Does God Feel Pain?

[sravna]

Share:

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Share Link

Dear Renuka,

Think in this way. God is constantly creating ways and means both subtle and discernible to help in our enlightenment and ultimate bliss. A particular soul undergoes pain and suffering for a kalpa, for the good purpose of being tempered and becoming one with God. Then it is timeless, enjoying complete bliss equivalent to countless kalpas. Do not the pain and sufferings pay back so invaluably? That is the act of God.

 

[Vaagmi]

They had a nest..mated..produced chicks and now their chicks had intercaste mating.
And all other elder birds from the community are blaming these 2 birds for practicing migration from time to time and got exposed to "western" culture.

Both birds are very depressed now.
The father bird spends his time doing Japa reciting.
dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vriksham parishasvajate |
tayoranyah pippalam svadvattyanashnannanyo abhicakashiti || 1|| (3.1.1 Mundakopanishad).

How easy it is to trivialize philosophy and higher truths...........

 

[tbs]

hi

all alwars/nayanmars feel the pain of GOD...

 

[renuka]

How easy it is to trivialize philosophy and higher truths...........

Its simplification.
Easier understood.

Two little birds..Sitting on a tree,
One eats fruits but the other just sees,
One knows all but the other doesnt know,
There's only One though two are in a row.

 

[prasad1]

Pain can be understood in two ways: The sensation we experience when certain parts of our nervous system are stimulated and the physiological sensation of pain is produced–as when a person accidentally slams his hand in a door. We may call this physical pain.
This kind of pain is possible only for being that beings with nervous systems. Since the divine essence does not include a nervous system, this kind of pain is impossible for God apart from the acquisition of a second nature, as in the Incarnation. Thus only God the Son can experience physical pain, and then not in his divine nature.

http://jimmyakin.com/2007/03/does_god_feel_p.html


I do not believe in Abrahamic God. So this is only a rhetorical concept.

 

[prasad1]

How Hinduism views suffering Mental or physical suffering…
• part of the unfolding of karma and is the consequence of past inappropriate action
• an expected part of living until reaching moksha
• physical suffering is “real” - we do experience physical pain as we are bound by the laws of our world How to cope?
• accept it as a just consequence
• experience it to satisfy the debt for past behavior
• understand that the soul isn’t harmed; suffering is temporary.

Arjuna, a seeker of wisdom in The Bhagavad-Gita, is told: “The self embodied in the body of every being is indestructible.” “Weapons do not cut it, fire does not burn it, waters do not wet it, wind does not wither it. It cannot be cut or burned; it cannot be wet or withered; it is enduring, all-pervasive, fixed, immovable, and timeless.”


How Hinduism views suffering How to cope? (continued)
• suffering, like all things, is a manifestation of God/The Ultimate
• suffering is not solely bad…
• can lead to progress on a spiritual path
• can even be embraced as an opportunity
• detach from desire for things to be different than they are Acceptance Hindu traditions view acceptance in 2 ways…
1. a logical attitude towards pain and suffering, because all is seen as the just working of karma
2. the practice of acceptance is also a means to a greater end, detachment. Accepting your life lessens your desire for things to be different than they are. As desires fall away, detachment is achieved.

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/pastoral/events/Whitman_Oct08.pdf


This may not be related to the original thread, but I thought it would be relevant to what RRji said in her post.

 

[a-TB]

In such topics no one seem to have any clue. One can say some scriptural stuff without understanding or just share own pet beliefs.

Here is the crux of the issue posed :
1. If God feels pain (and extreme pain) why did he/she create the world like this (and must be suffering all the time)
2 If God does not feel pain, how can he be called "ocean of compassion" that you are supposed to love back

Only conclusion is we don't know what this God as taught by any religion is.

 

[sravna]

From my firsthand experience I can remove pain and have removed on umpteen number of occasions for others too. So physical pain can be removed by even a mortal like me. Again based on first hand experience, mental pain need not be felt as I minimally feel it because of my control over emotions. So the conclusion is God does not feel mental pain too.

Since pain can be removed by spiritual energy, we can conclude with some knowledge of scriptures that pain is caused beacause our true self is veiled by maya. God is not affected by maya and so does not feel pain.

 

[Shankar Venkataraman]

Advaita followers will say a BIG YES.... I too....

