Why do devotees consult psychologists instead of chanting mahamantra?

Doesn’t it mean that they don’t have faith in the holy name?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Thank you.
Hare Krishna. Question. Nowadays, there are many devotees, when they have some psychological problems, they consult psychologists.
And sometimes even the counsellors recommend consulting psychologists. But in the Manas Trayate Ti Mantra, the mind can be from all problems by chanting of the Maha Mantra. So, why do devotees consult psychologists instead of chanting the Maha Mantra? Doesn’t this indicate that they don’t have enough faith in the holy name? Answer.
No, not necessarily. Because the principle is to take shelter of Krishna. Somehow or the other, fix the mind on Krishna.
That is the operational principle at the level of Sadhaka. So, the principle of getting solace and getting some guidance or getting some counselling, that is not considered to be something which involves lack of faith in Krishna. We see that when Yudhishthira and the Pandavas and Draupadi are humiliated, dishonoured, dispossessed and exiled to the forest, at that time, they are grief struck.
And then Shaunak and other Rishis, Mahabharata describes how they console them. And Yudhishthira himself repeatedly asks this question. For example, Markandeya Rishi comes and Markandeya Rishi is smiling to see Yudhishthira.
And Yudhishthira asks, you know, I have been afflicted with such grief. And also, why are you smiling on seeing my plight? So, then Markandeya Rishi answers and they go into deep philosophy about it. So, the point is that it is natural that when there are some problems in our life, we need explanations.
And to want explanations and to want some guidance, that is not necessarily a sign of lack of faith in the holy name. The two are not necessarily exclusive. You know, it is not that Vedic culture is only about chanting and nothing else.
No, there are nine limbs of devotional service and bhakti yoga is one aspect of life. So, yes, we would like at one level to increase the bhakti element in our life. But there are other elements also, which can be spiritualized.
But there are other elements. Varanashram is there. We have a profession.
So, we will do other activities. So, the important point is that whatever way we can fix the mind on Krishna, that is what we should be doing. So, if in some cases, some devotees are extremely disturbed in their mind, now we say that the mind will, that the holy name can, chanting the mahamantra can free the mind from disturbances.
But we all have experienced that if the mind is very disturbed, you just can’t take shelter of the holy name. You know, we try to chant, but the mind doesn’t focus on the holy name. And then mind continues thinking of other things.
And they think is thinking of its worries, its anxieties, its tensions. And often, if we are dwelling on that more and more and more, then during our chanting, externally we are chanting, but internally, we are actually making our situation worse. So, at that time, you know, getting some solace, some emotional support, some guidance, some other way to get the mind of those negative thoughts is required.
So, we have to understand this scriptural truth is ultimate. That yes, going to some psychologist is not going to free the mind of say, lust, anger, greed, envy, pride, illusion. That sort of purification takes time.
That sort of purification can be done only by the holy name, by the remembrance of Krishna primarily. But during that time, while the remembrance of Krishna is taking its work, we may need some other support systems. So, just as we don’t say that, yes, we could, you know, the philosophy should not be misinterpreted to unnecessarily reject or trash everything material.
You know, we can argue that actually everything that happens to us is destined. So, even if we fall sick, then that’s destiny. So, why should we take medicine? Well, yes, falling sick is destiny, but along with destiny, there is duty.
And one duty is that we have to take care of our body. So, we have to take medicine. That’s a part of our duty.
And that’s why there is whole the system of Ayurveda is there. If we say there is no need to take medicine, then by word, one of the Vedangas, one of the six subordinate limbs of the Vedic literature, supplementary Vedic literature, six limbs of the Vedic wisdom, be all about taking care of the body. Because that’s also our duty.
So, just as we take care of our body, we have to take care of our mind also. Now, there are specialist fields which require, which can help. So, just as sometimes devotees may consult astrology, although we could say that if somebody has absolute faith in Krishna, there’s no need to consult astrology, but we don’t have to give anybody a guilt trip, send anybody on a guilt trip just because they don’t have absolute faith in Krishna.
