What if Devotee Students show more interest in devotion than studies?
“A 9th Std male student devotee” asked like this:
“Hare Krishna prabhuji.i offer my humble obeisances unto your lotus feet. please help me prabhuji. i am 9th std so my parents got seperated (its been 6 months) i mean it was worse when they were together but now i am very very depressed because they are very toxic and they also have high expectations from me, my father wants me to get in to IIT Bombay but i am not so good academically (i have ADHD) which they dont understand either so i should feel like a burden to them and a failure. so i am not able to manage everything i stopped chanting because i cant concentrate and i have heard that everything is maya so there is no happiness in this world and till we realise we cant progress in devotion so i feel even more depressed . i feel so guilty as i am not able to do any service for krishna. i am so burnt out and tired prabhuji.i love krishna so much but i feel he hates me for some reason please help me prabhuji.”
REPLY:
What you do and what your parents do – both are wrong.
On your part, showing less focus on studies and showing more focus on devotion is not good in this age of 14.
It will be good only if you are going to become a full time servant of Krishna in any temple.
Even for that service, studying atleast till a graduation is helpful for awareness.
(How can a student excel in devotion and studies simultaneously? READ HERE!)
So, it is recommended for you to do graduation or professional studies.
When you show more interest in devotion than studies, you will perform less in studies and you will do well in devotion.
Of course, excelling in devotion is good, but, if you are not going to settle in any temple, you should take care of yourself throughout your life in this competitive material world.
So, you have to earn sufficiently to take care of yourself by spending for food, your medical expenses, your day to day expenses, etc.
So, you should definitely learn to balance both devotion and studies. Don’t allow one to be affected by the other.
Spare 1-1.5 hrs for devotional practices and reading about Krishna while studying.
After finishing the studies increase the time for devotional practices. Increase that time for Krishna stage by stage every year.
Already you have Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that usually causes inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in any activity including studies, job, etc.
Knowing this, you should focus more attention to studies to score good marks.
Instead of doing so, you are following the devotion that you feel easy for you.
Howevever, if you want to be peaceful even from now and successful in future life, start to balance between studies and education.
(USING OUR STUDIES AS SERVICE TO KRISHNA! SIMPLE TIPS! READ HERE!)
Perform devotional practices for an hour or 90 minutes every day. Then focus in studies.
Keep chanting in the middle of studies whenever you need a change.
Thus, you can manage studies and devotion nicely.
Your parents are wrong because –
(i) Firstly, they are divorcing without worrying how much their act will affect your psychology that is already disturbed with ADHD disorder.
(ii) So, they know that you can study only slowly. Still they are compelling you to study IIT. They should realize that getting into the IITs in India requires top scores in the tough JEE entrance exams that you may feel very difficult because you are a slow learner with less balance of mind.
(iii) They should have encouraged you to study light-weight practical oriented courses like Computer science, Web designing, Hotel management, Prepress services, etc.
What you can do now?
(i) Focus more on studies hereafter and spend a fixed time for devotional practices every day.
(ii) Whenever you go to the Psychiatrist for the next review, request the doctor to advise your parents not to compel you for doing IIT that will affect your psychology more.
(iii) If possible request him to advise them to reconsider divorce – whether it is possible or not.
(I am unable to focus on studies. What to do? READ HERE!)
I tell you that the first requirement for performing any task or job or business successfully is to choose a field in which one has natural interest.
This is the mantra for success that I recommend for all to succeed both in the material works and spiritual services/assignments/ tasks.
The popular example I give to all is Mr.Vijai Mallaiyah. He was at the top of business when he was doing liquor business alone in which he was the expert (Sorry, I don’t support liquor business. Just an example). But when he started Kingfisher airlines in which he did not have sufficient experience, he lost everything and faced loan issues.
So, you need not hear your parents’ view about doing IIT if you truly have ADHD disorder. Think well in which you naturally have good interest and plan to do that in future.
Don’t forget to focus atleast one hour or 90 minutes for performing devotional practices.
This will keep you with comfortable feeling that will increase your productivity.
Hope you are clear what if the devotee Students show interest in devotion, not in studies.
Best of luck.
(Improving in devotion but weakening in studies. What to do? READ HERE!)