Why a devotee suffers though he was a devotee in previous birth?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krsna Prabhu. Dandavat Pranam. I have read in one of your article that you had devotion towards Lord Krishna since childhood because you have strong 5th house. Now simultaneously you had to undergo sufferings in your early life which you mention that you tolerated patiently understanding that it’s reaction of past deeds. Now my question is even after having followed devotion seriously in past life which is indicated by the strong 5th house, how come still there remains the reaction pending ? Hare Krsna.”
REPLY:
This is an interesting question.
You are asking:
Since I was a serious devotee in my previous birth as per my horoscope, why should I suffer in this birth?
The karma account will have the karmic reactions from so many births. In every birth a portion is taken from that karma account and allotted to be faced in a particular birth.
And, though we take birth in a rich family, there will be some problems that every person who takes the body has to face. Eg: Health issues, Old age, death, hard work, money related issues, etc.. No one can escape from such problems though you take birth in the world’s richest family.
Popularity always follows with the loss of privacy. He can’t walk on the road freely. He may even have life risks.
Wealth mostly comes with diabetes and hypertension.
Excessive earnings from multiple sources always accompany tax issues.
So, this material world has some problems whatever your status may be! Only if you escape from this material world and go back to the spiritual planets, you can escape from problems.
(Only the Past life Problems make one a devotee? READ HERE!)
Those who have less pending karma become pure and a sanyasi in childhood itself.
Srila Prabhupada had some issues in his Pharma business as well as personal life till his middle age. Then, he became a renounced and pure devotee of Krishna.
Kanchi Sankaracharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Swami faced almost no issues in this birth because even in the the age of 13, he took sanyasa and became a pure devotee and acharya.
Thus, both of them became pure sanyasis, but one from the childhood itself and another from his middle age.
So, the age of becoming a pure sanyasi depends on how much karma are blocking or delaying our renouncement.
Srila Prabhupada became a pure sanyasi after facing and accepting the setbacks in business and family.
(Is immediate relief from Problems Possible for devotees of Krishna? READ HERE!)
Since Sri Chandrasekarendra Swami might have cleared most of his karma in his previous birth itself, he took birth as a born sanyasi, ie, in his age of 13 itself, ie, before his karma account of that birth starts.
This is the system of karma network.
Now, you may ask: Srila Prabhupada would have followed devotion even in his previous births. Then, how could he have some pending karma?
Absolutely possible.
He had cleared most of his karma in his previous birth itself. That is why he had been destined to be a pure sanyasi and powerful acharya in this birth. That is why an astrologer predicted that he would become a popular spiritual personality.
Karma clearing is a stage by stage process. Some karma are cleared fast. Some take more time and even another birth.
Since you have asked my case, let me tell that.
A devotee suffers until he develops full material detachment.
(If Holy Places Purify us, Why all the people living there are not satvic? READ HERE!)
Since I did not manage my family properly in my previous birth, I have some issues related to family in this birth.
Since I had not properly repaid the debts in my previous birth(s), I had some loan and other issues in my business in this birth.
Family and career related karma takes another birth to clear.
Because, if my life time was 70 in my previous birth and I had committed some sins related to my family and career in my age 65, the reactions can’t be given in the same birth within those remaining five years. So, I might have needed another birth to clear those karmas.
You may again ask: If you were following devotion in your previous birth itself, why didn’t your karma got burnt in the previous birth itself? Why a devotee suffers though he was a devotee in previous birth?
It might be because I would have followed devotion sincerely, but, I won’t have attained material detachment fully in my previous birth.
I have been repeatedly writing that the karma is suspended altogether ONLY IF we attain material detachment and attachment to Krishna simultaneously.
If one follows devotion, but has some material attachments also, he will be given next birth as a human in good family and he may clear most of his karma fast in that birth.
This might have happened to me also. I was suffering till my age 50 and I faced even death-like health issues in the age of fifty.
After that, I could see more detachment level in me after the demise of my mother. Since I had cleared serious karmas by this time, I have been blessed with a good status now as a successful preacher of Krishna even without any advertisements.
(Why our problems continue even after initiation if guru accepts our karma? READ HERE!)
Therefore, following devotion alone is not sufficient. If you are sincere in devotion, material detachment should naturally follow.
More sincerity in devotion – More will be our material detachment and hence more clearance of karma.
Since I might have had some material attachments also, along with my devotional practices, I would have required another birth to get more material detachment and more devotion.
To make a person detach from material life, karma network will push more of his past karmic reactions upon him to face. Because of the pressures of past karmic reactions, that person will attain material detachment and develop a sanyasi-like mindset.
Only after my age 40, I felt good improvement in my material detachment and also improved dedication in my devotion.
So, the message is: To get the karma cleared, one should follow devotion sincerely that increases our level of material detachment. Till achieving fully detached state, even a devotee suffers.
Srila Prabhupada was able to be a good sanyasi with remarkable detachment level because he faced the pains of life and understood the real nature of this material life.
That is why, it is said that getting advancement in devotion is difficult in the heavenly planets as the persons will have more and more enjoyments that increase the material attachment. Only when we face the problems more, we can develop more material detachment and hence more clearance of karma.
Hope you are now clear about why a devotee suffers now though he was a devotee in past birth.
(SANYASA – MEANING, TYPES & TIPS TO FOLLOW IN KALIYUGA! READ HERE!)