Category:Our Suffering (Disciples of SP)
Theme Analysis
For a devotee, suffering is not a sign of God's neglect but a token of His mercy. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when a devotee faces tribulation, they understand it as the result of their own past deeds (karma), minimized significantly by Kṛṣṇa. This attitude, described in the verse tat te 'nukampām, qualifies one for liberation. Suffering is inevitable in the material world—even great souls like Prahlāda Mahārāja and Haridāsa Ṭhākura suffered—but a devotee is not disturbed. Instead, they continue their service with determination, viewing difficulties as tapasya (austerity). Śrīla Prabhupāda also gives practical advice: one should not neglect health or maintenance, nor should devotees fight amongst themselves, as this discredits the movement. The ultimate solace is that Kṛṣṇa never stands idly by; He protects His sincere devotee and neutralizes their reactions.
- The Proper Attitude: A devotee accepts suffering as minimized punishment and thanks Kṛṣṇa for it. This tolerance guarantees their return back to Godhead.
- Inevitability and Tapasya: The material world is a place of misery (duḥkhālayam). Accepting these difficulties voluntarily to push forward the mission is called tapasya.
- Protection and Mitigation: While a devotee does not ask Kṛṣṇa to remove suffering, Kṛṣṇa naturally protects them. If one is fully engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa, māyā's influence is negated.
- Practical Application: Devotees must be ideal. If they suffer from the same ills (like fighting or envy) as materialists, they cannot preach effectively. Health and maintenance of cows/devotees are also important to avoid unnecessary suffering.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Our Suffering - Guidance for Śrīla Prabhupāda's Disciples.
Pages in category "Our Suffering (Disciples of SP)"
The following 31 pages are in this category, out of 31 total.
A
- A devotee always accepts his distress as minimized by God's Mercy, although he would have to suffer many more times the suffering
- Any one who accepts this philosophy of God's Mercy in suffering conditions, and still makes progress in Krishna Consciousness, it is said that he is sure to go back to Home, Back to Godhead
- As soon as I get a particular type of body, my happiness and sufferings are all destined. This is our position
I
- I am very much perturbed to hear you are suffering from maleria in Delhi. So don't be worried, you'll very soon recover, but I think it is a hindrance for you going to Europe. I therefore request you not to proceed to Europe immediately
- I hope you are reading what books of mine you have and chanting Hare Krishna Mantra; these things are our real business in the human form of life, so that we can quit all material suffering and go back to our original home, back to Godhead
- I know that over the past years you have suffered so many tribulations to push forward Krsna consciousness in Germany. But this has not stopped you from your determination to serve the cause of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- I must have now the Permanent visa otherwise I cannot go to Montreal and work will suffer very much if I do not go to Montreal by the next month. Kindly let me know what you have done in this connection and I shall wait your letter with interest
- If he has no maintenance, he'll suffer, fasting; still, he'll not ask Krsna, "Krsna, I am very hungry. Give me some food" Of course, Krsna is alert for His devotee, but a devotee's principle is not to place any plan to Krsna. Let Krsna do
- If He sees His devotee sincerely and seriously trying to serve Him, He is prepared to give His devotee anything and everything to mitigate any suffering conditions. That is mature understanding and realization of Krsna Consciousness
- If somebody thinks that "I have taken to Krsna consciousness, but I am suffering for so many things," for them or for all of us the instruction is matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
- If we accept Krsna's instruction, then you are perfect, and if you go on doing something whimsically, then you are suffering. But we prefer to act whimsically according to our dictation of the senses. We do not take the dictation of Krsna
- If you yourselves are suffering from the very ills we are trying to remove, how can the people be influenced favorably? Stop this fighting, tolerate, chant and read our books
- In my opinion your guiding the girls working under you for painting is very important, and if this business doesn't suffer, you can think of going to S.F. for organizing the asrama
- It is too bad that you are suffering too much. However this may be taken as the mercy of the Lord. If the Lord gives us some inconvenience then we may take it that He has reduced our actual punishment and just given us a token punishment
K
- Krishna does not like to see His sincere devotee suffer or become frustrated or depressed. He will not stand idly by in any such case, so do not fear on that account
- Krsna is so kind upon me for creating this condition of struggling, thus He is relieving me of so many billions of lifetime of sinful reactions by this very insignificant and temporary condition of suffering something
R
- Regarding your problem, first thing is that the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita is that one must learn to tolerate the sufferings due to the frailties of the material body
- Repression means, suppose you have a disease, you are suffering from typhoid fever, and the doctor says that you don't take any solid food. Now if you desire to take a paratha, you have to repress it: "No, I cannot take paratha"
T
- The duty must be done. Even it is little suffering. That is called tapasya. Tapasya means we must proceed with our Krsna consciousness business in spite of all dangerous and calamitous condition of this world. This is called tapasya
- The first thing is that everyone, man and animal, especially the cows, they must be properly fed so become very stout and strong. Cows will supply milk, and man will work hard, without being suffered by dysentery. He must work hard
- The temple work is not suffering
- To the extent we are thinking of Krishna, to that extent Maya has no influence. But as much as we are desiring to forget Krishna and trying to enjoy for ourself, so to that extent we must suffer the pains of Maya
W
- We are hearing from the scriptures, from authorities, that "I have got this miserable conditional body to suffer threefolds of material miseries; still, I am not very much anxious how to stop this repetition of birth and death. I am drinking poison"
- We are suffering in this material life on account of these three modes of material nature, especially the modes of passion and ignorance