Questions And Answers: Guru (Spiritual Master)
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-03-13
Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda always told us we should not try to see Kṛṣṇa but act in such a way that Kṛṣṇa will see us.
It was devastating to lose Śrīla Prabhupāda’s personal association.
But he gave me a lot of different services to perform to him.
So, that kept me busy in serving Śrīla Prabhupāda.
How many of you are disciples of Caitanya Candra Caraṇa dāsa? (Almost all)
How many of you have the Jayapatākā Swami App?
(a few) You can download it.
It is in various languages, and you can choose Russian.
So, there are various programs in the App like offering ārati, like seeing what I do, seeing Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures.
Then you can ask, to put out something about Caitanya Candra Caraṇa dāsa also.
Have you visited any of the holy places around Navadvīpa dhāma?
(Yes, the house of Śrīvāsa Aṅgana.) Śrīvāsa Aṅgana. (Yoga-pīṭha, House of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Jagannātha Mandir, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura samādhi, Viṣṇu-priyā temple, and also TOVP construction site)
Have you seen the TOVP site?
Is there are anyone who is an IT person, we are doing a Museum in the West Wing, we could use help for the Exhibits.
An initiated neophyte has vowed to follow the regulative principles, chant daily 16 rounds and to help you and help Śrīla Prabhupāda in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all around the world. Say, such a neophyte has broken this vow in an attempt to meet the demands of his competitive world due to his past bad karma, how can such a person be attractive and inspiring to the common man plus come back to the spiritual life and resume to his guru’s pleasure?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-19
Jayapatākā Swami: You see that is why taking first initiation
it is described as taking a new birth.
Naturally when you are taking birth as a baby,
a toddler,
you may fall down a few times.
Then gradually you learn to walk.
So at your first initiation
it is expected that
there may be a few mistakes.
And one should pick up and continue to practice,
in this way they can progress.
When one takes the second initiation,
they should be more considered like 9 or 12 years old.
If at that time they are sleeping in the lap of the mother
and passing stool or something,
then something is wrong!
A little baby it is expected.
But not in a 9 or 12-year-old boy!
Category: [Anarthās], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Sādhanā / Regulative Principles], [Sādhanā / Sevā]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-05-13
Jayapatākā Swami: You see if you are mood is such that you go back to Godhead,
that means you got some mercy from your guru.
I spent so many weeks giving class so that people could get an idea of my mood.
What do you think?
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Pastimes], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Spiritual World / Dhāma]
Can someone who is endeavoring to follow his guru’s instructions sincerely and is making efforts to take his guru’s instructions and his desire as his life and soul, but hasn’t got the chance to take formal initiation, can such a person go back to Godhead and achieve the highest goal of kṛṣṇa-prema in this very life? Can he also achieve his guru’s service eternally?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-19
Jayapatākā Swami: Since the name of Kṛṣṇa is not different from Kṛṣṇa,
somehow by chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa,
one may also achieve the highest perfection.
But a sure way is if possible, is for you to take initiation from the authorized guru-paramparā,
and then in that way serve Kṛṣṇa.
You see Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity to take initiation.
If out of false ego you don’t do it,
then it is not really Kṛṣṇa’s fault.
So if He is giving us some help, we should take it.
During this lockdown period
I am also giving initiation on the internet by zoom.
And other gurus are also doing the same thing.
So if one is qualified, they could take initiation.
Don’t have to wait for the guru to physically come there.
Category: [Dīkṣā (Initiation)], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Spiritual World / Dhāma]
Questioner: Mādhavī Śyāmasundarī devī dāsī
Date: 2023-01-20
Jayapatākā Swami: All the services to the Deities in this temple or any temple of ISKCON will be very pleasing to me.
So you can ask the temple leaders what service you can do.
Lord Caitanya said, yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa.
Whoever you see, tell them the glories of Kṛṣṇa.
That will make me very happy.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Sādhanā / Sevā], [Sādhanā / Technicalities]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-08-08
Jayapatākā Swami: No! The point is, say a devotee, tries to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and doesn’t make it; senses take him off; interested into material life again
but whatever time a person spent in doing Kṛṣṇa conscious activity, for that, they get heavenly planet or they get a very good birth in the future.
They don’t lose anything you see.
The sinful reaction doesn’t affect; the sinful life delays your going back to Godhead but doesn’t stop it because that your credit is in like a fixed account.
But what happens is when you do offenses, this is whole different thing.
