THE PRABHUPADA CONNECTION
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One Must Tolerate All Kinds of Troubles
(Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan, 1977)

"A person who tolerates all kinds of troubles, even though such troubles appear to be unbearable, is called forbearing."

(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 21)

"O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed."

(Bhagavad-gita 2.14)

"When a devotee is put into hellish conditions, he accepts them as Krishna's mercy: tat te 'nukampam susamisamanah. He does not protest, 'Oh, I am such a great devotee of Krishna. Why have I been put into this misery?' Instead he thinks, 'This is Krishna's mercy.' Such an attitude is possible for a devotee who engages in the service of Krishna's representative. This is the secret of success."

(Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.16, Purport)

"Physically and mentally we may be disturbed sometimes, but we have to stand erect on the spiritual platform. I may inform you in the connection that I am at the present moment physically unfit; I am having always a buzzing sound in my brain. I cannot sleep soundly at night, but still I am working because I try to be in my position of spiritual platform."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 15, 1968)

"Sometimes Krsna may put us into some difficulty just to purify us and force us to advance in Krsna consciousness. The devotee should always see his difficulty in this light, that Krsna is so kind upon me for creating this condition of struggling, thus He is relieving me of so many billions of lifetime of sinful reactions by this very insignificant and temporary condition of suffering something."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 29, 1972)

"In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated: tat te 'nukampam su-samiksyamano. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord's mercy upon him. He thinks: 'Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.' Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions. Nirmama means that a devotee does not attach much importance to the peace and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. He does not identify with the body; therefore he is freed from the conception of false ego and is equipoised both in happiness and distress. He is tolerant, and he is satisfied with whatever comes by the grace of the Supreme Lord."

(Bhagavad-gita As It Is 12.13-14, Purport)

"One should always remember that as long as he has a material body he must face the miseries of repeated birth, old age, disease and death. There is no use in making plans to get rid of these miseries of the material body. The best course is to find out the means by which one may regain his spiritual identity."

(Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 10, Purport)

"Sometimes it so happens that we have to suffer for our past sinful activities. But because we have taken to Krishna Consciousness and serving Krishna, we should know that any suffering we have to bear have been far reduced by the mercy of the Lord. Suffering must be there so long as we are conditioned in this material world, but for the devotees the suffering is minimized compared to that of the nondevotees. We have to tolerate any difficulties which come up, and somehow go on with our chanting, reading and routine work."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 2, 1972)

"This body belongs to Krishna and therefore we must always keep it in healthy condition to the best of our ability, but if due to some past sinful activities, we are suffering some bodily miseries we should not become discouraged. Devotional service must continue under all circumstances. This material body is actually a bad bargain because it is prone to suffer, but we must make the best use of this bad bargain. That means to always be engaged in the service of Krishna without fail."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, April 19, 1975)

"That is Krishna consciousness. Not that when there is difficulty I shall forget Krishna. Whatever the material condition may be we should just cling to Krishna's lotus feet."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 7, 1974)

"The Personality of Godhead said: If I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another."

(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.88.8)

"Those favored by God find their paths set by thorns.

There is no peace or happiness in our worldly life. Circumstances create turmoil and annoyance."

Physical illness with Hari-bhajana is preferred to physical fitness without Hari-bhajana.

Our span of life on earth is short. Our life will be crowned with success if the body wears out with constant discourses on Hari."

(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura)

"Personally, I have no hope for any direct service for the coming crores of births of the sojourn of my life, but I am confident that some day or other I shall be delivered from this mire of delusion in which I am at present so deeply sunk. Therefore let me with all my earnestness pray at the lotus feet of my divine master to allow me to suffer the lot for which I am destined due to my past misdoings, but to let me have this power of recollection: that I am nothing but a tiny servant of the Almighty Godhead, realized through the unflinching mercy of my divine master. Let me therefore bow down at his lotus feet with all the humility at my command."

(Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja Speech, Bombay, 1936)
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