Samadhi (Conversations and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"samadhi" |"samadhis"

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Hayagrīva: You mentioned that...

Prabhupāda: After his departure the body was taken by Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, and other devotees took him to the seaside and dug his graveyard. That grave is still in Jagannātha Purī. Haridāsa Ṭhākura's samādhi, tomb. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to dance. That was the ceremony. Because in a Vaiṣṇava ceremony, everything is kīrtana and dance. So that was His last ceremony of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Hayagrīva: You mentioned something about Caitanya dancing with Haridāsa?

Prabhupāda: Haridāsa's body. Caitanya...dead body. Haridāsa's dead body.

Hayagrīva: Oh, with his dead body?

Prabhupāda: Yes. His dead body.

Hayagrīva: After his death.

Prabhupāda: After his death.

Hayagrīva: Caitanya...

Prabhupāda: While, I mean to say, Haridāsa was alive, he was dancing. But after the death of Haridāsa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself took the body and began to dance with kīrtana. That means his funeral ceremony was conducted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself. He took the body to the seaside and in the graveyard He...

Hayagrīva: He conducted the...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Funeral ceremony, yes.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: So meditation is there in our process, but it is a very quick process. What is that? We loudly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So even if your mind is diverted to some other subject, you will be forced to hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have to apply your mind. You see? Either you take it, "Oh, somebody is disturbing," or you are enjoying, you have to, you are forced to turn your mind to this side. And if we go on chanting for a short time, the meditation is always there. And with the dancing, the breathing is also there, but it is a shortcut policy. That policy, the yogic meditation or breathing exercise, samādhi, it is already there in our process. But we don't take in that prescribed way of meditation because that is not possible in this age. It is very difficult. So meditation and breathing exercise is not a part of our program, but it is automatically performed by this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma... That is automatically done. It is so nice process.

Questions and Answers -- September 6, 1968, New York:

Prabhupāda: "The first-class yogi is he who is always..." He never says that first-class yogi is he who can show this jugglery. No. That is not recommended. Actually, and the yoga practice begins, samādhi. Real yoga practice is, after controlling the senses, the next stage is samādhi, concentrate the mind, focus the mind on Viṣṇu always. Always thinking of Viṣṇu, always seeing Viṣṇu within himself. That is yoga practice. But by such practice, automatically one gains such powerful things, and when one gains such powerful powers, they want to exhibit to get following for material achievements. But that is not the purpose of yoga. Yoga means to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead and ultimately reach in His kingdom. That is the real purpose of yoga.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So one day when Caitanya came, he looked little bit depressed. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, "Haridāsa, you do not look very well today. What is the matter?" "Sir, I'm not very feeling well. And because I do not feel well, I could not finished my chanting." He was chanting daily 300,000 times. "So I could not finish my chanting." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "All right. You are growing old. You may not follow the rules now strictly. You can make it later." Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, "No, Sir, so long my life is there I shall try to follow. When the life is over, that is different thing. But I have got one desire if You fulfill." "What is that?" "Now I can understand that You will also leave this world very soon. So I cannot tolerate that. So best thing is that before You'll go, I go. And my another request is that You shall stand before me, and I shall leave this body." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Oh, if that is your desire, that will be all right. That is not difficult." So next day, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu came, Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, "Sir, today I wish to leave. So You please stand before me." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also could understand that he's leaving. So He asked His devotees to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and in the presence of Caitanya Mahāprabhu he left. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu took this body, and Himself He went... He carried the body. He was very stout and strong. And He was dancing and... Then He went to the seaside, and He bathed the body, and in His own hands He buried Caitanya, uh, Haridāsa Ṭhākura's body within the sand. So that burial place is still there in Purī, Haridāsa Ṭhākura's samādhi. Then He personally went to the shopkeepers and begged prasādam. "You give Me some prasādam." All people gave Him so many things. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so well-known. So He asked all the devotees to take prasādam after the burial ceremony was over. In this way Haridāsa Ṭhākura's... Niryāna. This is called departure of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: One must follow. Meditation, yogic meditation, is also possible when there is yama, niyama, āsana, praṇāyāma—the eight principles of yoga system. And nobody follows the eight principles of yoga system and simply sitting down and meditating, that will not help. The first two steps are yama, niyama, then āsana, then praṇāyāma, then pratyāhāra, then dhyāna, then dhāraṇā, then samādhi. These are explained in the yogic śāstra or Bhagavad-gītā. So this man, although born of a brāhmaṇa father... Now, here it is said that naṣṭa-sadācāra. Although he is born of a brāhmaṇa father, his ācāra, his dealings for advancing in spiritual life...A brāhmaṇa is expected to be truthful, to be self-controlled, to be fully cognizant of spiritual life, practical application in life, jñānam, vijñānam, āstikyam, to have complete faith in the statement of the śāstras. That is... That is called āstikyam. We, according to our Vedic system, we do not accept any other system of religion because we consider them nāstika. That is the primary principle. Nāstika means one who does not believe in the Vedas. He is called nāstika.

