THERE IS LIGHT AT THE HEART OF EVERY MISFORTUNE

Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights in history, wrote numerous tragedies. He penned them to show the world that there is light at the heart of every misfortune. We often think that light comes only from above, but this is only part of the truth. He wanted people to know that when we are in the depths of despair and believe that things could get no worse, the floor can open up beneath us and immerse us in light. By falling through the bottom of tragedy, we discover a Truth of our humanity and the shining light hidden within our being. Comedies, plays with happy endings (which Shakespeare also wrote), are not the only way to encourage people to grow and progress, and in fact, things that appear to be tragic could very well be shortcuts to the light.

There are many people in this world who curse their fate, wondering, “Why am I always the one to suffer? Why do I have such bad luck?” They may have lost their parents in childhood, or they may not have been able to afford to go to school, or they may not have ever been married. If they did marry, they may have been separated from their beloved by death or by choice. Perhaps they could not have any children, or their children died young. Perhaps their children became addicts, or turned their backs on their families. There is no end to the reasons why people suffer; the seeds of sorrow are without number.

But this is not to say that these experiences of sorrow, tragedy, and what seems to be bad luck are meaningless, or have no use to us. The world where we resided before we were born on Earth, called Heaven, is a place with very little of this pain and sorrow. In this world in the third dimension, however, unlike in Heaven, active forms of evil do exist, and torrents of ill fortune can bear down on us and make it seem as though we are completely at the mercy of fate. But we should not forget the Biblical story of Job, who experienced so many adversities and misfortunes that in his despair he cursed God. God replied, “Are you so wise that you can judge the Will of God? Be more humble. Do you really understand my intentions?”

God was really saying to Job, “The obstacles you face are just stage props that I have created for the purpose of helping humans evolve.” People who have passed away, leaving us behind in this world, may now be living marvelous lives in the next world. This tells us that we must not judge things from the limited perspective of this world. What looks to be misfortune is actually for the best, even if you don't know it yet. The more trials you face, the closer you are to the light. In the midst of joy, Heaven is near, but you are also approaching Heaven when you find yourself in the depths of sorrow. I hope that many people will discover this Truth. Find the courage to burst through the floor of the darkest pit of sorrow and reach for the light that is within you, and don't let go of the light that streams up from below; then Heaven will surely appear before you.

From "The Nine Dimensions" by Ryuho Okawa