oldchakra.com

Lovisha: What Sort of Devotees Are We?
By Niscala devi dasi

Reading CHAKRA recently, I wondered if it was a website for devotees, which of course implies humanity, or something else. A devotee writes in with news of the shocking death of his niece, but rather than reach out with condolences, sympathy, and support, several readers instead lodged complaints about him, for giving them a description which was "gruesome" "disturbing" and "sensational" All this indicates total narcissism, or absorption in oneself, in how this person is making me feel, rather than concern for the personal challenge and torment that another soul must be experiencing.

Devotee means one who has love — for the Lord and for everything connected with Him, which of course includes devotees. Are we devotees, human beings, or animals? Even animals show compassion for their own species. We cannot show it even for members of our own clan. It’s sickening.

I share Sri Nandanandana Prabhu’s anguish over the death of his niece by torture and would like to offer my heartfelt sympathies to him and all his family and anyone else who knew Lovisha. Lord Krsna protects His devotees, but not their temporary bodies, so maybe by this unfortunate ending, Lovisha’s heart will turn away from any desire to enjoy this horrible world, by seeing it’s real face. I think this is likely, and I hope and pray so. And I hope and pray that Rahul Siotia’s cold-hearted reaction is not symptomatic or representative of the general devotee community.

Lastly, I commend Sri Nandananandana Prabhu’s admirable reaction to the disaster. I only hope that if faced with a similarly extreme test of faith, I will have the same unflinching courage.

Your servant,
Niscala