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: So what is that śāstra veda dharma?

Guest (4): Vedic dharma.

Prabhupāda: So what is that? Explain it practically.

Guest (4): Yama, niyama, samādhi, dhyāna...

Prabhupāda: No, that is the process. So what is the end of dharma?

Guest (4): Self-realization.

Prabhupāda: What is that self?

Guest (4): That is to be realized. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: This is going on. One has no idea what is dharma, what is the end, but he becomes, "Oh, I have appeared for establishing dharma." And when he is asked, "What is that dharma?" "It is to be realized." Then what you have realized that you are preaching dharma?

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Gokula, Hari bol. That does not cooperate with the modern...

Indian man: No. It must have changed completely. (break) (kīrtana)

Śyāmasundara: ...tell us a little bit about the temple as we move?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This temple was constructed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, one of the first disciples of Lord Caitanya, and this is Narottama Samādhi. Here is Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī entombed, and here is Rūpa Gosvāmī entombed. Later on, several other devotees, they are not entombed like them. Flowers from their body, they were placed. It is called Puṣpa Samādhi. But here, the original bodies.

Devotee (1): Ah. This is Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja's body?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Rosicrucians -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Love, that's nice. Very good. So the supreme consciousness and our individual consciousness, when they are in exchange of love, that is perfection. Is that...?

Yogeśvara: (break) ...that this ultimate consciousness is one of union with the Absolute, that it is one of light, of samādhi, of total love. This is the highest.

Prabhupāda: So love, love. When we speak of love, there must be two persons. (Yogeśvara translates) So what is their philosophy?

Yogeśvara: The love of which they are speaking is a love that binds everything together, that bathes everything in light and love.

Prabhupāda: So there is no action? No action?

Yogeśvara: No, he says there is action.

Prabhupāda: What are those activities?

Yogeśvara: Giving.

Prabhupāda: Giving and taking also.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There was once a historian report that after crucification he did not die. He...

Dr. Patel: He was in samādhi.

Prabhupāda: He came in India and...

Dr. Patel: Lived somewhere in Kashmir. That is what I have in article. He lived for a very long time after crucifixion. In crucifixion he went in great samādhi, and when the cross was brought down, he came out of samādhi after three days. That is the resurrection.

Prabhupāda: He was... Yes.

Dr. Patel: And then he was brought back by his disciples to India.

Prabhupāda: That is quite possible.

Dr. Patel: There is a big community called Issans(?) and Issans are somewhere in between Tigris and that Doab(?), you know, Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. From there he migrated to the Palestine area and preached those fellows all the philosophy that he learned in India. That is... That man has said. So I consider Christianity is a part of..., one of the pañca, of Hindu... of the...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Christianity is Vaiṣṇavism.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: No, this is very wrong. Untruth is as good as a daitya. Truth is God. Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Truthfulness. So how it may be? What do you say, sir?

Prabhupāda: No, no. When we say gañjā was started from here, it is God or not?

Guest (1): That's all...

Dr. Patel: Gañjā is God. What is that? In gañjā also you'll get that, that, that state of samādhi those who get it, they get it. I mean, that is all right. But you said like that, that LSD is invented in India.

Guest (1): No! I never said LSD... Why you are putting...?

Prabhupāda: No, no. When they started gañjā... When they started gañjā... They were scientific men. They wanted to make scientific chemicals out of it.

Dr. Patel: That's right. That's right. That is the right thing. I mean, truth you must have...

