i have been chanting 16 rounds for two years.Everything was going nice.i was gradually progressing.But 1 month before i got a mental illness called panic anxiety attack.So i am disturbed. Please guide me. how to deal with this problem.Can a devotee have a mental illness or it is due to any offence done by me unknowingly.
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how can we eradicate previous bad karma of many lifetimes or how to remove impurity in soul?
There is only one way known to us and it is called the yugadharma of this age, Kaliyuga - that way is naam sankirtan. Chant the holy names of the lord. Please chant the mahamantra incessantly - or if you have not yet started, then chant 4 rounds of the mahamantra initially and then take it forward from there, gradually increasing your rounds till you reach 16.
You to seriously consider the 10 offenses unto the Holy names and make sure you are making sincere endeavour to remove the offenses. Go through them and see if you are doing anything wrong. And most importantly follow the four regulations as strictly as possible. The four regulations namely no illicit sex, no intoxicating, no gambling and no meat eating.
Prabhupada in his nectar of instructions have quoted from the sastras that illicit sex(sex life outside of marriage) are of following types : thinking, feeling, willing, planning and eventually doing it. Give up drinking coffee as that will aggravate your anxiety further, and it is a sort of intoxication. These are some very basic religious principles we must follow or else we will end up committing the offense of engaging in sinful activities thinking that chanting will purify it. Make serious endeavours to correct them. Offenses unto the Holy names are fatal.
I honestly have felt much better since I have started very strictly started following the regulations. Besides, there are other offenses you have to consider as well. If you like, I can give you the copy of Hari Nama Cintamani by BhaktiVinod Thakura. It will, in detail explain to you the importance of mahamantra and the various kind of offenses and the ways in which you can remove them.
In fact, I was reading about why some devotees leave Krishna consciousness and most of the senior leaders have said that it is due to maintaining the offenses unto the Holy names and not making sincere attempts to clear them, slowly they become indifferent towards Krishna and leave Krishna consciousness altogether. It's very sad. But we have to understand that Krishna says in the Gita, "Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practices and a predominant rise of irreligion, at that time I descend myself".
Krishna in this age has descended as Maha mantra and he is obviously going to feel bad if one chants his name and at the same time keeps offenses. I am saying all of this because I have been in the same position that you are in and I have felt better since when I have made sincere attempts to clear the offenses. Please be careful.
But Hey, not everything is lost. He also says in the Gita, "In this path, there is no loss or diminution and a little advancement on this path can save one from the greatest type of fear". Elsewhere he says, "O Arjuna, declare it boldly, my devotee never perishes"
You have to read Hari Nama Cintamani. And besides this, do exercise. It will help your body eliminate weakness it feels due to anxiety. And you will feel stronger both physically and mentally. Cultivate Goodness, anxiety disorder is due to our previous Karma of course apart from many other things and cultivating goodness will help reduce it as much as possible. Read Krishna's instructions in regards to the qualities of Goodness in chapter, "Three modes of material nature". Krishna will help you if you help yourself.
And please, please try to clear the offenses unto the Holy names. Krishna can't help you if you don't let him. And it's how Prabhupada explains "An elephant takes his bath nicely and as soon as he steps out, he sprinkles dust all over him". So make steady efforts to clear the offenses you may or may not know you are making them. Read Hari Nama Cintamani and see if you are doing anything wrong.
BTW, I am still a namaapradhi and via me, Krishna has spoken to both of us. Told us what we both need to do.
Hare krishna Govind Prabhu ,PAMHO
Pls Do take Medication Prefarably Ayurvedic medication, Go to a Patanjali Ayurveda Store and find out when the Ayurvedic Doctor will be available for Consoltation . Ayurveda is safe and has no side effects and its Vegetarian.
Get well soon
Of course prabhuji. Its like any other illness which has to be treated.
HK prabhu ji
Panic and anxiety attacks are the result of material desires or expectation from oneself or from your family to achieve something. It starts from stress and that stress comes from unfavourable situations in our material life.
Always when these thoughts come, please remember prabhu ji the goal of life is to go back to godhead which is the ultimate aim. Material life should be balanced with spiritual life but if anyhow material life is facing problems then we should always think that krishna has more mercy on you and he wants to remind you that your ultimate goal or aim is to go back to godhead and spread this message.
So i would suggest you to reanalyze the importance of going back to godhead and importance to place krishna in the priorities of life. Please don't stop chanting and always watch kirtans and lectures in the free time when you are in your workplace.
Sometimes we do chanting and all these krishna consciousness activities but we forget the real reason of doing it or we become unenthusiastic or more materially involved. So please reanalyze and develop love for krishna once again.May be it's a great sign or warning because may be you were again going back to materialism but krishna again jolted you and shaked you so that you could love him again.
May lord krishna have mercy on you.Thank you prabhu ji. HK
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Yes, a devotee can have mental disease. Mind is part of the body, therefore the way a devotee can contract a physical illness like malaria or jaundice, he can contract a mental illness.
Be more dependent on Krsna prabhuji and continue to chant nicely. Try to render as much service as possible. The panic attacks - I dont know whether it is possible, divert them to panic about what if this lifetime is wasted without hari bhajana.
Best of luck prabhuji. All will be well. You will recover in no time.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
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