Is Suicide a Viable Option?

In today's overly stressed society suicide, taking one's own life, is very common. When people become completely devastated by too much misery they foolishly think they can free themselves from misery by committing suicide. They do not realize that the karma for suicide is to take birth as a ghost and become even more miserable than they were in this lifetime. Therefore instead of killing one's body to get free from suffering it is advised that one should kill one's false conception of being the body by awakening one's spiritual consciousness within. It is a fact that on the bodily plane we are tortured by the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. But when you realize that you are not your body, that you are instead the eternal, spirit-soul, servant of Krishna you will become completely ecstatic regardless of what your body is going through. Therefore when the Krishna consciousness movement completely inundates this planet there will be no more suicides here because everyone will be happy.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Three New Disciples Get Initiated Kuala Lumpur Malaysia--16 June 2013

Suwindren Becomes Subal Das

Selvaraj Becomes Satyavrata Das

Sutha Becomes Suddha Bhakti Devi Dasi

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: How to Deal With Severe Pain?

Two weeks ago I fell down from my bike and fractured my left hand. Due to the complexity of the fracture, I had to undergo an operation and get fixed with some wires after some holes were drilled in my bone. The wires and pain will be there for minimum six weeks according to the physician.

I know it's Krishna's mercy, but I am not much determined. Due to the pain and too many tablets, I am unable to do my sadhana (devotional practices) properly and serve devotees. I have become more bodily conscious and badly disturbed due to pain. My mind is not fully trained to focus on hearing and glorifying the Supreme Lord at all the times, but I would like to train it. Although I am begging for Krishna prema (love of Krishna) now from many devotees I am failing to be situated in Krishna consciousness due to bodily pain.

Please advise me on how should I go on further. Please guide me with a practical solution that would help me to love Krishna more and more at this stage.

Seeking your blessings and prayers,
Your insignificant servant

J.R.K.

Answer: Springboard for Increased Krishna Consciousness

I am very sorry to learn that you have met with an unfortunate accident and are in great pain. And I hope that soon you will recover to normal health.

Sometimes according to our karma we are obliged to suffer severe pain. When this happens we must tolerate it and continue dutifully with our regulated devotional activities. By absorbing ourselves fully in Krishna consciousness even when we are in severe pain we can situate ourselves beyond our bodily pain in the sweet, ecstatic realm of Lord Sri Krishna’s transcendental association.

In this connection there is very nice verse
in the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.14.8):

tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

"My dear Lord, any person who is constantly awaiting Your causeless mercy to be bestowed upon him, and who goes on suffering the resultant actions of his past misdeeds, offering You respectful obeisances from the core of his heart, is surely eligible to become liberated, for it has become his rightful claim."

So instead of feeling defeated spiritually by your intense physical pain, use it as a springboard to increase your Krishna consciousness by seeing it as Krishna's special blessing to free you from the reactions to your past misdeeds.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari