A parable.

 A man spends his days complaining to God, believing that no one suffers as much as he does. One night, God appears in a dream and says:

"Gather all your sorrows into a gunny bag and bring them to the temple before dawn."

The man arrives at the temple and is astonished. The courtyard is filled with people carrying bags of misery. Some bags are much larger than his own. Even those he had envied—the smiling neighbors, the wealthy merchant, the respected elder—carry heavy burdens.

A voice announces:

"Hang your bags on the nails in the wall. When the lights go out, you may choose any bag you wish. When the lights return, the bag beside you will be yours forever."

The lights go out.

When the lights return ten minutes later, a strange sight is seen. Every person is standing beside his own bag.

Why?

Because each had glimpsed the contents of the others' bags.

The rich man carried loneliness. The healthy man feared losing his child. The smiling woman hid unbearable grief. The successful merchant lived with constant anxiety.

Each person realized:

"My suffering may be painful, but I know it. I have learned to bear it. Another's burden may be far heavier than it appears."

So everyone chose their own bag.

The story teaches several truths:

We compare our pain with others' appearances, not with their realities.

Every life contains hidden struggles.

Gratitude begins when comparison ends.

Compassion grows when we remember that everyone carries an unseen burden.

There is a saying from the wisdom traditions:

"The world is full of suffering, but much of it is concealed behind smiling faces." from the perspective of the Bhagavad Gita, every person carries the results of past actions, duties, relationships, and lessons meant for their growth. We may not understand why a burden has come, but how we carry it shapes our lives.

A known devil is better than an unknown one.

That realization often turns complaint into gratitude and judgment into understanding.