Offenses are directly...just like you are working for someone, you build up a good credit history and then you steal from him,
then you get fired and that person never wants to see you again, right?
But say that you know, you work for a person, just somehow you go away, you quit, then whatever you do, but with him your relationship, you know, is the same.
This is a little gross kind of material example, it is not fully appropriate.
In a higher sense our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is independent of all the other activities.
But an offense against Him or His devotee directly, you see even He can forgive an offense against Him;
but when you offend His devotee who is just trying in helping people to come to Him that becomes intolerable for Him.
He has a policy that He doesn’t personally forgive anyone for that. If the devotees themselves forgive then He considers a pardon.
So, of all the offenses, the blaspheming of one’s spiritual master who is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and is considered to be the worst.
So, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that, it takes millions of births before one ever gets a chance to have a guru again.
Why Kṛṣṇa will bring you up to a guru if you are going to blaspheme?
If you are so envious, then you get put in an envious species of life.
So, that way, Śrīla Prabhupāda says that it is much better to fall down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness and just fall into sinful or materialistic activities than to become a blasphemer.
You shouldn’t ever resent the guru.
If you couldn’t make it, why resent the guru, it is not his fault,
you couldn’t make it.
You tried, you got as far as you could, or you have that much determination, you lost faith and you lost.
So, why resent the guru? Guru didn’t do any harm to you.
Guru was trying to help you.
You go to a doctor; you have an incurable disease, or you are hooked on to some kind of drug, the doctor tries to help you to break your habit,
but you can’t take the withdrawal pains, so you just go back in and then you continue taking heroin or something until you OD (overdose) and die.
Why blaspheme the doctor?
It is not his fault; you didn’t have the determination or the patience to get out.
He was going to help you through the whole thing, through your shakes and your problems and everything just to bring you up to a point where you could be a healthy person.
Like that kind of a thing.
Jayapatākā Swami: Oh yeah. Lord Caitanya said that,
yadi vaiṣṇava-aparādha uṭhe hātī mātā
That the offense of blaspheming a devotee is called mad elephant offense.
Because one’s spiritual progress is compared to a creeper, a plant.
So, when you blaspheme pure devotees, that mad elephant can go into a garden, uproot the whole plants, tear apart, you can just demolish the garden.
So, the comparison given that all the other things are like weeds; they don’t actually kill the original plant, they just compete with it.
They stunt its growth by taking away the energy, just stays at whatever level it is.
But it is very hard for the weeds all to completely smother out the original plant unless it just completely overcomes the thing.
But the offenses, those are considered like wild elephants which come in and trrrrp (tearing sound), rip out the thing, put it on the ground and stomp on it.
And then even for a while it may seem that the person is spiritually situated;
they pull out a plant, still the leaves stay green for a few days but then they gradually dry and fall off.
The relationship with the guru is never cut even you fall down; it’s not cut just by material activities;
but if you blaspheme the guru, then it is cut off, it’s like disowning.
Disciple disowns his guru by blaspheming.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-09-24
Jayapatākā Swami: Prabhupāda said, if a person follows the process of Kṛṣṇa conscious then they can.
If one wants to take birth again in the material world, no.
How free you are from things like offences, may dictate how high you can go in spiritual world.
Whether we get place in Vaikuntha? Whether we get a place in Goloka Vṛndāvana? How I am will able to go?
Or, I mean if a person, I had one person, approached me in India, he was a real strange character.
He said that, “I have been chanting 32 or 20 or 16 rounds for 26 years.
But never gave up eating fish.”
Neutral position that we were discussing today, he reciprocates with the person so perfectly,
that if someone would do something like that because of their offences to chanting, while chanting the holy name,
but they don’t actually make advancement, towards pure love for Kṛṣṇa.
They are getting some benefit from chanting,
but at the same time they are material heart, their material desires aren’t going due to being absorbed in sense gratification like that.
So I advised him that, you should chant the names of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu,
and by His mercy you may be able to overcome this desire of eating fish.
And sure enough after chanting Lord Caitanya’s names for some period of time, he got some spiritual intelligence, and he could stop eating fish.
Even though for 26 years he was on his weird practice, where although chanting he never tried to avoid breaking that,
you know, stopping breaking that regulative principle.
So if a person, I mean if he is determined, you know, alright, I am going to chant 16 rounds and I am going to follow the four principles,
but if they take things in an attitude that I’m determined not to give up my material attachments,
then that’s anachronism, you know.
