“Feeling” Others’ Suffering

One of the principles often discussed in the Krsna consciousness movement is ‘feeling the whips’ on other people’s backs, sometimes referred to as the Vaisnava quality of para duhkha duhkhi. Srila Prabhupada elaborates a bit more on this in the sixth canto of his Srimad Bhagavatam: “Everyone should be unhappy to see others in distress and happy to see others happy. Atmavat sarva-bhutesu: one should feel the happiness and distress of others as his own.” (6.10.9/purport)