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Supraconsciousness means... If you try to explain. Because there is antyantikaṁ sukham. That is spiritual.

Dr. Patel: Supraconscious state is the spiritual state, samādhi state.

Prabhupāda: Spiritual. Yes. (break) ...is, that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata-āntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). That is the supreme samādhi, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...little by little.

Mr. Sar: Little by little.

Dr. Patel: And we, because we are dull students... (Gujarati) (break)

Prabhupāda: Why? Why do they go to the college and university? They could do it independently. (break) Therefore tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Inquisitive, jijñāsu, they should go to the proper person who knows it.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1974, Bombay:

Devotee: If someone said to us that "You are worshiping samādhi," what is the answer?

Prabhupāda: Samādhi, we are offering respect to the ācāryas. Yes. Not that we are simply worshiping samādhi. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa also, side by side. It is not that... Then samādhi worship is finished. That is ācārya. Ācārya is, although worshiped as the Supreme Lord, but the Lord is also worshiped. And these Māyāvādīs, they give up the worship of Lord. So therefore they are Māyāvādīs. In Māyāvādī temple you'll find the picture of the guru and not the picture of Kṛṣṇa. I have seen in Surat, one temple of "Rāma." There is no Rāma. Guru is Rāma. That's all. Guru brahma, (Hindi) (break) ...caittya-guru, because he has merged into the existence of Lord, he has become Lord. "Merging-Lord. Daridra-nārāyaṇa, merging-nārāyaṇa." This is...

Devotee: The Jains have the same kind of philosophy also.

Prabhupāda: Everyone. All philosophies, they are more or less Māyāvāda. All Māyāvāda. Different types of Māyāvāda philosophy. Therefore they should be discarded. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much.

Room Conversation with Monsieur Roost, Hatha-yogi -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: The yogic process is to capture it. But that is a fact, that the spirit soul is there within this body. It is a fact. So either you try to understand or capture it by the yogic process or you know it, that there is the soul within the body, the result is the same. Therefore you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā at the end of the Sixth Chapter that the bhakta-yogī is the topmost yogi.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

So naturally, Kṛṣṇa samādhi. If one continues in this attitude, always to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa... And Kṛṣṇa recommends, "Such person is the topmost yogi."

Room Conversation with Monsieur Roost, Hatha-yogi -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: That is automatically taught in bhakti-yoga. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. It is said, "If you can keep your master pleased, then God will be pleased." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. And if you make your master displeased, then you are nowhere. These are the teachings of bhakti-yoga. But if the master is such a rascal that if he asks the disciple that "You please me with sex life," then what kind of master he is? Sex life is so strong. In the school, colleges, the teachers having sex life with the students. And yogic process, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, first is saṁyama. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, samādhi, like that. This is against this principle of yama, niyama.

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1974, Geneva:

Yogeśvara: Well, there are people in the refrigerator now. There are people who have voluntarily put themselves in a big block of ice. They were told before they went inside that they would be defrosted in about fifty years.

Prabhupāda: Then what he will do? (laughing)

Bhagavān: They should take a few out now and see if it worked.

Prabhupāda: No, that can be done. The yogic process. It is called kumbhaka. Samādhi. You stop your breathing, and you can keep yourself for thousands of years. That is the kumbhaka. But this art is known by the frogs also.

Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: ...therefore it remains to stop. So if you stop your breathing, then you can increase your duration of life. That is yogic practice, breathing exercise. And samādhi means stop breathing. So if you don't spend your duration of life by more breathing, then you increase your life. Still there are yogis who are three hundred, four hundred years old. (French)

Guest: I have a very good friend in India called Śrī Kṛṣṇa Prema. You have known him?

Prabhupāda: He was professor in Lucknow University. His name was Mr. Nixon.

Room Conversation with Mr. Tran-van-Kha, and President & Members of the Society of Buddhists in France -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Yogeśvara: He says, in history there was the mystery of the sphinxes of Egypt, do these sphinxes carry any significance?

Prabhupāda: Hum?

Yogeśvara: Is the pyramid and the sphinx in Egypt civilization are any mystic significance?

Pṛthu Putra: It's a great relevance for the Egyptian civilization.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is just like samādhi. Samādhi, when you become samādhi, then if you're, I mean to say, put within the earth, you do not die.

