When should a devotee show emotions and when should he be patient?
A woman devotee asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Anna. Do devotees need to cultivate Patience (requested by Lord in BG 2.14)? As per Vaishnava Philosophy we are bhakti margi so we need to use such forces of kaam , krodha, lobh and moha in the service of Krishna as Hamuman ji utilized his krodh in the service of Lord Rama. So should we utilize such forces appropriately or tolerate them. Please give me a definite answer. Thank you. Hare Krishna , Dandvat.”
REPLY:
You are asking when should a devotee show emotions and when should he be patient.
Controlling is advised if the matter is related to you. Using the emotions is advised if the matter is related to Krishna. Simple.
There is a difference between two statements. If you know that difference, that will solve this doubt.
You have got this doubt just because you have missed to differentiate between YOUR PRESCRIBED DUTIES and SERVICE TO THE LORD BY APPLYING YOUR SENSES.
The advice given by Krishna in B.G 2.14 is the following:
“O son of Kuntī, the non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”
In this sloka, Krishna speaks about the Prescribed duties of every sathaka. Srila Prabhupada too explained this as prescribed duties only.
The advice of Krishna to remain patient bearing the happiness and distress that is unavoidable like winter and summer. We should bear the happiness and distress while discharging our prescribed duties as we bear winter and summer.
Will Performing our Prescribed duties, ie, Karma Yoga give rebirth? READ HERE!
For example, as a mother, you sincerely search for for a groom for your daughter and give her in marriage. This gives you much happiness that you celebrate well.
However, the daughter complains of the tortures of her husband. This causes distress in you.
You are unable to be happy as you remained when you gave her in marriage.
Here, Krishna’s advice matches.
You did your duty as a mother to arrange a good groom seeing all the possibilities.
But, as per the karma of the daughter, the groom / her husband happened to be a torturing person.
So, instead of getting agitated, you should handle the distressed situation with a balanced mind.
Similarly, sometimes, we may lose or have troubles in our jobs. Since working and earning is our assigned duty, we should continue the work in spite of the distressful situation in our job, with a balanced mind without getting affected by the incidents.
At the same time, involving our senses and emotions in the service to the Lord is different.
(How to engage our mind, thoughts and actions for Krishna? READ HERE!)
When we are tested while doing our assigned duty, we should deal with that patiently.
At the same time, when someone interferes in our service to the Lord, we can show our anger against him as the last step to stop him from disturbing your service.
When you like to serve the Lord along with the spouse and through children, you can marry and use the regulated kama to get children and to cultivate the children as the devotees of Krishna.
Here, you have used the kama to serve the Lord.
Hanuman ji fought back when he was disturbed while serving the Lord Rama or when he saw that his master Rama was disturbed by someone.
This is because, his only business was to serve the Lord Rama. Nothing else. So, he used his anger in the service to Rama.
At the same time, when someone pulls Hanuman ji when he was sleeping in his home with his mother, he should show restraint instead of getting angry suddenly.
However, as a kshatriya, he can show his anger to protect himself. I give this example just for an understanding the concept.
Thus, this is the conclusion:
(1) When you face setback while discharging your own assigned duties, keep restraint.
(2) When you are disturbed while discharging your duties to the Lord (or) when Lord himself is insulted, show your emotions including anger to correct the situation.
Hope you are now clear about when should a devotee show emotions and when should he be patient.
(HOW TO DIVERT THE MIND AND SENSES INTO KRISHNA’s SERVICE? READ HERE!)