Five Complaints Against God And Their Contrary Viewpoints

“I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.” (Queen Kunti speaking to Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.8.25)

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विपदः सन्तु ताः शश्वत्
तत्र तत्र जगद्-गुरो
भवतो दर्शनं यत् स्याद्
अपुनर् भव-दर्शनम्

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat
tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam

It is not a fake kind of optimism. It is not thinking positively simply as a survival technique. It is not burying your head in the sand to avoid witnessing the negative. It is not a way to annoy people who are voicing their concerns.

The person aligned with the Divine consciousness views every circumstance, situation, conundrum, difficulty, moment of doubt, or what have you as a blessing from above. These are opportunities to continue in remembrance of the one whose every aspect is beautiful.

Otherwise, the list of complaints is too long. We can take situations encountered in everyday life to see how quickly a person can turn to the heavens while raising an angry fist.

1. I hate riding on the underground train

“God, why do you hate me so? This train trip in the morning is the absolute worst. I don’t mind traveling. Don’t get me wrong; I am as much in favor of mass transit as the next guy. But does every passenger have to smell? Do people not follow basic hygiene anymore? Because of this, whenever I reach home from the office, I feel the need to take a shower.”

The positive on the same:

“Thank you so much for this opportunity to see other people on a daily basis. The variety to your creation is endless. Different bodily complexions. Different ways of dressing. You hear different languages, but the emotions are the same. Everyone is connected to you in some manner; whether they realize it or not.”

2. I hate having to go to work

“God, why do you make me work on a daily basis? It is not that I am lazy, but this seems too much. I believe one of your representatives refers to it as ugra-karma. These endeavors seem unnecessary to me. I write code for a living. Every few years the same application needs to be redesigned to utilize the latest technology of the day. It’s a never-ending cycle. People should be content with what they have.

“Instead, I have to sit here and refactor everything. Speaking of sitting, that is the worst part. I feel like I am in a prison. No place to hide. No place to relax for a few minutes. I know that I am not the only person in this predicament. Why do you make life so difficult?”

The positive on the same:

“God, this is the greatest blessing. I am so excited to go to work every day. Without this pressing responsibility, where would I be in life? Probably sleeping the day away. Endlessly scrolling through news stories on the smartphone, getting upset over issues that bear no impact on my daily life.

“Through the office environment I am able to appreciate the efforts of others. Only you could bring so many people together like this. In the drive for artha [profit], people from different backgrounds join for a common purpose. It is a beautiful thing to watch. The nature shows tend to focus on animals in the wild, but the corporate office to me is as much a miracle of nature as the penguins marching in the cold.”

3. I hate having limited options to eat

“Not only do you force me to work, but there is hardly anything good to eat. White flour gets stuck in the stomach. Too much salt raises blood pressure. The oils they use in cooking are the worst for the heart. Shouldn’t you be supplying something better?”

The positive outlook:

“God, thank you so much for making food in my area unhealthy and tasteless. Now I am able to better practice austerity. Tapasya is the way towards understanding you. If the food was like from a royal palace, then I would barely be able to control myself. Because of the better focus, I can remember you more often; which is always paramount.”

4. I hate the scorching heat

“How in the world do people live like this? The heat is unbearable. The reason is the combined factor of humidity. I would rather live anywhere than here. You can’t even go outside because of the mosquitos. Why on earth would you place such wretched beings in this world? This is torture in the truest sense.”

The positive outlook:

“You know, I used to have trouble tolerating the excessive heat. I would run towards any place with air conditioning. But recently the power went out completely where I was staying. I had no choice but to accept the heat. To my amazement, it wasn’t so bad after a while. A little austerity to help remember you – always a winning situation.”

5. I hate the bitter cold

“It is like a freezer outside. Seriously, if you stay out there long enough, you will die. Is that something human beings should endure? Why on earth is it like that for several months out of the year? Is this some kind of sick joke? Why would you make us suffer in this way?”

The positive outlook:

“The cold is tough, for sure, but there is a special kind of mellow enjoyed during that season. Enter the home and start a fire with some wood. The comforting heat brings a feeling that cannot be matched from any other situation. That fire is rooted in the Supreme Lord, who is more splendorous than the sun. His teja is brilliant to the point of blinding to the less intelligent, but during the winter I am able to appreciate to some degree.”

…

The key to turning the outlook around is purification of the consciousness. Try to remember the Supreme Lord, who is a person, on a regular basis. Make a routine of it. Keep shastra like Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam close by. Always chant the holy names and soon be thankful for every second spent in this wonderful engagement: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Sources for complaints easy,
Weather extremes making me uneasy.

Working like dog every single day,
Maneuvering through transit’s way.

Positive outlook also can hold,
Where watching God’s creation unfold.

Bhakti chance to serve Him gave,
And from ignorance to save.