Pṛthu Putra: (French)

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Even if you are put in the earth you do not die.

Pṛthu Putra: (French)

Prabhupāda: This is called kumbhaka-yoga.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- October 26, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: So the news was there that Jesus Christ, after crucification, he was alive, and he went to... (aside:) Not so near. And he went to Kashmir. So by the yogic process, in samādhi one can remain alive although superficially he is seen that he is killed. That is possible. Hiraṇyakaśipu did that. He was undergoing tapasya for one hundred years of the demigods. Their duration of time is: our six months, their one day. So such a long time he was undergoing austerity, penance, and thus he became perfect. So his body was practically finished by the earthworm, what is called, moths and ants.

Morning Walk -- October 26, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: No, he was not dead. He was living on bones. Bones were there. Mean, life is not dependent on this material body. One can practice this by yoga. Without this body he can live. Just like ghost. That is possible.

Brahmānanda: Yes, the yogis are able to stop their breathing...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: ...and stop their heart beating, and still they are not dead.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is perfection of astanga-yoga, samādhi, to remain in trance. (break) Yes. Actually he was not dead.

Cyavana: He never died.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He practiced yoga from India. For twelve years he was there.

Morning Walk -- November 8, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: LSD begets a condition of the mind just like...

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be...

Dr. Patel: ...nirakalpa-samādhi. One man told me that's a very good... (laughing) I say we...

Prabhupāda: That is another nonsense. Nonsense. Fools.

Dr. Patel: Nirakalpa-samādhi. But they must be getting some sort of condition of the mind, though temporary. That is why they must have turned to that, no?

Prabhupāda: There is no consciousness.

Dr. Patel: Were you having the experience?

Prabhupāda: First of all you must give it up. Our philosophy is first of all you must give it up, all these bad habits.

Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: It causes damage everywhere, because it damages your blood vessel which carries the vital fluid to all the organs. The blood vessels are spoiled and narrowed down so not sufficient amount of blood will get to your brain, to your heart, to your lungs, your everything practically. Follow? This is not one of (indistinct). They smoke this ganja, sir, because artificially they go into a sort of a trance. That is what the psychedelic drugs.

Prabhupāda: That man also says like that.

Dr. Patel: Psychedelic drugs. I mean I read about these psychedelic drugs, and then, you see, this artificial trance, no doubt, that is much different from the samādhi that you get. But they, that is why they are tempted to do it. Same with the LSD. That means they find some sort of a pleasure in it. Sādhus get pleasure in samādhi, they get this artificial samādhi by drugs. Hm?

Prabhupāda: Sādhu, they take pleasure in real happiness. Satyanandi. Rāmante yoginam ante satyananda. They do not know what is satya, so how they will take pleasure?

Dr. Patel: They are ātmārāma.

Prabhupāda: Para satya dhīmahi. They do not know what is para satyam.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Right in here.

Hari-śauri: Through that window you could see Rūpa Gosvāmī's samadhi. And for those two rooms they were charging five rupees a month?

Prabhupāda: Yes. These rooms were broken. So they told me that "You can repair these, and whatever you like, you can give." So I thought, "Don't need much space." "Pay me if..." I know, before me there was a tenant in that other room. He was paying three rupees. So I thought, "Two rooms, but I have spent money. So I'll give him five." Now I am giving them ten rupees.

Hari-śauri: To retain it.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Yogi Amrit Desai: My gurudeva, he reached nirvikalpa-samādhi seven years ago. Now he is going into divine body. The inner changes are happening, he says. And in pure body... The Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said every five hundred years one yogi achieves that pure body. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Santa-jñānesvara, (?) They are lines who reached that spot.

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu never said.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Divine body? (break) ...and renewed and young again. This is what he is...

Prabhupāda: So if you become young, do you mean to say that you will not die?

Yogi Amrit Desai: Yes, because then the body will dissolve, like his guru...

Prabhupāda: The body... But you... You may get young body. Does it mean that it is guaranteed that you'll not die?

Yogi Amrit Desai: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Is it?

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: (Hindu) But even you get the same thing by (Hindi). So Vaiṣṇava cult is easier than getting the mind blank and then getting all in the... Because here your mind is engaged to Lord Himself. It is... We call as samādhi.