 

[rishikesan]

Dr. Renukaji, I too use to think on these lines,just to analyze in our mind about all- pervading God.I would like to briefly mention the essence of Vaishnavism. It also that, if you totally Surrender to Lord Narayana, & leave everything to HIM. He is bound to look aft
er you at all remove impediments,&show you the righteous path/which you would know , whenever you stand before Him for 2/3 mts daily.Chant, if you like Ram/Ram before sleep.
please do not waste time , in such thoughts , as it will lead to confusin & definitely no solutio
n

sincerely,
p
A Srinivasan
,

 

[renuka]

Dr. Renukaji, I too use to think on these lines,just to analyze in our mind about all- pervading God.I would like to briefly mention the essence of Vaishnavism. It also that, if you totally Surrender to Lord Narayana, & leave everything to HIM. He is bound to look aft
er you at all remove impediments,&show you the righteous path/which you would know , whenever you stand before Him for 2/3 mts daily.Chant, if you like Ram/Ram before sleep.
please do not waste time , in such thoughts , as it will lead to confusin & definitely no solutio
n

sincerely,
p
A Srinivasan
,

Dear Sir,

The reason I started this thread is becos last week 21 teenagers and 2 teachers died in a fire at a madrasah here becos of arson revenge attack.

The victims were trapped and screams of them being burnt alive were heard by witnesses.

I felt too much pain just to read about this and it was a national tragedy here.

The pain these children went tru would have been unbearable.

So I thought..they felt pain...i felt pain by their suffering..so I asked " God..did You feel pain too?"

Its not a waste for me to question this..even if I chant Rama Rama a 1008 times it can not erase the pain these boys suferred so I just hope God too feels pain so at least He knows what suffering is.

It would be only fair to those boys.
What can I say?
All I can hope is their souls are in peace now.

It has been raining heavily after they were buried..may be God decided to cry.
BTW..I can never surrender if I dont have any answers to my feelings.

I am not too concerned to pray to God for my well being but I cant stand grand scale suffering of others that involves severe pain.

 

[Vaagmi]

At a very fundamental level what exactly is pain and pleasure?

 

[prasad1]

At a very fundamental level what exactly is pain and pleasure?

You should have read post#25

 

[rishikesan]

Dear Renukaji, I have read the horror in news, my reaction is same like you & even more because I always question God, a few things viz :-1) when children born retarded, that too no cure, the parents life is made to crumble, (they suffer every minute of their life) I almost daily question God such acts of God make people loose total faith, not only that, they get totally dejected& Hate to look at HIM.
!y brother,s Son , most active, most helpful to al humans, though Emngieer can drive nonchalantly even heavy vehicles in Cement Factory., i when he was on way to factory in Scooter, as he was raising his hand to return salute, he h
fell & got Head injury & lost his life,If he had lived, all relatives would have been helped & made us All cheerful. My brother is Mute for last 25 years.
itis perplexing & make you Q God It is but Natural .One more important aspect.?
One gets old & some live longer, but is it at all fair to make Men/Womencontinue live & suffer all types of ailments , though he/She is a waste in this earth is made to Suffer , for no faught of his ? Is it Godliness? I feel Not, at All Why torture & make him to loose hard earned Punyam.?

A.Srinivasan
.

 

[sowmyasubbaraman]

A very good explanation that is undu enral undu illai enral illai. Why should not we feel god's bliss instead of the pain which we suffer.

 

[rishikesan]

Dear Dr Renukaji,
,,,, My sister,s. Son, Mr.Arvind is serving in Malaysia is working in Malaysia as a Compuer engineer for last 7/8 yrs. Heidi married recently & left for
!alaysia a month back.
If I write his ph/ Address, would you like to talk to them ?
Srinivasan

 

[renuka]

Dear Renukaji, I have read the horror in news, my reaction is same like you & even more because I always question God, a few things viz :-1) when children born retarded, that too no cure, the parents life is made to crumble, (they suffer every minute of their life) I almost daily question God such acts of God make people loose total faith, not only that, they get totally dejected& Hate to look at HIM.
!y brother,s Son , most active, most helpful to al humans, though Emngieer can drive nonchalantly even heavy vehicles in Cement Factory., i when he was on way to factory in Scooter, as he was raising his hand to return salute, he h
fell & got Head injury & lost his life,If he had lived, all relatives would have been helped & made us All cheerful. My brother is Mute for last 25 years.
itis perplexing & make you Q God It is but Natural .One more important aspect.?
One gets old & some live longer, but is it at all fair to make Men/Womencontinue live & suffer all types of ailments , though he/She is a waste in this earth is made to Suffer , for no faught of his ? Is it Godliness? I feel Not, at All Why torture & make him to loose hard earned Punyam.?

