The Purpose in Tests

 

Photo Credit:@Soul The Philosopher

The Purpose in Tests

It is necessary to understand the purpose in tests and crisis which the universe throws at us. Unfortunately, that kind of training is lacking in today’s world and we can see that this world is deteriorating into a veritable lunatic asylum! Violence in schools and classrooms, violence in the streets, complete lack of honesty, cheating nature in all walks of life – nobody has the patience to do things in the right manner; everybody is looking for shortcuts, to hell with ethics!

The Supreme Being gave us the ability to think and probably created the biggest folly as we keep fighting like savages – at least animals only fight to kill when hungry, and animals in the same family fight for power but do not kill their own. Unfortunately, humans plan and kill even their own, and sadly many of them do so for pleasure! God has given us the power to be Godly, yet we carry on like savages!

Why does this barbarism persist? Simply because man is using his intelligence wrongly – the power and freedom provided by God is being used wrongly. We see that through all this man-made and nature’s turmoil the common is suffering while it appears that God is remaining neutral. But that is not true. God has given us the full power just as He has. He would never have sent us out into delusion without first endowing us with His divinity. Beneath the wave of human consciousness is the wave of his power.

The path from Soul to Supreme Soul – atma to Paramatma lies within us. The purpose of all these tests is to prod us to bring that hidden, unlimited power of Paramatma which lies latent within us, to the fore to help us solve our problems. Until we realise that, we keep feeling that this life is a mystery without trying to understand the purpose of our life. The whole game is to make us realise that our power is far greater than the tests thrown at us.

We all think of creating a better world, a world filled with peace – marketing world peace as a global goal has become a fad - when we cannot find peace within our individual self, how can we expect to create world peace. This is exactly what Swamiji keeps saying – world peace is not possible till each individual can find peace within himself. Once one finds inner peace – his individual world becomes peaceful and he carries that world wherever he goes.

The simplest way to pass all tests is to have discipline in life, behave rightly despite all temptations. Through meditation and self-awareness adapt the principles of virtue which are the only way to lasting happiness and peace.