Category:Suffering of a Devotee of God
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category reveals the profound and transcendental perspective a pure devotee holds toward material suffering. Unlike ordinary people who complain or blame God, a sincere practitioner accepts any distress as the special mercy of the Supreme Lord, recognizing it as a significantly minimized reaction to their own past misdeeds. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights the immense compassion of exalted personalities—such as Prahlāda Mahārāja, Vasudeva Datta, and Lord Jesus Christ—who willingly accept suffering to deliver fallen souls. He strictly warns, however, that disciples and followers must not take advantage of this compassion by continuing to commit sinful activities, as doing so directly causes their spiritual master to suffer. Ultimately, any suffering endured for the sake of Kṛṣṇa is experienced by the devotee as transcendental bliss.
- The Transcendental Vision of Pain: A devotee never views suffering as a punishment or a reason to accuse the Supreme Lord, but rather accepts it as a divine concession and a necessary purification.
- Accepting Karmic Reactions: Recognizing that any pain is the residual effect of their own past misdeeds, pure devotees remain undisturbed and patiently depend on God's protection.
- Unwavering Devotion Through Reversals: Great authorities from the scriptures demonstrate that severe material scarcity, torture, or distress cannot impede a sincere soul's spiritual progress.
- Compassion Over Personal Comfort: While completely tolerant of their own distress, sincere devotees feel immense compassion for the suffering of others and gladly endure difficulties to preach the science of Godhead.
- The Sublime Sacrifice of Great Souls: Exalted personalities willingly accept the sinful reactions of the general populace to save them, but foolish people completely misunderstand this grace and continue sinning.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Why A Pure Devotee of God Accepts Suffering as Divine Mercy.
Subcategories
This category has the following 3 subcategories, out of 3 total.
Pages in category "Suffering of a Devotee of God"
The following 59 pages are in this category, out of 59 total.
A
- A devotee acts differently: he knows he is not the body and that as long as he is in his body he will have to suffer the threefold material miseries
- A devotee never accuses Krsna that "Krsna, I am serving You so nicely, and You are giving me so much suffering?" No. This is not devotee's view. Devotee will take that - This so-called suffering is also Krsna's favor
- A devotee should be tolerant and should be very much compassionate toward others. For example, if he suffers personal injury, he should tolerate it, but if someone else suffers injury, the devotee need not tolerate it
- A devotee, therefore, is always conscious of his real position. Only by his full surrender to the Lord, by the Lord's grace, are his sufferings made shorter
- A true devotee of the Lord always considers these sufferings (becoming diseased, impoverished, or disappointed by life's events) to be due to past sinful activities, and thus without becoming disturbed he patiently awaits the mercy of the Supreme Lord
- A Vaisnava or devotee may suffer for all humanity, but the human race or a particular devotee's disciples should not take advantage of this facility and continue to commit sins
- A Vaisnava, a devotee of the Lord, he always thinks of the fallen condition of general people. Just like in Christian philosophy they believe that Lord Jesus Christ suffered to be crucified by assimilating all the sinful activities of the people
- Actually, those who are Krsna conscious, they have no material suffering. Although it appears that they are suffering, they are not suffering. They can accept any so-called suffering and accept it as mercy of Krsna. They never take it as suffering
- Afterward (after suffering two more births, one as a deer and one as the brahmana Jada Bharata) he was liberated and went back home, back to Godhead
- Although a devotee may sometimes have to suffer, he tolerates the suffering. At the same time, he is very kind to conditioned souls and tries to elevate them to Krsna consciousness. This is one of the primary features of a devotee's life
- Although the disease of a devotee is due to mistakes committed sometime in the past, he agrees to suffer and tolerate such miseries, & he depends fully on the SPG. Thus he is never affected by material conditions of lamentation, jubilation, fear & so on
- Although Vasudeva Vipra was a leper and had suffered greatly, still, after Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu cured him He instructed him to preach Krsna consciousness
- Another aspect of the teachings of Lord Ramacandra is that although Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His devotees may apparently suffer from material tribulations, they have nothing to do with such tribulations
D
- Difficulties are very gladly suffered by the devotees in preaching because in such activities, although apparently very severe, the devotees of the Lord feel transcendental pleasure because the Lord is satisfied
- Don't think that: "Because I have become a devotee, there will be no danger, no suffering." Prahlada Maharaja suffered so much. The Pandavas suffered so much. Haridasa Thakura suffered so much. But we should not be disturbed by those sufferings"
E
- Even if an akama devotee is suffering, he thinks this is due to his past impious activities and agrees to suffer the consequences. He never disturbs the Lord
- Even while suffering in the midst of difficulties, devotees simply offer their prayers and service more enthusiastically. In this way they become firmly fixed in devotional service and eligible to return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt
H
- He (a devotee of God) becomes increasingly attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of his being purified by his suffering. Suffering is also a process of purification
- He (a pure devotee) thinks that one is acting as his enemy due to his own past misdeeds. Thus it is better to suffer than to protest. BG 1972 purports
- He (a Vaisnava) does not suffer the results of his previous pious or impious actions