From our side it should be not just externals, but it should be internal, that we are trying to follow the process.
We are trying from our part to give up our attachments.
If we have the proper attitude, we are trying to give up our attachments, we are trying to avoid, even if we arenot fully successful.
Prabhupāda said, “There is… That Kṛṣṇa is so merciful, that Lord Caitanya is so merciful,
even though we may not at the point of death have been a hundred percent successful.
We can still get delivered.”
[Aside: How long I should go on ?]
I was in Montreal, and Prabhupāda was giving a lecture, that time we had a vyasāsana for him was very high.
I mean, very, it was like, when we would stand up, we would be facing Prabhupāda eye to eye,
or he would still be even higher than that.
It was a very high vyasāsana, and you have to kind of crawl up, steps going up.
[Aside: It was more like a kind of a culpit.
Culpit or something?
Devotee: Pulpit]
Pulpit, Pulpit.
So he would be up there, he would have a seat there and would even have prasādathere.
On a feast they would bring him a big plate of prasāda, we will all be sitting down,
and he would take Prasad from there and sometimes he would give prasāda out from there.
So one day he was giving his lecture from up there naturally,
and on this point he was just preaching very hard, we have to be a 100% Kṛṣṇa conscious,
we have to try, we have to be 100% Kṛṣṇa conscious, we have to try for that,
we have to become, if we are 100% Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we can get pure love for Kṛṣṇa, then our lives will be completely successful.
He was hammering this point.
The devotees you know thinking, 100%! Their heads gradually started to hanging down and they became very thoughtful,
that 100% was like such an objective that never seem that this ever possible, even you know, to get real close to a 100%.
But Prabhupāda was very emphatic on this point.
The devotees were very thoughtful at that time.
Then Prabhupāda, he ended the class, there was just a heavy silence, there was no question,
he ended the class, said become cent percent Kṛṣṇa conscious.
There was just like a death.
I mean there was a silence so thick you could swim through it.
And Prabhupāda was just sitting there on this, that raised
vyasāsana and said that, even if you are 90% Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that you may still be delivered.
Then he started to get down, and he was about halfway down,
just as he was getting off that vyasāsana, he turned to the devotees, said, “Even 90% you can be delivered.”
He started walking off, then he turned and then his cādara fell off.
I remember that it was such a dramatic, almost like you know what you see in those movies;
Julies Caesar his chaddar just blew like that you know.
“Even 70%”, he took his cādara and threw it over his shoulders, raised his head and walked off…
(laughter)
Śrīla Prabhupāda Ki!
Devotees: Jaya!
Jayapataka Swami: But the purport is that try for the 100%.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Spiritual World / Dhāma], [Material Sufferings / Death], [Mercy], [Sādhanā]
Questioner: Atula Kṛṣṇa dāsa
Date: 2023-04-13
Jayapatākā Swami: I used to travel 5 or 6 times around the world every year.
I have lifetime-gold-membership in United Airways.
British Airways I have Emerald membership, it is like Gold.
I don’t have to fly, I get every year automatically.
But this was initially Śrīla Prabhupāda said as a sannyāsī, I should travel.
But now I spend more time in Māyāpur.
Śrīla Prabhupāda told me also remain in Māyāpur and do your activities through your assistants.
So, at different times, he told me different things.
So, I think I did my travelling enough.
Now I spend more time in Māyāpur, India.
I only travel once or twice around the year every year!
But that way, I think I used to travel to all the countries, South Africa, Poland, Nigeria, Ghana, etc.
Bhakti Tīrtha Swami had asked me to go to West Africa sometimes.
I went two or three times.
So like that. During the pandemic I stayed all the time in Māyāpur.
That is the thing, I am trying to carry out Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-10-23
Jayapatākā Swami: Normally, a Vaiṣṇava is not supposed to leave remnants.
But a guru may leave some remnants for disciples.
But there is no hard and fast rule regarding mahā-prasāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda gave a Gulab jamun to Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami.
He kept it on his plate and he was looking at it.
He was very proud and was thinking that I have got Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Gulab jamun wow! Wow! Gulab jamun! Wow!
Someone reached over and ate it!
He said, you took my Gulab jamun!
And Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami was very angry.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, he said, actually there are no rules when it comes to mahā-prasāda.
And even if you take from my plate, what can I do?
But please let me finish!
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Prasāda and Bhoga], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings / Etiquette / Sadācāra]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-03-15
Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, one way is to ask him! Ha! Ha!
