Are the mental problems also consequences of previous sins committed by people?

[Smt. Priyanka asked: There is so much awareness that is being created about mental health especially during covid times. Even otherwise, there is also a lot of awareness about post-partum depression (women who have just given birth), clinical depression, anxiety problems, bipolar disorders, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children), etc. I hear about them often around me. Were these issues common in ancient days/ olden days as well? While lifestyle, job stress, etc. is different from what it was before, why has it become so common for many people to have one or more of these problems? Is it that just like physical health problems, these mental problems are also consequences of previous sins committed by people? Also, in Kaliyuga, people are committing far more sins compared to other yugas. Is that why we are hearing about these mental problems more frequently? At Your divine lotus feet, Priyanka]

Swāmi Replied:- There is a change in the atmosphere among the four Yugas. Ancient time may mean the past Yuga or past generations in this Kaliyuga itself. Whatever it may be, there is a continuous downfall of standards of justice in Pravṛtti and devotion in Nivṛtti. There is a vivid difference from one Yuga to the other. But, there is very small difference from one generation to the other generation in the same Yuga. Some of our people present in this generation exaggerate the older generations of this same Kaliyuga and praise the older generations as the generations of the first Kṛtayuga or Satyayuga. The word “ancient” can be used for the generations of previous Yugas and the word “olden” can be used for the previous generations of this Kaliyuga. Certainly, from Kṛtayuga to Kaliyuga there is a downfall in both Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti. Fear for God and devotion to God are gradually replaced by the crooked intelligence to misinterpret and exploit the truthfulness in justice of Pravṛtti and the truthfulness in the devotion of Nivṛtti. The soul can neither cheat the deity of justice nor God, who is the deity of the deity of justice. The soul is overdeveloping its IQ so that it is trying to become very smart not only to cheat elders, but also, even the omniscient God through its misinterpretations of true concepts. I tell one example:- The devotee is offering some practical donation to God saying that the donation will be deposited after God fulfilling his/her desire! This clearly means that the devotee is having atheistic mentality in heart so that if God does not exist, he/she need not lose that donation to God!! I told in My speech in the World Parliament on Spirituality “Nowadays hearts are not functioning; only brains are functioning”. All agreed to this fact as expressed by their claps. Love is replaced by logic!

The wrong exploitation of love is to be resisted by logic. Logic (theoretical knowledge or Jñānayoga) is the path through which the love (theoretical love or devotion or Bhaktiyoga) is to be attained as the ultimate goal. The logic in the ultimate goal is that the practical love (practice or Karmayoga) is the proof of theoretical love.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★