Does Suicide End Suffering?

 

There are times in our existence when life puts us through great tests. When circumstance after circumstance turn from bad to worse to worst…from one bad luck situation to another we go. When destiny seems to conspire against us and thwarts our every move as we aim to better our odds. When we only see the world as sea of dark clouds without rays of sunshine.

Amidst all that, one starts to wonder about life.  Is there a God? Where is God? If yes, then why is It allowing all these misfortunes to happen? Do we deserve to be punished that much? Surely, there are murderers, thieves, adulterers, and evil people around who deserve to suffer more than we do – and yet, of all people, God picked us to go through these difficulties. Has God turned blind and deaf that It can no longer hear our plea?

When we are in this mindset, it is quite easy to think or wish for death to come. Some people are even courageous enough to end their life – expecting, of course, that by committing suicide they will also escape and leave behind all the worries, hardships and difficulties that made life unbearable to live.

However, WHAT IF DEATH IS NOT THE END? What if suicide is not a solution to end one’s suffering? What if, by killing yourself, you only dispose of the body but that there is some “essence” or “soul” that actually lives or survives afterwards? What if you wake up on the other side not knowing you are already dead and, thereby, you continue to suffer the very same problems you tried to escape from? Well, that means you are screwed. As they say, from the hot pan to the fire you jumped. So, before even considering suicide as a way to end your misery, try posing these questions in your head. If you are done with that and have not reach a viable answer, then do continue reading…

My general attitude towards life almost always fools everyone into thinking that I had it easy. NO ONE IN THIS VALLEY OF THE LIVING HAD IT EASY – I AM ALMOST CERTAIN OF THAT (99% sure because the other 1%, according to my niece, has to survive in order to tell the others about the bad news). Each human being, from my point of view, has been given a set of circumstances he/she has to deal with while existing. And as humans, we do have FREE WILL – the will to choose freely how we play our cards. It is entirely up to us which way we go: left, right or the middle. We do decide. Even when we chose to go along with the will of another person, it is us who made that choice. No one else.

In my sheer ignorance I did think I can outsmart life. I had it planned in my stubborn head. Coming from a poor family, and having to make the difficult decision of manning up to familial obligation that conveniently landed in my lap, without me asking for it, I made a commitment to myself that I will make easy and practical choices. I thought I will make a life different from my parents so I will go through existence like it is a breeze. Who said life should be difficult, eh?! That was my frame of mind back then. I was young, cocky, foolish, know-it-all. Guess what? FATE TEACHES LESSONS. No amount of planning and logical thinking will spare us from learning it.

I wrongly assumed that if I stay single my whole life I can avoid further responsibilities…that I can live and breathe freely without shackles. A BIG MISTAKE. Avoid base number one and fate will give you base number two. Go left and you will end up in another fork right after you made your turn. The point? There is a lesson and it needs to be learned, like it or not. I learned mine well…and I emerged from it stronger and thank God, crazier.

THIS LIFE IS OUR BUSINESS HERE ON EARTH. Period.  ADI DA SAMRAJ, world teacher and my current Guru, summarized it simply in His talk, “The Truth of Our Existence is Love”:

“There is something you must understand about the circumstances of existence: that they are part of your discipline. They do not arise arbitrarily, even though they may seem to be accidental and unfortunate. The entire universe is contrived. EVERYTHING that occurs in your life is a FORM of TEST, and is COMPLETELY appropriate for the stage of your evolution and self-transcendence.”

FORM OF TEST. You heard – rather, read – it right. A test is never made easy. Even a child is aware of that. We are not here so the world can pamper us like a baby…cater to our needs like a parent. NO. We are here to learn to be adults – to man up or woman up. When there is a challenge, we grit our teeth, brace ourselves and grab the bull by its horns. It is not a walk in the park.

ADI DA added that:

“We have to live the DIVINE RADIANCE in this form…until this form falls away. It is NOT our business to TERMINATE it, but to FULFILL the LAW under this CONDITION as long as it persists.”

See? That means that by choosing suicide to put an end to a life you consider problematic or miserable, you are working against the cosmic law. And the trouble with laws is that you cannot actually circumvent them especially if such is made by the Divine.

Let me quote Alan Watts:

“We do not come into this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree. As the ocean waves, the universe peoples. Every individual is an expression of the whole realm of nature, a unique action of the total universe.”

We are part of that nature. We are lived by God. We are a delegate here on Earth. As such, we have no choice but to play our part.

So, tell me, if death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character, would you slow down or speed up?

Ahhhh…but, like me, you would think you can outsmart life. Speed it up by killing yourself because who knows you will get lucky and find a different life next time. Do you really think so? Hold that thought because that would be my next topic. For now, ciao!