Otherwise by observing him
and hearing his instructions,
you can know what he wants.
And every guru may be different because we are all persons, we may have differences.
But we are united in serving Kṛṣṇa
and serving Śrīla Prabhupāda.
So like that we want all the devotees to be united
in serving guru and Kṛṣṇa.
Questioner: Kṛṣṇasevinī Rādhā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-12-02
Jayapatākā Swami: The whole practice of bhakti-yoga is to develop our love for guru and Kṛṣṇa.
It is not a different process.
Same process delivers us
and we should perform devotional service
and naturally if you help the spiritual master
then Kṛṣṇa will be very pleased.
Category: [Emotions / Faith], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead)]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-04-27
Jayapatākā Swami: Try!
Why cannot you read the books?
Why cannot you preach?
One lady, she brought seven women to take shelter.
Anybody can preach.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-10
Jayapatākā Swami: That question has been asked to me many times.
And there are like 15 questions that you could ask yourself.
But basically, you pray to Kṛṣṇa, you pray to Śrīla Prabhupāda
to reveal, who you should take shelter of.
And whose preaching you feel more connected with Śrīla Prabhupāda and Kṛṣṇa.
Maybe he is your spiritual master.
Sometimes you feel connected to several people’s preaching,
then you can take more than one as your śikṣā-guru,
as the instructing spiritual master.
Since there is no limit to how many instructing spiritual masters we can have.
And then the one we feel most connected with, we take him as the dīkṣā-guru.
I have an application, the Jayapatākā Swami App.
Maybe I can try to answer the questions.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)]
Questioner: Vijaya Rādhā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: While the guru is present,
you shouldn’t feel any doubt.
You can always ask the guru
if your idea is correct or not.
I asked Prabhupāda several times about different things like this
and somethings he said, they are sent by Kṛṣṇa,
somethings not.
To be sure, that is why we have a guru,
because we cannot connect directly with Kṛṣṇa in our conditioned state.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Category: [Emotions / Confusion], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead)], [Material World / Mind / Intelligence], [Sādhanā / Philosophical questions]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-03-13
Jayapatākā Swami: Depends on what gives you faith.
I mean, some people have faith by reading the scripture,
since it tells us that the holy name is Absolute and non-different from Kṛṣṇa.
Some people have faith by realization.
If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you may become peaceful and ecstatic.
And that may increase your faith.
Some people commit offences to the holy name.
So they don’t get the full result of chanting.
And you should tell them to be very careful to follow the order of the spiritual master.
I think the third offence to the holy name is to disobey the order of the spiritual master.
We must have a spiritual master and follow his instructions.
There is no question but to accept the spiritual master.
So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura had everyone in the temple chant 64 rounds.
Those who went for book distribution and preaching, they should chant 16 rounds.
So Śrīla Prabhupāda said that for the Western rounds it would be difficult to chant 64 rounds.
So he had them chant 16 and preach.
So by following Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions, one can advance.
Link: 20221023 Evening Darśana
Category: [Emotions / Faith], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Sādhanā / Chanting (Japa)], [Sādhanā / Philosophical questions]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-19
Jayapatākā Swami: One of the qualifications of the uttama-adhikārī
is that he cannot be understood.
It may not be completely possible for you to understand the mood of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
But in principle you can understand a little bit about his mood
by reading his books.
And those books are available in Spanish,
I see that you are in Bogota, Colombia.
You can read the books and feel and see how Śrīla Prabhupāda
is so much attached to Kṛṣṇa and Lord Gaurāṅga!
Then you can start to be very grateful for all the help he has given to you.
Then naturally, you can advance.
Category: [Gauḍīya History / Śrīla Prabhupāda], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship]
Questioner: Ritvik, ISKCON Baroda
Date: 2022-10-15
Jayapatākā Swami: If the guru is able to help you if you feel that Śrīla Prabhupāda is talking to you through the guru and you are able to cross over māyā,
then that is the right guru for you.
So you also get help from various śikṣā-gurus and Vaiṣṇavas.
I have fifteen questions you should ask yourself,
to help you understand if it is the right guru.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-09-21
Hṛdayānanda Dāsa Goswami: Yes, (laughing)
if he is actually bonafide.
If he is actually bonafide.
You understand?
If someone is not a bonafide spiritual master, someone is only pretending to be a spiritual master,
then how can the relationship be eternal?
