We often wonder why suffering does not seem to spare the good-hearted, while those who harm sometimes appear to live in ease. It is a paradox that has long puzzled many who seek fairness in the world.
A list of grievances
One day, a man known for his gentle heart approached a wise master with this very question: “Why is it that kind people like me still experience so much suffering, while those who do evil seem to live comfortably?”
The master looked at him with great compassion and said: “If your heart feels pain, it means there is something within it that resonates with that pain — something negative remains. When a person has no evil — no selfishness — in their heart, then suffering cannot arise. Therefore, the fact that you still feel pain indicates that your heart is not yet pure, not yet free from all selfishness that defiles it. And as for those you call ‘evil people’ — they may not be truly evil. If someone can live joyfully, it at least means their heart is not entirely dark.”
Unconvinced, the man protested: “How could I be evil? I’ve always been a kind and gentle person!” The master replied gently: “If your heart contains no evil, it will feel no suffering. But since you feel pain, it must mean some form of negativity is present. Tell me about your suffering — I will help you see what lies beneath it.”
So the man began to speak. “I suffer a lot,” he said. “I feel like I earn too little, my home is too small, and I constantly worry about survival. This makes me unhappy, and I long to change my situation. I also feel indignant seeing uneducated people becoming rich, while I — an educated intellectual — struggle on a meager salary. It’s so unfair! And sometimes my own family won’t listen to my advice, which upsets me.” He poured out a long list of grievances — frustrations he had long held inside.
Why you suffer
The master listened quietly, his expression softening with even greater warmth and kindness. When the man had finished, the master spoke gently. “Your income is enough to feed your family, and you have shelter — you are not homeless. The house may be small, but it protects you. You could choose not to suffer over this. Yet your heart clings to desires for wealth and space — this is greed,” the master continued. “And greed is a form of inner evil, of selfishness. If you can let go of that craving, you will also be free of the suffering it brings. You feel bitter when uneducated people become wealthy — that is jealousy, another defilement of the heart.”
He continued: “You believe that your education entitles you to a higher income — that is pride, a form of subtle arrogance. And thinking that knowledge alone leads to wealth — that is ignorance, for the true roots of abundance do not lie merely in learning, but in the unseen merit of generosity, cultivated in past lives. You feel upset when your family does not take your advice — this reveals a lack of tolerance. Even those you love have their minds and paths. Why insist they think as you do? Intolerance narrows the heart. And that, too, is a kind of darkness.
“Greed, jealousy, pride, ignorance, and intolerance — these are like shadows in the heart. Because these shadows are there, suffering naturally follows, like a reflection that matches its source. But if you can clear these shadows from your heart — if you can let go of these negative feelings — your suffering will disappear, just like morning mist fades away in the sunlight. Learn to see your income and your home with gratitude. You will not starve or freeze. And those who have wealth — they, too, only avoid hunger and cold. True happiness does not come from possessions, but from your attitude toward life. Replace craving with contentment, and you will begin to feel peace.
“When others gain wealth, rejoice for them and wish them even greater blessings. To be truly kind is to feel joy in others’ happiness. But when your heart grieves another’s success, that is envy — and it must be rooted out. Let your heart practice sympathetic joy, not jealousy. To think yourself superior because of your education — this is arrogance. Pride is like a high mountain where no rivers of virtue can flow. It blinds you to your faults and blocks the way to growth. Only when we place ourselves humbly beneath others — cultivating a heart low to the ground — can true contentment and wisdom arise within.
“Know that wealth in this life comes from generosity in past lives. As it’s said: ‘What you sow, so shall you reap.’ Plant melons, and you will harvest melons; sow beans, and beans will grow. Only by understanding the laws of cause and effect through deep learning and spiritual practice,” the master said, “can the heart grow bright and choose rightly what to think, speak, and do. Only then can we walk from shadow into light.”
A new understanding
The master ended with these words: “The void encompasses everything — thus it is vast and boundless. The earth bears all, and so it is full of vitality and a myriad of wonders. In your daily life, you must not be quick to judge others. Even with family, you should not try to control or demand. Flow with the moment, let nature take its course, be at peace with what comes. Help others with a heart of kindness, but expect nothing in return.”
The master gazed at him once more, his eyes full of gentle compassion. The man fell silent. All this time, he had believed himself to be a kind person. Only now did he realize — his heart still held shadows. And because there was darkness within, suffering followed. Were it not for the master’s teaching, he might never have seen the truth within himself.
Translated by Katy Liu and edited by Tatiana Denning
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