"Are You Okay? You Don’t Sound Very Happy” – Spiritual Bypassing in the Hare Krishna Movement

One of the most frustrating things about discussing real issues in the Hare Krishna movement is how quickly the conversation gets shut down with vague spiritual stock responses. This frustrating phenomenon has been called spiritual bypassing—when real concerns get dismissed with feel-good, high-sounding talk instead of actually being addressed.

Just recently, I pointed out a serious issue—the dubious origins of the maha-mantra—and instead of engaging, the response I got was: “Are you okay? You don’t sound very happy.”

That’s classic. Instead of responding to the actual argument, they shift the focus onto me, implying that my questioning must come from some personal distress rather than a legitimate concern. It’s a way to dodge uncomfortable truths while making it seem like the doubter is the problem.

I’ve seen this happen so many times:

"Just chant and be happy, don’t overthink."

"You’re too in your head. Bhakti is about feeling, not logic."

"This is just your karma playing out, Krishna is teaching you a lesson."

Or in the case of this interaction:

"One eventually comes to understand the vibhūti of Krishna, over lifetimes, so it's not a problem if someone becomes an atheist in this birth. Eventually, the truth will set everyone free."

If you've ever had encounters like this, I'd love to hear about it. What's the most ridiculous example of spiritual bypassing you've encountered in the movement?