By Pran Gopinath Das
The material world is but a small portion of God’s kingdom and a place for those who wish to become the center of enjoyment. The material world and its suffering is not really God’s desire, just as a government would prefer that there were no prisons. Though the government provides and organises the prison service, the criminal is responsible for his or her situation. Similarly, though God creates this world, the soul creates his own happiness and distress. The world is a place where fallen souls attempt to enjoy existence separately from God. The ultimate purpose of the world is reformation of character and attitude, by which the soul can attain liberation. The soul suffers not so much through his location but through his rebellious attitude.