When the British invaded India, they came face to face with the full horrors of what Hinduism/Buddhism taught. They found people starving and being ignored, the old and disabled left to fend for themselves. When asked what was going on, the Hindu wise men/gurus explained, this life is nothing but a trial, and all these people are being punished for being bad people in previous lives, but not to worry as reincarnation will mean they'll be reborn into better social and economic positions.
In the Bhagavad-Gita we are told: “The self embodied in the body of every being is indestructible”.20 and “Weapons do not cut it, fire does not burn it, waters do not wet it, wind does not wither it. It cannot be cut or burned; it cannot be wet or withered; it is enduring, all-pervasive, fixed, immovable, and timeless”.
As the Self is not affected, there need be no concern over temporary suffering. Patients may gain comfort by viewing the pain as only a temporary condition and one that does not affect their inner Self. <<<<Happy thoughts right.
