Tell me, child,” Baba continued, “If another woman, who has never worked, comes here today and tries to lift the bucket, will she find it easy?”
“No, Baba. Her hands would not be strong enough.”
“And whose fault is that?” Baba asked.
The traveler hesitated. “No one’s, Baba. It is simply the result of her past effort or lack of it.”
Baba smiled.
“Ah! Now you understand. The universe operates on cause and effect, some call it ‘karma’. Every action has a result, some immediate, some hidden. You see a child suffering and ask, ‘Why?’ But do you ask the same when a child is born into wealth? If one is unfair, is the other not unfair as well?”
The traveler’s breath caught in his throat. He had never seen it this way.
Baba continued, “A seed planted today will grow into a tree tomorrow. But can you see the roots beneath the soil? The causes of suffering are like those roots, some are visible, others hidden, stretching beyond what the eyes can perceive. Suffering is not a punishment, it is an outcome of conditions that existed before, seen or unseen.”
The Child’s Journey
The traveller thought of a child he had seen earlier that day, thin, hungry, begging for food.
“Baba, but what of the innocent? What of the child who has done nothing wrong?”
Baba sighed gently.
“Do you see the full story, child? Do you know where that soul has come from, or where it will go? Do you see all the events that led to this moment?”
The traveller shook his head.
“Then how can you decide what is fair or unfair?”
Baba picked up a small stone and threw it into the well. Ripples spread outward in perfect circles.
“Tell me, child, did this stone create the ripples, or were they already destined?”
The traveller watched the water.
“The ripples happened because the stone was thrown, Baba.”
“Yes. And was the stone thrown in this moment, or was it thrown long before, unseen?”
The traveller’s eyes widened.
“So you see, my child,” Baba said softly, “suffering is not about fairness, it is about cause and effect, seen and unseen. The child’s journey did not begin at birth, nor does it end at death. Some see suffering and curse God, while others see suffering and seek to understand its cause. The wise do not blame; they seek the root of the tree.”
The traveler bowed his head, overwhelmed.
Sai Baba’s Answer
Suffering does not prove or disprove God’s kindness. The universe operates on cause and effect, not human expectations of fairness. Just as a seed takes time to grow, suffering and joy arise from conditions, some seen, some hidden. The wise do not question why suffering exists, but rather what causes it and how to go beyond it.
A Final Thought
If suffering is the ripple, what was the stone that caused it?
And more importantly… will you keep throwing stones, or will you learn to still the waters?
Source: Sai Tatva E-Magazine Authored by Murali P K
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