“Participant: “We are there in the family, with the same wife, with the…”

Participant: “We are there in the family, with the same wife, with the same life. So what is my question, does it mean that if you are suffering intensely you are progressing on your path towards God?”

SPH: Two thing, the statement which I made “the same wife, same life, same car” was just a jovial statement. But to tell you honestly neither your wife nor your car or your house is same as yesterdays. It is different. You can't step into the same river twice. I tell you, you can't even step into the same river even once. See the moment you put your foot, before even it reaches the ground, water moves away. So, your wife is updating herself, your life is updating itself, the whole Existence is constantly updating itself. So My statement, ‘the same wife, same car, same thing’ was told in a more a casual sense and a jovial sense and how you feel; but that is not the case, actual truth. That is the first thing.

Second thing, if we are suffering, are we going towards God?

No! Something seriously wrong. I can say, in the initial level you will not have suffering you will have suffocation. Suffocation is what Ramakrishna calls the ‘seeking’ or the ‘intense yearning’ - ‘Vyākulatā’ - that is the word Bhagawan uses, Ramakrishna is using - Vyākulatā, the intense yearning. There will be suffocation, not suffering. Suffocation means feeling that you are not enough. You have not expanded what you can. You are not doing what you can. Just like a, missing some part of you; it won't be a suffering. Suffering is different, suffocation is different.

Suffering is something. When you think I need this and you're not achieving, that is suffering. Suffocation is you know you are something but you have not become that. Suffocation is from within, suffering from outside. Suffocation is from Prarabdha, suffering is from Agamya.

Prarabdha means the potentiality which you brought with you is Prarabdha. Agamya is the desires which you accumulated after coming here. The accumulated desires bring suffering, the Agamya [Prarabdha] brings suffocation. Suffocation inspires and helps you to expand, open up, break. Suffering puts you in deep depression.

So I feel suffocation will just explode into joy. There won't be suffering between you and the Enlightenment or the Atmajnana. So I can't accept the word if you are suffering more you are going towards Divine, towards God. According to My experience, not only goal, even the path is Anandamaya. Path and goal, both are Anandamaya. In the initial level the suffocation will be there.

Please understand the difference between the suffocation and suffering. Suffering is from the accumulated desires. Suffocation is from your inborn Prarabdha, tendency, the potential energy.

So when a seed has not become tree, when the seed is about to break it has that suffocation Vyākulatā, but suffering is after you become tree, suddenly you want maybe 2-3 house built on you or 2-3 cars so that can you can get into that. Tree can't move; which you… you try to accumulate something which is not directly yours, your very quality. That is what I call suffering.

Suffering is from Agamya, suffocation is from Prarabdha. Prarabdha, suffocation may be there in the initial level in your spiritual path, but Agamya, the suffering or depression cannot be there in your spiritual journey. Then there is something wrong if the suffering is there. First sit and clear the suffering; that’s a basic need to start your journey. Thank you.