Trying to better understand the mental illness of some devotees and congregational members in ISKCON
Mental illness is not understood very well in ISKCON, often devotee’s broadcast a 40 year old quote from Prabhupada that condemns psychiatrists and mental health professionals however, understanding mental illness has come a long way in the last 40 years and the following comment should not be applied today.
Srila Prabhupada - 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. (Prabhupada. “Letter to Upendra”. February 19, 1972) –
Today I believe those comments by Srila Prabhupada do not apply and are certainly NOT relevant to today’s time, place and circumstance because in most cases the medicine given by modern psychiatrist does help one perform their devotional service and to call them all humbug in today’s world is not correct and does not apply. Over the last 40 years the world has changed and some of the things Srila Prabhupada said back then about psychiatry cannot be applied to today’s psychiatry, for example, psychiatry back in Srila Prabhupada’s day was influence strongly by Freudian ideas who Srila Prabhupada criticized.
Śrīla Prabhupāda says, “By speculating on some shock that may or may not have occurred in childhood, one will never discover the root disease…. He [Freud] did not know the basic principle of spiritual understanding, which is that we are not this body…. We are different from this body, and we are transmigrating from one body to anothe
Today many psychiatrists also reject the outdated Freudian ideas, His method of cure was to have the patient try to recall the painful events of their childhood or some trauma in their lives and analyse them, and this is the psychiatry Srila Prabhupada referred to and called nonsense. Today’s psychiatric therapy is more in favour of chemical medicines like anti depressants and anti psychotics that acts on the brain substance that is damaged due to trauma.
There are many researchers who believe that an imbalance in serotonin levels may influence mood in a way that leads to depression. Back in the 1970s this treatment was in its infancy. Srila Prabhupada never commented on that form of psychiatry that is so prominent in today’s 21st Century, so to blanket all psychiatrist with the saying ’they cannot help’ or they are ‘all humbug’ found in Srila Prabhupada’s letter, is just simply NOT true today.
Srila Prabhupada’s main point in all his preaching is we finish up our selfish business in this material world and return back home back to Godhead. To help us in our devotional service sometimes we have to accept the help of the medical industry, some devotees have had heart bypass surgery by what some fanatical devotees call ‘the meat eating karmi demons’.
I remember some years ago a devotee was also offered psychiatric help but was put off by immature Temple authorities saying that no meat eating nonsense karmi demon can ever help a devotee, only Krishna can help you, He is the ONLY real doctor!. Sadly this dogma is prevalent in many ISKCON Temples who are always calling Hospitals, doctors and psychiatrists demons causing devotees and congregational members to avoid the help of modern medicine and suffer because of such extremism.
Such immature fanatical nonsense fundamentalism will only keep ISKCON devotees and sincere congregational members, who need medical help, just suffer in the ignorance of mental illness under the advice of immature ISKCON authorities. The fact is, don’t listen to these people’s opinions on mental illness, always have faith that Krishna helps those who seek out the medical help they need to help themselves overcome mental illness. All doctors and psychiatrists are not demons there are many good ones who can help you
The fact is our medical profession HAS come a long way since Srila Prabhupada was here and in some cases, you CANNOT apply his teachings to all time, place and circumstance. All psychiatrists are NOT humbug in today’s world, they also, like doctors, can help devotees, some doctors and psychiatrists are even devotees! Pusta Krishna dasa has been a doctor for over 30 years
Mental illness is misunderstood in ISKCON because of fanatical views in these early pioneering years.
The letter by Srila Prabhupada was sent 4I years ago in relation to the Temple Presidents wife in Melbourne Australia when she had a mental breakdown. When devotees went to get her out of the mental asylum, they sat her in front of the Altar and got her to chant Hare Krishna as Srila Prabhupada requested. Unfortunately, due to unknown reasons, she was gone within a few hours never to be seen again, frankly for that time, place and circumstance it was the best thing to do and Srila Prabhupada’s letter back then was applicable however, that same situation may have been handled differently today because there are many medications available now that was not available back then that could of helped settle her mind so she could do some service if that is what she really wanted. Therefore, you CANNOT apply that letter to all time, place and circumstance.
Another time the devotee Sangana dasa was also put in a mental institution and to quiet his mind and was given an anti psychotic, this gave him stability, he was stable enough, thanks to the medication given by his psychiatrist, to sit and chant Hare Krishna and became famous for washing pots.
Of course, one who is sick, be it the biological body or brain, should also chant Hare Krishna alongside the medicine they are receiving. This was the most important point Srila Prabhupada was making. As already said, in the case of Sangana dasa, the anti psychotic medication worked and helped him practically engage in devotional service on his pathway to eventually be fully dependant on Krishna. In fact in his case, he could not even function without his medication; it was his determination that kept him remaining in contact with the devotees. The devotees did not really know how to understand his condition; he just kept coming to the Temple so they just tolerated his mental illness for years without having any real input or idea of how to deal with it. It was not a question of telling him to take his medication, the fact was, if he did not take it, then we would not see him. This actually happened from time to time. Therefore we should thank his psychiatrists for keeping him healthy and his own determination to simultaneously depend on Krishna for helping him stay in contact with devotees.
