Feeling shy to follow devotion in front of family members! Tips!
A male devotee (name hidden) asked like this:
Hare Krishna..can u give some tips on how to follow Krishna consciousness on a trip with family members who are not devotees and when I feel hesitant to offer prayers before eating anything or when I chant the holy names. I feel very hesitant at times thinking what others will think if I do this or that and due to this I m nt able to express devotion to Krishna. Though my family members know I follow krishna devotion still I feel hesitant. What’s the solution?
REPLY:
I appreciate your open submission that you hesitate to follow Krishna Consciousness in front of others. You are a genuine person to accept this openly to me. Many devotees have this problem.
(What if my family accuses my following Krishna Consciousness? – PART -1! READ HERE!)
What if my family accuses my following Krishna Consciousness? – PART – 2! READ HERE!
Feeling shy to follow devotion in front of family members is related to your mindset, ie, psychological one. If I tell the truth behind this hesitation, no one should take it wrong.
Most of us feel happy if we get branded as a modern guy or girl. No one likes to show himself as outdated persons. But, nowadays, serious followers of devotional practices are considered as outdated persons or failed persons by the so called modern people.
They do not know how fortunate these dedicated devotional followers are! Nowadays, a person’s status is judged based on his material belongings and external outlook. If he has cars, big house (s), big business, etc., he is considered a successful person.
(WHAT IF QUITTING ONION AND GARLIC AFFECTS MY HEALTH? HOW TO FOLLOW DEVOTION IN OUTSTATION? READ HERE!)
That is why, most of the people like to show themselves ‘materially successful’. So, they do not like to show themselves as serious devotees in a fear whether others will consider them as failed persons.
That is why, they do not like to chant in public; Read Gita or Bhagavatham in public; they hesitate to wear devotee dress in public; they hesitate to use chanting bag in public.
We can’t take it as just hesitation. Shy to follow devotion. The reason for this is that they still have ego, ie., separate identity for them and they do not like to change themselves for any reason, even for Krishna.
Why should they hesitate to chant or to show as devotees in public? If they like to smoke, they can hesitate. If they chase girls, they can hesitate. But, nowadays, only smokers and women chasers are considered as heroes.
That is why, many devotees hesitate to follow devotion in public. What is going to happen if your family members see you chanting? They may comment once, twice, thrice or for some times. But, on seeing your vairagya (firm stand) in following the devotional practices sincerely, one fine day, they too will start to consider living like you.
(I am unable to chant because of job. Should I change the job or drop chanting? READ HERE!)
Chanting in public or showing yourself as a devotee in public WILL ACT AS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO OTHERS TO FOLLOW GOOD PATH LIKE YOU.
So, if you follow devotional practices even in front of family members or friends, they too will get interest in that in future. So, bear the initial comments from them. Because they are also going to become serious devotees in future seeing you.
Do you know, hundreds of devotees who are preaching Krishna Consciousness worldwide are facing serious attacks from some conservative groups. Still they are following their assigned spiritual duties to satisfy their guru, acharya and Krishna.
So, drop your hesitation from today itself. Start to openly follow chanting in front of your friends and family members, even in tours. You will see a day in which all of them too have started chanting like you. One day, they will thank you for introducing devotional path to them. You will be the reason for their change. This will invite the mercy of Krishna to you.
Hope these tips helped you to come out of feeling shy to follow devotion in front of family members!
(HOW TO OFFER FOOD IN ALL PLACES LIKE HOSTELS, HOTELS, RELATIVE HOUSES, TRAVEL, ETC? READ HERE!)