So therefore, the disciple has to know the real symptoms.
Just like for example, in the case I was just mentioning, there were some symptoms which were very unusual, that were not the normal symptoms.
So, some of the people in in England they were not, of course the young devotees they didn't know,
but they were not very strict and serious and seeing that the same standard was kept.
Do you understand?
In other words, just like we are… we are always preaching, that is the duty of our disciple to see, to select a bonafide spiritual master.
So, the point is that anyone who joins this movement sincerely will get Kṛṣṇa and will get a bonafide spiritual master.
And the symptom that is getting one that is he will get Kṛṣṇa.
If you are getting a bonafide spiritual master, then you are getting the proper instruction.
Any guru in ISKCON who is presenting Prabhupāda as he is, or presenting the standard program, he is a bonafide guru.
Just like if I tell my disciples, "Read these books."
So, I am giving them the right knowledge, you understand?
Now, if someone is actually a bonafide spiritual master, then that relationship is eternal.
So it’s not that, it’s not that, because one particular person had some difficulty therefore I will become doubtful.
This is also a foolish idea.
Just like in the Gauḍīya Maṭha, all of them deviated except Prabhupāda.
I mean fifty of them or something like that, there were 100 or something, I don’t know how many... do you understand?
And every last one of them, every single one of them, deviated from Bhaktisiddhānta's order.
And out of the movement of hundreds and thousands of people, Prabhupāda was the only one who actually
carried it out exactly as Bhaktisiddhānta wanted, do you understand?
So, it’s not that when we heard about Gauḍīya Maṭha, we begin to doubt our spiritual master.
No, we become more proud of our spiritual master.
So, it’s just like my parents always used to tell me, "You should be glad that your parents don’t drink or smoke…
or… tell me that, some parents beat their children, some parents do this, some parents do that.”
So, in that way Kṛṣṇa has given these historical examples. Kṛṣṇa has given these examples,
so you should be happy if you have a guru who doesn’t drink or smoke. (Laughter)
Yes, actually, we accept that Śrīla Prabhupāda among his godbrothers…
not that all they fell down to sinful activities,
but they deviated from the preaching mission and Prabhupāda told us that, none of them actually really captured the purport completely.
So, it's in the līlāmṛta, all.
Prabhupāda's frustration trying to work with them.
So, does that make us doubt Śrīla Prabhupāda? No, it makes us glorify him more.
That if others have failed, that means it must be very difficult.
Because someone has not… could not do it, that means it must be a very difficult thing.
It must be... So, therefore, it made us more attached to our spiritual master.
So, Prabhupāda said, "If you see, if you try to see the guru without Kṛṣṇa then that’s bad.
If you try to see Kṛṣṇa without the guru, that is also bad.
If we see guru as the representative of Kṛṣṇa,
then we will never be deviated.”
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Sādhanā / Philosophical questions]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-03-13
Jayapatākā Swami: Depends what you are thinking!
Generally, I would chant in front of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mūrti.
And I would chant the mantra but I would also be seeing Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Everything connected with Kṛṣṇa is also Kṛṣṇa.
It is not really Kṛṣṇa, but it is not different from Kṛṣṇa.
When we clean the temple, the temple is connected with Kṛṣṇa, therefore we clean our heart.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said, in any part of the temple Kṛṣṇa is there.
So guru is connected to Kṛṣṇa
and if you see guru while chanting you will be connected to Kṛṣṇa.
Link: 20221023 Evening Darśana
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Sādhanā / Chanting (Japa)], [Sādhanā / Philosophical questions]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-09-17
In this regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda was quoting Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
that the disciple should take the order of the spiritual master as their life and soul.
If you are not able
to follow the instruction of your spiritual master,
then you can ask him
what to do in that case.
Category: [Emotions / Enthusiasm], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Sādhanā / Sevā]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-09-02
Jayapatākā Swami: Just like we say we are not the body.
We also say we are not the mind.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura said that we should beat the mind in the morning with shoes 108 times.
In the evening beat with a broomstick 108 times.
Who is the boss here, mind or you?
You are the eternal spirit soul and you are the real person.
Not the mind.
We have to tell the mind, who is the boss!
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead)], [Material World / Mind / Intelligence], [Sādhanā]
Questioner: Satyabhāmā Sādhvī devī dasī
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: Very glorious question.
We want to always remember guru and Kṛṣṇa.
So if we do everything as an offering to guru and Kṛṣṇa,
then we will be constantly thinking of Guru and Kṛṣṇa.
