Causes for Human Suffering

   Suffering is known as tapatraya (Samsk.). The term 'tapa' means afflictions and 'traya' means three. The three afflictions are created by 1. nature (prakruti), 2. physical body, and 3. neighbors (par peeda). The jiva suffers from changing weather conditions, natural calamities, and other forces beyond jiva's control. Any change in temperature causes much inconvenience to the jivas. The three natural conditions that affect the physical body of the jivas are: vata (cold), pittha (fever), and kafa (cough). These are common afflictions! The remedy is to keep them in balance. The problems created by the neighbors is another problem of the jiva. These may include anything and everything that the jiva comes in contact with! Hence, these afflictions bother the jiva.

   Jiva's suffering is of its own making. Nobody is responsible for one's suffering, except in the case of natural havoc. Humans suffer due to avidya, ignorance, lack of knowledge, or karma according to the scriptures. The Bhagavad-Gita has made this very clear. It says 'mudha', fool. This foolishness is an in-born trait. It is karma, the fruits of action that causes embodiment of the jiva. Desire is at the root of this! However, avidya, ignorance,  that cause birth and death. Now, strictly speaking, avidya is not lack of knowledge! It is just an envelope, covering! Several layers, sheaths, cover the Atman. These are the Kosha or layers of food (annam), life-force (prana), mind (manas), knowledge of the material world, and joy (ananda) of the senses! All these are factors that come within limitations of time, space, and cause and effect. 

     'Avidya' is the curtain. We select beautiful curtains to cover the window and thereby ward of the light, air, and even close the windows! The curtains are thick, and some times in layers of thick and thin. These curtains are drawn and the jivas go to rest. This is avidya! Now, in real life, too the jiva suffers due to the same mistake of drawing curtain to the reality! It is like the cataract that makes the vision blurred. Cataract can be removed by laser surgery by a medical surgeon these days; but the cataract with which the jiva is born cannot be removed without a surgeon of spiritual attainment. Thus the jiva suffers!