A.Srinivasan
.

Dear Sir...I am not blaming God for any loss or praising God for any gain...I have never blamed God for anything ever.

I dont blame God for even a tragic death but all I want to know is Does He feel pain?

Cos if Geeta says God incarnates from Age to Age to uphold Dharma to some extent that shows He has some response and reaction ..so could pain be one of them?

After all to even Parithranaaya Sadhunam that shows some emotion is there.

I just want a God who feels..He doesnt have to change any outcome cos we believe in Karma too..but just like us who believe in Karma when we see suffering of anyone we feel for them..
I only wish God too has feelings to emote.

An above all inert God would not be a good Lord.
Even a King feels for his subjects..so does God feel?

 

[renuka]

Dear Dr Renukaji,
,,,, My sister,s. Son, Mr.Arvind is serving in Malaysia is working in Malaysia as a Compuer engineer for last 7/8 yrs. Heidi married recently & left for
!alaysia a month back.
If I write his ph/ Address, would you like to talk to them ?
Srinivasan

Dear Sir,

Nice to note your relatives are in Msia.
Thank you for your kind words but the truth is I hardly socialize..have no idea even what I would want to talk.

But since you are kind enough to consider me to call them..you can give me the phone number.

 

[rishikesan]

Is it because, you may have 24 hour availability as an Indian Doctor, or by nature you are of that nature?I am always pleased to interact as a give/and take,
i will talk to you niece & if he talks, well& good.

A.Srinivasann

 

[prasad1]

Going back to opening POV.
Please define GOD.

Even in Gita, there is a conradictory explanation. Sometimes they talk of Nirguna Brahman and sometimes they talk of god being born. It can not be both.
If it is nirguna Brahman then attributes cannot be attached.

Gita 2.5

5. Some indescribable supreme principle which is imperishable, unborn, undecaying, fearless, motionless, one without a second, ancient and infinite, that thing alone exists.
The Supreme Brahman is indescribable because description always catches parts and can never include the whole in its judgments. When Brahman is said to be like "this", there is an automatic exclusion of the "not-this" aspect or the "that" aspect of Brahman. Words are too limited and the mind is too incapable to adequately picture the eternal nature of Brahman. Even "Sat-Chid-Ananda" is only a provisional description and is only an intellectual prop. The exact nature of the Reality can only be experienced as such and can never be given expression to.

Chapter 2.6

6. What is neither short nor long, neither that much nor this much, neither black nor white, neither stout nor thin, neither good nor bad, that should be understood as Brahman.
Shortness and length, quality and colour, quantity and size are not attributable to Brahman which is Indivisible and Absolute. Such attributes are the conceptual limitations superimposed on the Reality by the imaginative individual consciousness. The conception of any sort of quality is possible when there is a cogniser and the cognised. Being itself cannot cognise qualities and relations, for such relations are connected with individualised centres which exist as independent entities. The Immortal Being which is relationless and is inclusive of the fullness of existence is itself the bosom of all possibilities and so cannot itself be involved in such self-limiting adjuncts.

suddenly reverts to the saguna Brahman and says:

yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya
glaanirbhavati bhaarata.
Abhyutthaanam.h adharmasya
tadaatmaanM sRRijaamyaham.h..

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter IV, Verse 7.

Hey Bhaarata (Arjuna). It is Faith which teaches renunciation and is responsible for the elevation and well-being of human beings. Whenever in the passage of time, (yadaa yadaa) Faith (or dharma) is weakened or is under attack, (glaanirbhavati) - and whenever adharma spreads without control (abhyutthaanam.h) - it is then (tadaatmaanM) that I re-incarnate myself (sRRijaamyaham.h) with all my powers to restore Faith.Whenever there is a decline of righteousness, and the rise of unrighteousness, then I re-incarnate myself to teach dharma.


http://eaglespace.com/spirit/gita_krishna0407.php