Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.31.7
Ūti· What drives us to actTolerance Does Not Mean Freedom From Suffering
“Owing to the mother’s eating bitter, pungent foodstuffs, or food which is too salty or too sour, the body of the child incessantly suffers pains which are almost intolerable.”
What the purport teaches
- The translation describes the child suffering nearly intolerable pain from the mother’s bitter, pungent, excessively salty or sour food.
- The purport says the child’s situation is beyond our conception. Although remaining in that condition is very difficult, the child must remain.
- Because the child’s consciousness is not very developed, he can tolerate the condition. The purport calls this māyā’s benediction: giving the suffering body the capacity to endure.
Try this today
Spend a quiet minute reflecting that the ability to tolerate pain does not make the pain insignificant.
Ask yourself
Do I sometimes overlook suffering simply because someone is able to endure it?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.