Don't Cut Yourself Off from the Bliss

Sometimes those who are not solidly situated in Krishna consciousness think that the amazingly wonderful bliss experienced by its advanced practitioners is some kind of imaginative ecstasy, a subjective state of hyping oneself up to have a positive outlook on life. They do not realize that the ecstasy of Krishna consciousness is more solid than titanium. Because of their being blinded by their addiction to material sense gratification they are unable to comprehend that such a thing as genuine spiritual bliss exists. And just as the fox who could not reach the grapes labeled them as sour, they label the inconceivably sublime transcendental bliss of Krishna consciousness as mere illusion. Thus they cut themselves off from experiencing it.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Challenge: You Preach Nonattachment, But Yet You Are Attached

Your are so connected with Krishna, but I was seeing that you were also very much worried and depressed due to health problem of Mataji (your wife) when she had a brain hemorrhage and came dangerously close to death. This shows that your are still in attachment, but yet you are giving lectures to others for non-attachment.

Regards,

Dr. N.

Answer: Krishna Says That We Should Be the Devotee of His Devotee

My Dear Dr. N.,

Please accept my blessings.

I understand that you consider me to be a hypocrite because I preach that we should become free from all material attachments, and you have concluded that the compassion and concern I felt for Mataji during her recent health crisis is a sign of material attachment.

Regarding her recent crisis, I never once lost my composure and became overwhelmed by material attachment and depression. In fact this experience deepened my Krishna consciousness and established me even more solidly in the shelter of Lord Sri Krishna's lotus feet.

To feel compassion and concern for a person who is in a suffering situation is not a sign of material attachment. In fact a Krishna conscious person always feels unhappy to see the sufferings of others. His compassion is not material attachment. It is rather a sign of his spiritual advancement. Especially in regards to Krishna's devotees we are always meant to give special loving care. In this regard Krishna explains to Arjuna in the Adi Purana:

ye me bhakta-janāḥ pārtha
na me bhaktāś ca te janāḥ
mad-bhaktānāṁ ca ye bhaktās
te me bhakta-tamā matāh

"The person who claims to be My devotee is not My devotee. Rather it is the devotee of My devotee who is My actual devotee."

This means that according to Lord Sri Krishna Himself being devoted to Krishna's devotee is more important than being devoted directly to Krishna. In fact it is the only way to be accepted by Krishna as being His devotee. So in the light of Krishna's teachings you should reconsider whether someone's being devoted to taking good care of Krishna's devotee is a sign of material attachment or is one of the items of his being connected to Krishna.

I hope this meets you in the best of health and in an ecstatic mood.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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