Like, if you buy a gift for your loved one,
now you may be thinking what does that person like?
And you pick up some gift,
so it maybe that you are thinking about the gift,
but you are thinking in the context what does this person like?
So therefore, you are always thinking about the person.
Even though technically you may not always thinking about him, but all your action is offered to him.
So therefore, your thought process is centered around the person you love.
So if you love Kṛṣṇa, if you love the guru,
it is very easy to think always about guru and Kṛṣṇa.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings]
Questioner: Premeśvarī Śrī Rādhā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-09-21
Separation from guru and Kṛṣṇa is something that we encounter
and Kṛṣṇa.
So Lord Caitanya said that we can get a closer devotion
by feeling separation.
So if we feel separation that is to the body of the guru,
if we feel separation that is to the instructions of the guru
and just try to follow his instructions.
By following his instructions, we can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Serving the guru personally is vapu-sevā
and serving his instructions is vāṇī-sevā.
So vāṇī-sevā is more important.
Category: [Emotions / Sorrow], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings]
Questioner: Ati Sundara Jagannātha dāsa
Date: 2023-12-19
Jayapatākā Swami: When it is some puja time, say Dīpāvalī or something,
you buy something for your sister, your mother, your loved ones.
So while you are buying that you are thinking what does this person like? What should I get?
Like that, the act of shopping
becomes an act of love.
And so in the same way when you want to do something for the spiritual master,
you think like that, what will be pleasing? What can be used?
And that way, it is an act of love for your spiritual master.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Category: [Emotions / Enthusiasm], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Sādhanā / Sevā]
Questioner: Bhaktin Ambika
Date: 2022-08-04
Jayapatākā Swami: Naturally when you are serving guru and Kṛṣṇa,
then you will be connected to guru and Kṛṣṇa
and you can feel that.
So, we try if we can either serve the guru directly
or by following his instructions.
And that way we can feel connected.
Questioner: Antīmā devī dāsī.
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: You see we should have the vision of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura,
seeing the difference from material relationship,
and the spiritual reality.
If we have this knowledge,
naturally we can transcend the suffering and troubles of the material world.
But since we are conditioned, and we lament over things which should not be lamented for,
therefore, say one family member dies,
different varṇas have different times or periods, when we are not supposed to go to the temple.
I think brāhmaṇas have 11 days and śūdras 30 days.
So, the more one has spiritual knowledge,
they may be able to recover.
Now I heard that the head priest of the Guruvāyur temple,
if someone dies in his family,
they wouldn’t tell him.
Because if they told him,
he would have to stop worship for so many days.
So, while he is in the six months as head priest.
He would not hear about any misfortune in his family.
Fixing your mind on guru and Kṛṣṇa, is a matter of spiritual wisdom.
Category: [Emotions / Stress/Anxiety], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead)], [Sādhanā / Philosophical questions]
Questioner: Sivaprasad (Sheltered)
Date: 2022-09-10
Jayapatākā Swami: Sambandha, abhideya and prayojana are the three things to be remembered.
If we are engaged in abhideya in devotional service, then naturally our relationship with guru and Kṛṣṇa is strong.
If we are not engaged in devotional service, then there is somewhat distance.
So the solution for that is to engage in devotional service.
Questioner: Rasapriya Gopikā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: Well there are two parts to your question.
One, how do I know if my service is pleasing to guru?
If we are doing something which he has asked us to do,
then it is usually pleasing to him.
If we are doing something which is for our authorities requested us to do
and it doesn’t go in contradiction with anything that guru told us;
and that something that is completely against our nature,
then usually it is very pleasing.
If it is something that is against our nature;
but it is something that is urgently needed;
and sometimes by fulfilling that one gets some special mercy from the guru.
What was the second part?
If our services are not pleasing does it affect our taste in chanting?
If you do not carry out the order of your guru,
then that is the third offence to the holy name
and naturally that will be something that hampers our tastes.
Category: [Sādhanā / Sevā], [Sādhanā / Philosophical questions], [Sādhanā / Chanting (Japa)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Gaurāṇga], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Guru (Spiritual Master)]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-09-02
Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, it is good to feel like that.
Rādhārāṇī feels She is not doing enough, as much as She could.
But we think that She is 100% best,
but She is thinking what more I should do?
That is the Kṛṣṇa conscious attitude.
Not that, oh! I am doing everything I can.
