Does a Short tempered devotee lack in Krishna Consciousness?
“………………Das” asked like this:
Hare Krishna. Please excuse but I have seen that some devotees are more short tempered by nature and some not. Especially when they are much older and suffer more bodily pains etc they are more disturbed by others. Does this mean they are lacking in KC in some way?
REPLY:
We should never come to the conclusion that a Short tempered devotee lack in Krishna Consciousness.
When someone is in body pains, why should you expect smile in his face?
Though he smiles, it may not be a true smile. He may smile not to make others worried.
(Is it wrong for the devotees thinking them as great in their service? READ HERE!)
Whenever we notice the different behaviour of others, we should analyze why they behave so.
We should not create the reasons ourselves. There may be genuine reasons for that.
If you ask a jailed killer, he too may give many reasons for his killing that may seem to be genuine.
Thus, we should not judge anyone seeing his expressions alone.
A devotee is a practitioner of devotion.
No genuine devotee may claim that he has attained the topmost stage in devotion.
(DRESSING & BEHAVIOUR OF VAISHNAVA IN PUBLIC PLACES! READ HERE!)
Every devotee will be practicing devotion.
So, he too is a human. He too may have pains till he lives in this body.
When he faces the pains, he may show some expressions.
He may be crying uttering the name of Krishna.
When he is in pains, if someone asks unwanted questions, he may get irritated.
Of course, a devotee should be beyond these emotions.
But, everything will be until he is good in health. If one becomes a Short tempered devotee, during the abnormalities of health is to be understood as the expression of his pains.
When the body gets destabilized with the diseases and pains, he may lose this stability and balance.
(OBEISANCES / DANDAVATS / BEHAVIOUR IN TEMPLES – 15 RULES! READ HERE!)
In such situations, a devotee should keep silence.
But, when someone does not understand his pains and irritates him, he too may lose his stability.
He is not a fallen devotee. But, all devotees are not paramahamsas.
They may get angry even because of his inability to perform devotion properly.
Getting angry is not wrong in all the cases.
We can get angry if Krishna or His devotees are insulted.
We can get angry if we are unable to perform our devotion properly because of diseases and pains.
We can get angry if our devotion is unnecessarily disturbed.
When he is in such a stage of disability and frustration, we should not talk to him unnecessarily.
(What should be the Vaishnava’s approach with women and others? READ HERE!)
We should just keep encouraging him and giving him necessary food, care and medicines, etc.
Over talking may cause some issues in the case of anyone.
The devotees who are already suffering with the pains may be in a disturbed state. His activities in his disturbed state should not be used for fault finding.
Leave him free.
He will spend his time during the painful situation successfully and silently.
So, the result is that the devotees being short tempered may not be wrong in all the cases.
He may get angry even in his inabilities to perform devotion properly.
So, it is good to pray for him.
Hope you have understood the points about whether a Short tempered devotee lack in Krishna Consciousness.
(Offenses to Be Avoided by devotees – PART-2 (From Varaha Purana) READ HERE!)