A man came to Shri Nathji and said to him: Why must misery exist in the world? If God is responsible for everything then surely He created misery as well? How can we reconcile ourselves to it?
Shri Nathji replied: God created light and darkness both. It is His law that light cannot be perceived unless there is darkness as well. If we say: Why did he create darkness? We must also ask: Why did he create light? If we ask ‘Why did God create misery?’ we must also ask ‘Why did He create happiness?’ One cannot exist without the other. It is His law that the two must exist together. But it is also His Law that one must go from darkness to light. It is also His Law that one must dispel darkness.
Thus it is also his Law that one must go from sorrow to happiness, one must dispel sorrow in the world. Happiness could have no meaning in the world if there were no sorrow. Sorrow is like a black mole on a beautiful face, which only enhances the beauty of the face. God did not create sorrow; He only created a means to increase happiness.
“If a snake falls in your lap, then it is no time to think how and why the snake originated. You have to throw it away at once.
The evolution of science and religion, and, indeed, all of civilisation, stem from their fight against misery and sorrow in the world. Salvation itself means freedom from sorrow and misery.“Thus misery and sorrow have a very definite place in the scheme of God.”