If they feel the need to consult astrology, they can consult. It’s not that we have to make a faith make a faith issue out of that. We have to all, we are in a broken world.
Kali Yuga is a very dreadful place and we have to keep practicing bhakti in whatever way we can. So, now regarding psychologists, the ideal situation would be that if there is a devotee psychologist, either some psychologist becomes a devotee or some devotees take psychology as a field of elective and then they study and then they become psychologists, accredited psychologists, healers, psychotherapists or whatever. And actually, if the area of the mind is somewhere where we do have a lot of valuable things to say, not just chant Hare Krishna, but actually there is a whole philosophy, three modes are there, the whole concept of the mind is very lucidly explained in the Vedic literature.
So, we have a lot to add to the field of psychology. So, there should be overall a devotional penetration of the field of psychology. And if that happens, that is the best.
That means the devotee, devotees can consult a devotee psychologist who can give spiritual, who can give guidance, not just in terms of psychology, but psychology that is in harmony with spiritual principles. So, apart from that, so if there are devotee psychologists like that, then one can consult, it’s best if one can go to them. But if there are no devotee psychologists like that, then one can consult a psychologist who understands and respects our devotional principles and gives us guidance in accordance with those principles.
Now, some psychologists may be very dismissive, but increasingly now there is spiritual sensitivity coming up in the medical profession also. So, for example, when treatments are to be given, there are doctors, many doctors are sensitive. A particular patient is vegetarian, then they are sensitive to that.
And that’s a part of the upcoming ethos. So, there are psychologists also who are sensitive to the beliefs and faith of the particular clients, and they will give guidance accordingly. So, now, yes, we are living in a fragmented, alienated, isolated culture.
Even if we live in cities, even if we are practicing devotees, still we are living in cities, and often cities, and there are millions of people sometimes in cities, and one just feels so lonely and insignificant. And our relationships also may not be ideal with devotees also, what to speak of others. So, we may not get the shelter.
And if some devotees feel the need to consult psychologists, and if it benefits them, then there is no need to stop that. So, we understand that this is a, the mind is material, and material things sometimes need material solutions. Now, there is a spiritual solution in terms of the mind getting purified of everything, that will happen through the contact or remembrance of Krishna.
But at a material level, if some material solutions are required, and somebody consults it for material solution, and that is not wrong. So, what should be taken care of is that one should not, there is some fad that people consult psychologists or therapists, just for having someone to talk to, because people are so lonely, and nobody seems to understand or hear, they just need someone to talk to. Now, that should not happen.
Devotees should have adequately sound, good relationship so that the heart to heart sharing can be there. But beyond that, if somebody has some deep problems, then consulting a psychologist is not wrong, in principle. In practice, one has to be careful so that one doesn’t go to the extreme of thinking that psychologists will solve all my problems.
So, one extreme is to think that psychologists will also solve all problems and then give up Krishna consciousness, because one thinks psychology is the way to happiness. The other extreme is to think that because I’m a devotee, there is no need for anything else at all. Yes, it may not be necessary for me.
But we are all individuals and one size fit all doesn’t work. So, if some devotees feel the need for psychological guidance, then we don’t have to make it a faith issue and block them. Let them understand that this is a, we should understand and should also help them to understand that this is a material problem and we may take a material solution for that, but not let it divert us from our main practice of Krishna consciousness.
So, we take it as a temporary stopgap material solution to pacify our mind by which we can practice Krishna consciousness. Just as when our mind is very agitated, we may take help from yoga, we just do some deep breathing and deep breathing can calm the mind and then we can chant. Similarly, this is of course a very simple thing, but sometimes some problems may need some things which psychologists can offer.
So, ideally, the devotee themselves penetrate into psychology and integrate it and a devotee psychologist can not only serve the devotee community when some devotees have some need, some problems in psychological attention, but actually they can also offer counseling and guidance to the broader community of society, broader society and bring in psychological and spiritual insights together to do holistic welfare to society.