namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

by Archana-siddhi dd (ACBSP)

It is easy to see Krishna’s loving hand involved in bringing a devotee back into the association of devotees. The more difficult piece to understand is how Krishna uses mental illness as a way to help a devotee (even in good devotional standing) to spiritually advance.

Most devotees can accept an adverse physical condition in their devotional journey as special mercy from the Lord to help them advance. But accepting an adverse mental condition is harder for the devotional community to understand and accept.

Isn't the process of devotional service supposed to bring a devotee mental equanimity? Isn't the process supposed to bring the practitioner peace of mind? So how can a sincere devotee develop an anxiety disorder, major depression, or psychosis?

[Originally published at www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org]

by Arcana-siddhi Devi Dasi (first published in Back to Godhead magazine, 2002)

IN THE EVENING of November 14, 1975, I received a phone call in my dorm room at college. Absorbed in studying for exams, I answered nonchalantly, expecting it to be my boyfriend, who would normally call me around that time. Instead, I heard an unfamiliar voice on the other end, and a young man identified himself as one of my brother’s new housemates. I thought, “What has Philip done this time?”

For the past six years, Philip had suffered from a bipolar disorder, then known as manic depressive disorder. Several times he had stopped taking his medications and lapsed into a psychotic manic state. The last time that had happened, he was found lying in the middle of the road, trying to see if the cars would stop. He rationalized his behavior as a test to see if man was inherently good or evil. Luckily he was arrested before any harm came to him, and he was again admitted to a psychiatric hospital to become stabilized on medication.

An article in today’s New York Times highlights the influence of movies on the mind…
By MIKE WHITE

THE first movie I ever made was called “Death Creek Camp.” It told the age-old story of a group of teenage guys who set out on a fun-filled wilderness excursion only to be stalked and murdered by a psychopath disguised in a hockey mask and a blue kimono. It was no masterpiece of cinema.

Most of the scenes played out the same way — one of the fresh-faced hikers would get separated from the group. He would hear a noise in the bushes. “Bob? Jerry, is that you? Charlie?” Suddenly, from behind a tree, the stalker would pounce and blood would fly.

Why the killer wore a blue kimono was never explained nor why he wanted these nice campers dead. He was a deranged monster and that’s what monsters do. As the filmmaker, I was more interested in how the ketchup would drip off the victim’s cheek and where to plunge the retractable knife. I was 12.

by Kaunteya das

The message of this posting is very simple: watching TV is bad, very bad for bhakti-yoga. 

Yes, I hear the objection: "But Prabhu, we use it only to watch videos of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada!" If this is true for you, I offer you my humble obeisances and assure you that this article is not written for you.

Today I was asked by a Godbrother, a Bhakti-vriksha preacher somewhere on the planet:

"Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear" by Vincent van Gogh - after he cut off his own ear after an altercation with Paul Gauguin. Many believe van Gogh suffered from schizophrenia.

"Prabhuji I need your help! We have two devotees who would like to be members of [a Bhakti-vriksha group], but they suffer from schizophrenia".

According to Bhakti Vriksa Manual, persons who are mentaly ill cannot be members of [Bhakti-vriksha groups]. Does that mean that they can't be under any condition or they can if they take medication and keep their illness under control. Please respond as quickly as you can, because it is very important."