- He (Jesus Christ) is so much compassionate that, "These rascals do not know what they are doing, rascals. Still, I request You to forgive them." This is Vaisnava. Personally he is suffering, but he is still compassionate
- He (Prahlada Maharaj) didn't care about his father's attempts to make him suffer. That state of existence is called apratihata: if you want to execute KC, your material condition of life cannot check it. That is the real platform of progress
- He always remains a humble servant of the Lord. In all reverse conditions, he agrees to suffer the results of his past life. He never accuses the Lord of putting him into a distressed condition. These are the signs of an exalted devotee
- Human civilization, is falling in the fire of illusory maya, fut! fut! fut! fut! fut! and again and again. Bhutva bhutva praliyate (BG 8.19). Once takes birth, one again dies, again suffers. But we have no brain, mudha. Therefore is called mudha
I
- I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is compared to a cloud that pours water on fields of grain, which are like devotees suffering due to a shortage of rain
- If a devotee has to suffer the reactions of his past misdeeds, the Supreme Lord arranges for him to be given only a token of these reactions, and very soon he is freed from all the reactions of material contamination
- If he (the disciple) again commits sinful activities, his spiritual master has to suffer. A disciple should be sympathetic and consider this. - For my sinful activities, my spiritual master will suffer
- If the spiritual master is attacked by some disease, it is due to the sinful activities of others. "Don't make many disciples." But we do it because we are preaching. Never mind - let us suffer - still we shall accept them
- In Christian philosophy they believe that Lord Jesus Christ suffered to be crucified by assimilating all the sinful activities of the people. Yes. A devotee of Lord thinks like that
- In spite of any suffering, you can make progress in spiritual life. Just like Prahlada Maharaja himself. His father put him into so many suffering conditions, but he was not impeded - he made spiritual progress
- Insofar as your material condition is concerned, generally that cannot be checked. You have to suffer. But in the case of a devotee, that suffering also can be stopped or minimized. Otherwise, Krsna's statement would be false: aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
- It (the pain) is not due to karma. The pain is there sometimes, so that the disciples may know, - Due to our sinful activities, our spiritual master is suffering
- It is also stated in Bhagavad-gita (BG 6.22): yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunapi vicalyate. Even if he suffers some reversals in life, a devotee is never agitated. Whoever takes shelter of a great soul or a great devotee becomes pacified
N
- Narottama dasa Thakura has sung: "I am suffering from the poisonous effect of material enjoyment. Thus my heart is always burning and is almost on the verge of failure"
- Nescience is due to the bodily conception, and Jada Bharata was not affected by this false conception. Out of his natural humility, he never considered himself a great devotee, and he agreed to suffer the results of his past karma
O
- One may argue that at the time of death a devotee also suffers because of giving up his material body
- One of the example is the opulence of Sudama Vipra. Sudama Vipra suffered severe material scarcity, but he was not disturbed and did not deviate from devotional service. Thus he was ultimately given an exalted position by the mercy of Lord Krsna
- One should, rather, realize that since Lord Jesus Christ or Vasudeva Datta suffered for him, he should stop committing sins
T
- That (Chirst's suffering) I have already explained. He took the sinful reactions of all the people. Therefore he suffered
- The devotee becomes transcendental to all dualities, such as heat and cold, honor and dishonor. Being freed from all dualities, he feels transcendental bliss, and he no longer suffers cares and anxieties due to material existence
- There is no possibility of a misunderstanding between the Lord and the devotees, but when there are discrepancies or disruptions between one devotee and another, one has to suffer the consequences, although that suffering is temporary
- They should have been ashamed: - Lord Jesus Christ suffered for us, but we are continuing the sinful activities
- This is Vaisnava: "So for all their sins, I shall suffer. You take them." This philosophy is also expressed in Bible, Lord Jesus Christ, that he agreed to suffer himself for the sins of all the people
W
- We should be very much cautious: "For my sinful actions my spiritual master will suffer, so I'll not commit even a pinch of sinful activities." That is the duty of the disciple. After initiation, all sinful reaction is finished
- When a devotee cannot ascertain the cause of suffering he accepts that it is due to his own past misdeeds and offers obeisances to God. Such a devotee is called mukti-pade sa daya-bhak; that is, he is guaranteed his liberation from this material world
- When a devotee cannot ascertain the cause of suffering he accepts that it is due to his own past misdeeds that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has caused him some small amount of suffering. Thus he offers obeisances to the Lord again and again
- When a devotee suffers for Krsna, that suffering is transcendental enjoyment. Unless one becomes a devotee, this cannot be understood
- When a devotee suffers, he thinks, - This is due to my past misdeeds. Actually I should be suffering a great deal, but due to Krsna's grace I am suffering just a little. After all, suffering and enjoyment are in the mind
- When a devotee under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is to suffer because of faults in his past deeds, he passes through only a little misery by the grace of the Lord
- When suffering reversed conditions, the devotee always considers that the reverse conditions are the Lord's concessions. He is never angry with his master; he is always satisfied with the position his master offers
- When the spiritual master is in suffering, Krsna saves him. Krsna thinks, - Oh, he has taken so much responsibility for delivering a fallen person
- Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord's mercy upon him. He thinks: Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. BG 1972 purports