Then we won’t try to do more.
If we cannot think of how to increase, you could also always ask what more can I do?
Or if you have some idea, then you can suggest, can I do this, will this be pleasing?
We always should be eager to do something more for Kṛṣṇa.
Parents, your children ever come up and say, mom dad, can I do some service for you? Ha!
You think, what do they want from me! Ha!
But actually if they don’t want anything that would be super!
If you think what more you could do and you want permission, then suggest that.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-05-13
Jayapatākā Swami: I am trying to convince many of my senior disciples to take up the service of dīkṣā-guru.
And when I do that, then except in some cases I may stop giving initiation except for those who have taken shelter.
So people who have taken shelter I will give them.
Those who took initiation, they have already taken.
As of now, I have not yet stopped.
Still, sometime I may stop.
So, better chant 16 rounds and take shelter.
Category: [Dīkṣā (Initiation)], [Guru (Spiritual Master)]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-04-27
Jayapatākā Swami: Many people ask this question.
This is one thing that every disciple, every devotee has to choose.
After some time, I will stop initiating.
But at the present time I am still taking.
But who you will choose, is truly up to you.
Who you think Kṛṣṇa is speaking thru to you.
And many gurus, they can be your śikṣā-gurus.
You have to choose one as your dīkṣā-guru.
So, dīkṣā-guru has the responsibility to take care of your karma.
And you can pray to Śrīla Prabhupāda, you can pray to the Deities,
to reveal to you who your guru is.
Questioner: Phaneśvarī Lakṣmī devī dāsī, San Diego
Date: 2023-09-01
Jayapatākā Swami: You can take from any pure devotee.
Because if you take that of a guest or someone and you get sick that is not very auspicious.
But even if we get sick taking from some pure devotee that is glorified.
So, the prasāda or mahā-prasāda can be taken from someone, even if he is not your dīkṣā-guru.
Thank you Phaneśvarī Lakṣmī devī dāsī.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Prasāda and Bhoga]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-12-05
Jayapatākā Swami: May be good fortune, I don’t know.
One of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s servants gave me a set of beads to chant on.
I was practicing yoga before that.
So I sat in the ardha-padmāsana and started meditating and chanting
and I chanted six hours nonstop.
I was chanting 32 rounds or something.
And I was feeling so much ecstasy,
I never felt that in the yoga practice.
So I was convinced that Kṛṣṇa consciousness works.
The secretary was waiting for me to come back.
He asked, “Do you still have those beads?”
I said, “Yes!” “Those are Śrīla Prabhupāda’s beads” he said!
But he said he was not supposed to give that to anyone, but I did not know it at that time.
So he took the beads back from me.
Next day was not quite the same!
But I had a glimpse!
Category: [Gauḍīya History / Śrīla Prabhupāda], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Pastimes]
Questioner: Dīpadātri Gaurāṅgī devī dāsī
Date: 2022-08-04
So, anyway, we would like to see everybody
chant Hare Kṛṣṇa
and engage in devotional service.
Lord Nityānanda is the original guru.
So the spiritual master
is naturally in connection with Lord Nityānanda.
So it is not so difficult to get guru-kṛpā
and if one tries to get guru-kṛpā,
by preaching, by giving Kṛṣṇa
to the conditioned souls,
Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā 18th chapter
that those who preach
this message of Mine,
they are the dearest to Me.
So naturally,
we get the kṛpā.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Mercy]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-14
Jayapatākā Swami: Some people, they have some inclination to someone.
If one cannot understand, they can take them as their śikṣā-guru
and amongst the śikṣā-gurus they can decide who will be their dīkṣā-guru.
Otherwise, I have 15 questions and one can ask themselves and thus choose who is their dīkṣā-guru.
So if you have the Jayapatākā Swami App I can send those questions out.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-10-18
Jayapatākā Swami: You see the spiritual maser is supposed to be very dear to Lord Nityānanda.
And he gives Lord Nityānanda’s mercy.
By Lord Nityānanda Prabhu’s mercy
we get the mercy of Rādhārāṇī.
And Rādhārāṇī is very hard to approach.
But Nitāi-Gaura, They are more easy to approach.
The spiritual master is easier.
Now śrī śrīla and śrīmān.
Śrī, is the goddess of fortune,
we put śrī in front of someone’s name it means someone is very auspicious.
Śrīman is usually used for someone junior,
who is very - sometimes Śrīla Prabhupāda would address with śrīman in the name.