The point is, we have now come a long way in psychiatry over the last 40 years and psychiatry is NOT humbug today. In fact they were all not even humbug even back then as the case of Sangana dasa proves! The anti psychotic he was taking was very new in the late 1970s and helped him remain functional
It is just like the chanting of Hare Krishna alone will not cure a broken leg similarly the chanting alone will not cure a diseased brain, just like the broken leg needs a cast; the brain substance may need an anti-depressant or anti-psychotic as in the case of Sangana dasa and many others during their lifetime in ISKCON who foolishly neglected their mental illness for so many years because they put their faith and trust in unqualified Temple authorities. Such Temple leaders would often say “ snap out of it prabhu, your in Maya, get off the mental platform! Just chant Hare Krishna and get over it there is no other way!” Such narrow minded and ignorant instructions will never help anyone with mental illness!
Mental illness caused by brain damage is often difficult to understand. In most cases, it is something you cannot get over unless you take medication, just like you cannot heal a badly broken arm unless you put it in a cast, attempting to heal the brain substance also requires medical help.
One must practise Krishna Consciousness in a practical way therefore the example of the chanting Hare Krishna alone will not heal a broken leg or arm is a simple enough comparison to understand. This also means that to chant Hare Krishna alone and ignore medical help for mental illness is also absurd and foolish in today’s world!
The fact is however, one should chant Hare Krishna enthusiastically under all conditions however, when possible, one should also seek help to keep the material body healthy. Of course doctors are not going to help us on our death bed, only the chanting of Hare Krishna can do that.
Here are some interesting quotes about understanding Srila Prabhupada’s instructions according to time, place and circumstance - -
Jayadvaita Swami – “What Prabhupada said sometimes differed. Sometimes he spoke for the benefit of an individual, sometimes for the world. Sometimes what he said was for the moment, sometimes forever. So as well as we can we need to recognize, in what Prabhupada said, not only the content but the intent”.
Jayadvaita Swami – “Srila Prabhupada responds to the questions of specific individuals. Though again the philosophy is always the same, we cannot assume that how he speaks it to one person is how he would speak it to all. With one inquirer he might be stern, with another sympathetic, with one subtle, with another deliberately simple. We’d be rash to cite one instance as evidence of how he would respond in all instances”.
Jayadvaita Swami – “What Prabhupada said sometimes differed. Sometimes he spoke for the benefit of an individual, sometimes for the world. Sometimes what he said was for the moment, sometimes forever. So as well as we can we need to recognize, in what Prabhupada said, not only the content but the intent”.
Jayadvaita Swami – “Srila Prabhupada is again addressing a particular person, in a particular time and circumstance. And this time his words are sent in a sealed envelope, not spoken in a public assembly. His words, therefore, may be intended for many people or only for one. They may give instructions meant to apply always and to everyone or only to a special circumstance and one recipient”. All these quotes are found here -http://info.vedabase.com/index.....whattomake
The following are very interesting comments by Dr. Pusta Krishna dasa who was Srila Prabhupada’s personal servant in the mid 1970s
“I must be one of those demons that a recent devotee speaks of when he talks about hospitals and modern medicine (saying they are all demons!). In my opinion, you have to be clear about physical health and the use of healers. If you subscribe to homeopathy or Ayur vedic treatments, that is a choice you personally make. Surely, you must know that Srila Prabhupad and so many others used medicines and treatments of those fields. His Divine Grace also would use western medicine, even surgery, when necessary, to sustain his life and his service. Prabhu, you do not know everything.
As a practicing physician and surgeon for over 30 years, you cannot imagine how much suffering I have encountered, and have been able to help. In my field, trauma to the limbs and the spine, injuries to soft tissues (skin, tendons, nerves), and infections (life and limb threatening, of which I have two patients in the hospital now), are all worthy pursuits.
It is so easy for those who are healthy and currently free from severe pain, to say “humbug” to the science and people who work to alleviate pain for others, and place the well-being of their patients above their own. Most such people who cry “humbug” are themselves enjoyers of the illusory energy.
Psychiatry is a field of medicine. It involves psychology when dealing with neurotic behaviour, but it can involve medications when serious depression and psychosis occur. While not everyone is fully versed in that field, including myself, my eyes are not closed to the reality of mental illness. Is it simply bad karma? Sure, but do you have enough compassion to help others, both physically and spiritually.
If you have the capacity and expertise, then you must help. If you don’t have the capacity or expertise, then please do not denigrate the sincere efforts of others to alleviate suffering. Prahlad was paradukhadhuki, he felt suffering for the suffering of others. While the chanting of the Holy Names is the ultimate path back to Home, if you try to make light of the physical and mental suffering of others, then you might one day find yourself the recipient of such unconcerned people when you your self are suffering. It will come back to you, as it must. Even the Bible says that those who show compassion for others, will receive compassion.
It is safer, if you have the heart, to err on the side of being compassionate and caring toward those who are less fortunate. After all, fortune is in the hands of the Supreme Lord. Let us therefore become more aware of the needs of devotees, being the servant of the servant, and try to bring affectionate care in our dealings with devotees.”.
One important footnote to those comments by Srila Prabhupada - to engage in our devotional service we need a healthy body and that means we may need the help of medical professionals, be them doctors or modern psychiatrists (obviously not the Freudian camp of psychiatrists that Srila Prabhupada said are all nonsense) there are other psychiatrists however, who promote anti-depressants and anti-psychotics medication which have already been proven to help devotees and aspiring devotees. If they can help you then they are certainly not humbug, Srila Prabhupada’s ultimate mission is to free us all from the entanglement of repeated birth and death and return back home back to Godhead, if we need some medical help in pursuing this goal, then get the help you need, do not ignore mental illness.
Hare Krishna, your fallen servant Gauragopala dasa