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). Just like a man is observing Ekādaśī, fasting. Another, in the hospital, he's also fasting. So these two fastings, they are different.

Dr. Patel: Here fasting of all the senses and applying to God.

Prabhupāda: For satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. And there compulsory fasting, but he has got desire. So paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. When you get better taste, when you stop this nonsense for better taste, that is positive. Artificially, if you do, it will not benefit.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: So it seems all over the world there was a greater interest in education, in art, and in India at the time when Lord Caitanya appeared.

Hari-śauri: The church was its strongest as well in Europe at that time, religion, very strong.

Prabhupāda: Christ also went, came to India.

Rāmeśvara: That is not believed in the West.

Prabhupāda: That is to keep their prestigious position.

Gargamuni: Many scholars... There's a place in Kashmir where they say his samādhi is there.

Rāmeśvara: There is a period of years which no one can account for.

Prabhupāda: No, even from Christian religion it is proved how uncivilized were the Westerners. "Thou shall not kill." Now, how uncivilized they were. Even they take it the human killing, it is meant, not animal killing. So what kind of society it is?

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Nripen Babu -- San Francisco 18 March, 1967:

Any way please try to save temple of Jiva Goswami because in very near future many people all parts of the world will come to see the Temple and Samadhi of Jiva Goswami and Rupa Goswami. If you get court permission to sell the land there will be no objection for purchasing __ so far I know that your maternal uncle and cousin brother are also ___ in the temple. Sunderlalla son (the Vakil at Mathura) told me like that when negotiation was going on for lease. But I think if court sanction is obtained it will be quite alright.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Madhavi Lata -- Montreal 20 June, 1968:

Yes, you stay in Boston. Please learn this painting under care of Jadurani. Please always talk about Krishna amongst you two sisters, and enjoy life. This is very good opportunity that you are talking and painting about Krishna, so that your mind, hand, and attention are all absorbed in Krishna samadhi, and tongue chanting Hare Krishna. This is first class samadhi, and the highest position of the greatest yogi. Try to continue this atmosphere happily.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Vrindaban 2 November, 1972:

Now we are in Vrindaban, and the programme for speaking daily morning and evening in the courtyard samadhi-place at Radha-Damodara temple is very much being appreciated by the devotees. Next we shall go to Hyderabad for some weeks. You have mentioned nothing of your wife, so what is her position?

Letter to Puri Maharajji -- Vrindaban 5 November, 1972:

Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated October 26, 1972, which has reached me here at Vrindaban. Yes, the programme is going on very nicely, and all the devotees are enlivened by our discourses daily in morning and evening in the Samadhi courtyard at Radha-Damodar temple. I can understand that due to so many celebrations at this Urja time you are unable to join me here.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Radhavallabha -- Honolulu 26 May, 1975:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 5/17/75 and have noted the contents. I have also received the first volume of the Madhya-lila. It is very nice. The pictures of Jagannatha Puri and the Samadhi tombs of Rupa Goswami, Jiva Goswami, and Krishna das Kaviraja are very nice. I will be very pleased if you can produce these books at top speed. Please do this.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Ramesvara -- Calcutta 12 January, 1976:

That so many people are purchasing our literature in Los Angeles indicated that it is being advertised: Oh, I have got a very nice book. Then their acquaintances want the book also. The books distribution in Los Angeles during the six day period is transcendental samadhi. They are working in trance, not on the material platform. No common man can work so hard, it is not possible. Working without sleep means no death. Sleeping is dead condition. "Jiv jago, jiva jago, gauracanda bole, kota nidra yao maya-pisacira kole." Your book distribution is really intoxication.

Letter to Purusottama -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1976:

Only by the yogic process can one prolong the life. By stopping the breathing process, keeping in samadhi, the breath period is not being misused, and he increases the life span. Therefore, destiny can only be changed by devotional service or yoga. Otherwise, what you must suffer, you must suffer, and what you must enjoy, you must enjoy. For a devotee however, whatever it may be, he takes the opportunity to chant Hare Krishna, and if by Krishna's Grace destiny is changed, then it is alright. Nature's law will work. We cannot change that, but Krishna, the Supreme Controller, He can change it; just like if a man is sentenced to be hanged, no one, not even the judge can pardon him, except the king or president.