shastra should be mediator

[Guest guest]

Sorry, I forgot to add one more point:

 

>It would be interesting to see some quotes from Srila Prabhupada regarding

>ISKCON devotees seeking mental help through karmi methods. Probably

>something contrary to well known slogan "Spiritual solutions for material

>problems".

 

Although Srila Prabhupada did say on one occasion something like:

 

"Psychiatrists are humbug, all humbug. They cannot help. Best thing is to be

engaged in continuously chanting and hearing Sankirtana, that will cure

anyone of mental disease". -- Letter to Upendra, February 19, 1972

 

 

but you would also be surprised to discover, Giri-nayaka Prabhu, on how many

other occasions Srila Prabhupada referred to psychiatrists in a positive

way, as actually helping people. Just make a quick search on VedaBase for

yourself:

 

 

"These practices will help one become cured of madness. As a man's mental

disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this s€dhana-bhakti

cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of m€y€, material

illusion". -- NOD 2

 

"These practices will help one become cured of madness. As a man's mental

disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this s€dhana-bhakti

cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of m€y€, material

illusion". -- SSR 8

 

"So miseries which are beyond our control. So far bodily disease, mental

disturbance, we can get some remedy in our own way. We can go to a

psychiatrist or we can go to a doctor and get some medicine and get relief".

-- Lecture on TLC, September 25, 1968

 

"Just like if you are mad—the mind is not in order—you go to a physician to

treat you. That is the way. If your mind is not in order, what do you do?

You go to a psychiatrist, you go to an expert for treatment." --

Conversation, May 8, 1977

 

 

Generally, we do not try to cure dental caries by chanting. Rather, we go to

a dentist (although we do believe that Hare Krsna mantra, being

all-powerful, can cure the tooth). Of course, going to a devotee dentist is

much more appealing, but between a professional 'karmi' dentist and an

amateur devotee dentist I will personally settle for the former, for

apparent reasons -- I have a limited number (32) trials for amateurs.

 

Similarly, mental problems, as any other kind of disease, require

professional help. If we can cure them with chanting -- fine. But if we

cannot, we'd rather consult a knowledgeable doctor. If he is a devotee, that

is great. If he is not, his advices will still be valid, unless they

encroach upon spirituality, which is beyond his sphere of expertise anyway.

 

So, if we have problems with relations, we can try to heal them in a

Vaisnava way, by chanting and discussing Vaisnava etiquette. But if it does

not work -- why not consulting a "relations" doctor, if he has proper

credentials and an impressive record of successful treatments?

 

Your servant,

Madana-mohana das