View source for Well, if God is the creator of everything and is so dear to everyone, why then has He caused so much suffering?

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{{terms|"Well, if God is the creator of everything and is so dear to everyone, why then has He caused so much suffering"}}
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{{compiler|Mangalavati}}
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[[Category:Well]]
[[Category:God Is...]]
[[Category:Creator]]
[[Category:Everything]]
[[Category:Dear To]]
[[Category:Everyone]]
[[Category:Why]]
[[Category:Then]]
[[Category:He Has]]
[[Category:Cause]]
[[Category:So Much]]
[[Category:Suffering]]
[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1969]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB798HawaiiMarch211969_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="798" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969">
<div class="heading">That means he is not reasonable. Every... Now, when a man is diseased, that does not mean everyone is diseased. That disease is his choice. Just like Kārttikeya is now sick. I am telling that "You should not... Why you have taken this? Why you have taken this?" So he has caused the disease. Similarly, suffering we cause. If that suffering is for all, why the other man is not suffering? Why you are suffering? That means you are cause for the suffering.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969|Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Sudāmā: I have spoken with men on the street and they have said, "Well, if God is the creator of everything and is so dear to everyone, why then has He caused so much suffering?" And I have told them that it is because it was our choice. This was our individual choice. But they don't accept that.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That means he is not reasonable. Every... Now, when a man is diseased, that does not mean everyone is diseased. That disease is his choice. Just like Kārttikeya is now sick. I am telling that "You should not... Why you have taken this? Why you have taken this?" So he has caused the disease. Similarly, suffering we cause. If that suffering is for all, why the other man is not suffering? Why you are suffering? That means you are cause for the suffering. The same reasoning, that if somebody says, "Oh, the high-court judge is so unkind to me. He has ordered for me hanging," is that correct? You have caused your hanging. The high-court judge has simply given the judgment that "He should be hanged. He has committed murder. He should be hanged." Therefore your commitment, you committed murder, that you caused your hanging, not that high-court judge is your enemy, and he is giving you order to be hanged. You are the cause of your hanging. Similarly, God is impartial. He can give the judgment that "This man has committed this offense. He should be punished like this." These are common reasons. God is all kind. God is all-great. So how He should be so mean-minded that He should give somebody suffering and somebody enjoyment? Is that not meanmindedness if I treat differently? I have got so many disciples. If I treat some of my disciples very nicely and some of my disciples badly, is that very good for me? So how... God is all-kind. How He can be like that? It is my karma. This is law of karma, fruitive activities. If you work in a certain way, you get the fruit. If you study very nicely, you become very educated. The university has the facility to give you. But if you say, "Oh, why God has made me uneducated?" is that reason? But the university is open for you. Why did you not take the trouble of being educated? You cannot say, "Why the government has made me uneducated?" Government is giving facility to everyone, "Come on." And is that argument, "Why government has made me criminal?" You have made yourself criminal. So you try to understand. You have to preach. We should not be defeated by any demons, provided he is not crazy. What is the argument there with the crazy man?</p>
<p>Sudāmā: I have seen it happening that way with saṅkīrtana on the street. Even myself, my anger sometimes has gone off till we're both in such anger, we're like this with one another, and the whole preaching is all off. They are crazy, and I have wasted my time.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all right. But try to your best. Your service is to Kṛṣṇa, so it is not expected that everyone should be induced by your argument. You cannot expect. One day, two day, but we have to do our work. That's all. (pause) (aside:) Oh, she is very glad. Yes. Yes. (laughter) Sit down. Sit down. She is angry now. Very angry? (laughter—Prabhupāda playing with baby) Angry. That is anger?</p>
<p>Girl devotee: I don't know. I've never seen anything like it.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So that's all right. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)</p>
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