Is Krishna Consciousness a madness as accused by my family?
A girl devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna i have question.. In my family only I am a devotee of Lord Hari and no one else. How to deal with parents? Because they do wrong sometimes and i tell them that this is not good. But upon Giving up wrong things they only scold me, shout at me and tell me mad. What to Do?”
REPLY:
In a city in which all the people are naked, if a person wearing full clothes enters, they will throw the stones on that lone person who has come closing his body decently.
If a boy enters with his friend in a party that serves liquor, and if that boy drinks just water and refuse liquor, others will see him like a peculiar and odd guy.
(Managing all Devotional Practices though the family cooperation is less! Tips! READ HERE!)
In a club for high class people, if a rich man enters with our traditional dress dhoti, everyone will look at him as if a stranger has come.
If a married man who is enjoying his life with his wife sees a person who has resolved to remain a brahmachari or sanyasi to serve the Lord, they see him as if he is an untalented person who does not know how to enjoy life.
This is the trend of this society in the case of ordinary persons like us.
Take the case of celebrities.
If a popular cine hero is wearing a pant that has cuts as a fashion, lakhs of his fans also start to cut their pants.
If the same hero smokes, lakhs of his followers too smoke.
If you convey a philosophy, others may poke you. Whereas, if a cine hero speaks the same philosophy as a dialogue in a movie, others praise him in social media, forums, media, etc.
This is the trend of this kaliyuga.
If we fear or hesitate to do good or to follow good way of life considering the negativities of these ignorant people, we can never realize our real position and also the God.
(Feeling lonely by being a devotee in the family of material people! Tips! READ HERE!)
Therefore, do not stop devotional practices just because your parents object. Devotion is a personal affair between you and god. Others can’t stop that.
Devotion is not just following certain practices. It is a bond between athma and Paramathma – Krishna.
Krishna is within your heart. So, even if you follow devotion within heart, Krishna will recognize & reward you.
Let your family object for any other sadhanas. Just keep chanting as much as possible for which they can not object you.
Perform all your duties perfectly like studying, or going to job, or performing household duties, etc., properly.
Many parents object devotional practices by their children considering Krishna Consciousness a madness, mostly because of the following three reasons:
(1) Many children start to behave as if they are heavenly people and most intelligent people in that family and others are ignorant persons. This should be avoided and you should behave mercifully with all. You should be normal. You may just stop speaking mundane things and highly materialistic things. This will not make them worry.
(What is the solution for my brother hating family after becoming a devotee? READ HERE!)
(2) Many children show less interest in studies and trying for job after they come to devotion that worries the parents. You should avoid such foolish things. Perform all your unavoidable duties like studies, job, perfectly and also follow devotion. Krishna Himself has advised so in Bhagavad Gita. This will make the parents happy.
(3) Many children start to hate the environment and people after they come to devotion. The parents start to believe that their child may become like a sanyasi and avoid marriage. This approach should be avoided and you should behave in a social manner and use that social approach to make others also as devotees seeing your sincere devotion and good manners. Do not learn bad things from others, but, give your good things to others. Tell your parents to choose a devotee boy, or marry a pious boy and try to make that boy as a devotee after marriage.
Thus, if you behave normal in a society and also follow devotion and make others follow you, you can happily and blissfully follow devotion.
The family members too will not consider Krishna Consciousness a madness.
Try and tell me.
(What if Satisfying Krishna affects satisfying family members? READ HERE!)