I was sitting in a hospital today, quietly observing the surroundings. I saw some mentally challenged patients, a few in a coma, and some very elderly people—all of them suffering in different ways.
When we see old people or coma patients, we might think that perhaps they are facing the consequences of something they’ve done in this life. Maybe it’s the result of their present-life karma.
But what about children or young people who are born mentally challenged? They haven’t done anything wrong in this life—they were born that way. So we can’t attribute their condition to their present karma.
Then, we might think—perhaps their parents are meant to suffer seeing their child like this. Maybe the parents did something wrong in this life or in a past life, and this is the consequence. But then again, what if the parents don’t care? Some may neglect their children or even abandon them. In such cases, they aren’t really suffering. So where’s the justice in that?
It leads to another possibility—perhaps God or nature allows such situations not as punishment, but to serve a larger purpose. Maybe seeing such suffering is meant to teach others compassion, gratitude, or awareness. It might be a way to motivate those who are able-bodied to value their own lives more deeply.
But then again, that idea also feels troubling. Why should some people suffer just to teach others a lesson? That seems unfair, even cruel. Would God really allow such injustice?
So, all of this brings us back to one explanation: suffering may be deeply connected to the karma of previous births. Perhaps what a person experiences now is a result of their own past-life actions. This perspective may help us understand, accept, and make peace with what we see.
Those who are conscious and aware may be able to accept this calmly. Those who are not conscious may have to silently go through their suffering to clear their karmic debts. Hopefully, by doing so, they are freed from that karma and can be born healthier or stronger in their next life.
