Understanding Why We Should Tolerate Hardships in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
The material world is characterized by constant fluctuations of pain, pleasure, honor, and dishonor, which challenge the mind of every spiritual seeker. By learning to endure these temporary conditions, Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that a sincere devotee can remain perfectly peaceful and steady on the path to liberation. True tolerance, however, requires distinguishing between personal insults, which must be accepted humbly, and blasphemy against the Supreme Lord, which must be vigorously opposed.
The Nature of Material Dualities
Physical and mental discomforts are inevitable byproducts of possessing a material body. Rather than becoming agitated by these changing circumstances, a spiritual practitioner must recognize them as temporary skin diseases that come and go without warning. Throughout his purports to the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasized that a wise person simply endures these fleeting sensations without losing focus. By practicing sama-duḥkha, or equanimity in distress and happiness, a devotee naturally transcends the dualities of nature.
- Happiness and distress are concomitant factors of material life. One should learn to tolerate, as advised in Bhagavad-gita.
- This duality of distress and happiness, this is due to the skin. This is skin disease. Just like itching, itching of the skin. So because there is itching, I should not be mad after it. I should tolerate. There are so many.
- Under different season my body feels differently pains and pleasure. But actually, if I am not this body, then I should tolerate all these pains and pleasures. This is called sama-duhkha.
- In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna informs Arjuna that the pains and pleasures experienced in relation to the body are temporary; they come and go. One should not be disturbed by them but should tolerate them and continue with spiritual realization.
Enduring Personal Insults and Hardships
The path of devotion is rarely free from obstacles, as materialistic individuals naturally oppose genuine spiritual culture. When faced with envy or verbal attacks from asuras, a devotee is instructed to remain as tolerant as a tree and as humble as the grass in the street. By deeply absorbing the mood of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Prabhupāda taught that we can overcome the urge to retaliate against those who mistreat us. This profound patience ensures that one's Kṛṣṇa consciousness is never diverted by the petty conflicts of this world.
- A devotee should be so advanced that in spite of being troubled by the asuras, he should tolerate, titiksavah, and still he should be kind upon him, not that "This man is talking against me, against God. Therefore I shall be angry and drive him away." No.
- Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, taror api sahisnuna. You will have many enemies, many envious persons, when you become pure devotee, but you should tolerate. Taror api sahisnuna. Be tolerant just like a tree and be humble just like a grass.
- Even if there is danger or suffering in Krsna consciousness, we should tolerate it. We should even welcome such danger, and we should pray in appreciation to Krsna.
- We should be very much careful. Our Krsna consciousness cannot be diverted. Then you are gone to hell. Even there is danger, even there is suffering in Krsna consciousness, we should tolerate.
What a Devotee Must Never Tolerate
Although immense patience is required for personal affronts, this humility should never be misapplied when the Supreme Lord or His pure representatives are attacked. Spiritual etiquette demands that a Vaiṣṇava acts like fire if someone commits blasphemy against Kṛṣṇa or genuine saints. Exploring this crucial distinction, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarified that protecting the honor of the divine is a paramount duty for any sincere practitioner. A true devotee is meek in personal matters but boldly intolerant of offensive behavior toward spiritual authorities.
- It should be noted herewith that a Vaisnava should not tolerate the blaspheming of Visnu or Vaisnavas, although he should tolerate personal insults to himself.
- One may then ask why the Lord exhibited His anger. The point is that one should be ready to tolerate all insults to one's own self, but when Krsna or His pure devotee is blasphemed, a genuine devotee becomes angry and acts like fire against the offenders.
- One should tolerate insults against oneself, but when there is blasphemy committed against superiors such as other Vaisnavas, one should be neither humble nor meek: one must take proper steps to counteract such blasphemy.
- Vasudeva is that state from which Krsna, Vasudeva, is born, so Lord Siva is the greatest devotee of Lord Krsna, and Sati's behavior is exemplary because no one should tolerate blasphemy against Lord Visnu or His devotee.
Staying Fixed on the Ultimate Goal
The temporary inconveniences of this world pale in comparison to the eternal reward of going back home, back to Godhead. Knowing this, advanced practitioners simply ignore the minor disturbances of life, focusing their energy entirely on executing their devotional service. Reflecting on the lives of perfect souls like Prahlāda Mahārāja and Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged all students to emulate their unwavering determination. By keeping the mind fixed on the absolute truth, all bodily discomforts easily fade into insignificance.
- Our business is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. If there is some difficulty you should tolerate and go on with our business.
- A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements. He should learn to tolerate them.
- Following the examples of Ambarisa Maharaja and Prahlada Maharaja, a devotee should learn how to tolerate all such awkward positions in this world.
- We insist our students that "Don't go out." Even you are discomfortable, you should tolerate, but you should not go out of the society. Then you will surely fall down, surely fall down.
Conclusion
Developing true tolerance is an essential characteristic that allows a devotee to safely navigate the turbulent ocean of material existence. Rather than reacting blindly to temporary pains and worldly insults, one must fix their intelligence on achieving eternal spiritual life. By deeply ingraining this principle, Śrīla Prabhupāda assured us that any obstacle can be peacefully overcome, provided we fiercely protect the dignity of the Supreme Lord and His pure devotees along the way.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Should Tolerate. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.