Blog

Question: More Consciousness Is More Pain?

Dear Gurudeva,

Many thanks for providing daily thoughts which are helpful in getting some straight answers to practical questions.

I was reading Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 3.21.7 (describing the situation of a child in its mother’s womb) wherein a statement is made as below:

“Because his consciousness is not very developed, the child can tolerate it, otherwise he would die."

I have a clarification to be sought from you. This indicates that as one develop more and more consciousness he will feel more and more pain. Then what is the use of developing consciousness? How is Krishna consciousness related to the consciousness used in this statement? Or does this mean, if one develops Krishna consciousness, he feels his minute pain as well as other’s pain?

Many thanks for providing insight into this subject.

With regards,

M. Raviraja
 

Answer: Beyond Pain and Transcendental Pain

As he grows, the child within the womb is developing more and more bodily consciousness. In other words he is becoming more and more aware of the pains and pleasures of his body. This is different from Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness or superconsciousness is when the consciousness develops even further and transcends the limits of bodily consciousness by connecting with Krishna or God.

On the plane of Krishna consciousness there may still be awareness of the pains and pleasures of the body, but the devotee is detached from them experiencing them as something out there in the external energy. The only pain that affects the heart of the fully Krishna conscious devotee is the pain of seeing so many millions and billions of people who have attained the human form but are completely devoid of Krishna consciousness. This breaks the heart of the realized devotee who therefore dedicates his entire life for awakening the fallen, conditioned souls of this world to their original enlightened state of Krishna consciousness or superconsciousness.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari