Is being over-intellectual dangerous for devotion?

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Transcript

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Thank you very much. The question is that, if suffering is not because of karma, then what is the cause of suffering? If we get rid of suffering by practicing bhakti, even great devotees suffer.
Like Jesus Christ suffered. And if we say that suffering is because this world itself is a place of suffering, then why is there a variety in which we are suffering? Variety in the magnitude of suffering is different. Yeah.
So, again, when I said that suffering is, I didn’t say, suffering is not because of our karma. I said, when we are dealing with others in relationships, we should not bring karma into the practice. When somebody is suffering, we should not tell them that you are suffering because of them.
That will be insensitive. What we should focus on is that we should, our primary purpose is to offer relief. And as a part of offering relief, if we have to point out the cause, that is fine.
But if we are not offering relief but simply pointing out the cause, that becomes very insensitive. When a patient is suffering terribly, and actually the patient has drunk alcohol a lot, and because of that patient, the patient is now vomiting and suffering. And the patient comes to the doctor, and the doctor should not even start castigating the patient.
Why did you drink? No, the patient is suffering because the doctor has to offer relief. And after that, at one part of the patient, the doctor’s duty is also to say, yes, this is suffering. This is what has caused you.
So, the philosophical education has to be given, but philosophical education should be given in the context of offering relief to people, of offering help to people. So, our intention to help others should be the primary purpose, and that should come out as the primary purpose in our interactions with them. And within that, we can talk about the cause of suffering also.
Yes, as far as the variety of suffering, that is of course because of karma. So, we do a little bit about karma, no doubt about it. But we should not be talking only about karma.
And we should not be making people feel bad because of their karma. And we should not be neglecting our karma in the name of others’ karma. Now, with respect to people suffering even after taking help of Krishna, we have to understand that there may be suffering at the physical level, but at the transcendental level, there is absorption in Krishna.
And that, humans want to transcend the suffering. So, in the Madhya Sampradaya, in the example, let’s say, a mother, and the child has not done homework. And the child has not done homework.
And the mother knows that today when the child is going to go to school, the teacher is going to punish the child. No, show your hand. Beat on the hand.
Mother doesn’t want the child to be beaten. But at the same time, the mother doesn’t want the child to neglect studies also. To become lazy.
So, what the mother does, when the child is going to go to school, the mother puts a glow on the child’s hand. As the child goes, she says, have you done your homework? No. Show your hand.
A loud noise comes. But, it’s all on the glow. The child doesn’t feel hurt.
Similarly, the mother, if Krishna is like the mother, the teacher will take her to religion. And Krishna knows that this devotee has done some karma and suffering has to come. But, Krishna uses the glow.
That glow is remembrance of Krishna. If you remember him, externally, there is suffering. In a devotee’s life also.
A devotee may be sick, a non-devotee may be sick. But, in a devotee, when a non-devotee is sick, the non-devotee just screams, Aavi Aai! They just scream. A devotee will call out Krishna.
And non-devotee will pop a relief that will purify him. As you move that devotee closer to his auspicious destination. So, Krishna, at the external level, there is suffering.
They have been suffering at the external level. But, internally, when you absorb him, Krishna, the devotee transcends the suffering.