I don’t know the actual dictionary meaning, I am not a Sanskrit scholar.
Just, I have seen it used,
and śrīla is apparently used for someone who is like a guru or a very elevated devotee.
Sometimes the guru is called an ācārya like Śrīla Prabhupāda, He is śrī-śrīmad,
His Divine Grace.
You can ask a Sansrkit scholar, and they can give more of the meaning.
But actually, that is how I see it has been used.
Hare Kṛṣṇa! Thank you very much!
He is saying I should say something about the Dallas congregation and temple.
I think the congregation is very nice!
We saw the devotees at the Ratha-yātrā yesterday, I was very impressed
by their enthusiasm!
Something I did not understand, what DIY mean?
Someone told me oh, it is Do It Yourself!
Anyway, very nice to see the devotees.
I know Bengali if someone wants to speak in Bengali,
I know a little Hindi and I can speak in Hindi with you.
I have been living in India since 1970
and I joined in 1968.
I saw every temple in ISKCON in 1968,
all three!
San Francisco, New York, and Montreal.
After that there are so many temples.
So now it is not possible to see all the temple.
Of course, I have seen quite a few.
I have been given a lifetime Gold by United Star Alliance
and American and from British Airways, lifetime Emerald.
So I visited all the temples around.
But I was thinking I have not seen all of them.There are about 800 or a thousand now,
it not so easy.
But I thought we should call all the temples which were started by by Śrīla Prabhupāda, he did 108, we should call them as śrīpāṭs.
Like Dallas, should be śrīpāṭ Dallas.
These Deities were worshiped by Śrīla Prabhupāda.
They are very special.
This temple was established by Śrīla Prabhupāda.
There may be about a thousand now and in the future, there may be tens of thousands of temples
but there were 108 established by Śrīla Prabhupāda
and this is one of them.
We would like all the devotees to stay as part of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
and take advantage of the mercy of Rādhā-Kālacāndajī and Nitāi-Gaura and Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Pastimes], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī]
In the third canto when Brahmājī becomes very pleased with Kardama Muni’s service, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in the purport that the disciple should get the instructions from the master and execute it word by word. I understand that in terms of sādhana chanting, reading, following regulative principles, that needs to be done. So how much devotees should have their own initiative in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because we may or may not have the association of the spiritual master?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-08-16
Jayapatākā Swami: How many people here have the Jayapatākā Swami App?
How many read it regularly?
I put up daily things on the Jayapatākā Swami App.
And that way you can have your association with me as closely as you associate with your mobile phone.
I see people talking on their mobile phones often.
They can see the App rather.
I don’t know.
Also, someone told me that I should ask Śrīla Prabhupāda a question.
I should glorify Śrīla Prabhupāda,
humble myself
and ask a question and blessings.
So I was doing that every day.
And then it became like a ritual.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are all merciful,
Śrīla Prabhupāda, I am very fallen.
I want to serve you eternally,
life after life.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, he said one day, why do you want to make me come back?
I thought I was saying the right thing.
Then I said, I want to serve you even life after life.
If I don’t make it back to Godhead then I want to serve you here.
Questioner: Rasasindhu Śacīsuta dāsa:
Date: 2022-08-05
Jayapataka Swami: As far as benefit of taking initiation directly or virtually,
if you feel initiated you feel connected to the guru, that is what counts.
Śrīla Prabhupāda had initiated many devotees by letter.
And now sometimes due to the pandemic we have initiations virtually.
So, if the spiritual master is accepting you, you are accepting him, then what is the difference?
Link: 20220221 Īśvara Purī Instructs His Disciple Nimāi Paṇḍita to Chant and Preach Kṛṣṇa-Nāma, Part 1
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Technology], [Dīkṣā (Initiation)], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-09-01
Jayapatākā Swami: Is that in the verse today?
Questions should be especially on the verses today.
If anyone has any doubt or question on the verses today, otherwise it will just open up to anything.
You have a question on the verse? I chastised you! Ha! Ha!
So I answered your question.
Ha! Ha! How do you feel? Ha! Ha!
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Mercy]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-10-25
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-02
Jayapatākā Swami: What would you preach if you don’t read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books.
You know, we don’t say that by reading, you do not do any preaching.
But if you don’t read, what do you preach?
Would you speculate something?
It is important to read at least in the beginning.
Śrīla Prabhupāda told me that to get first initiation, I had to read the Bhagavad-gītā ten times.
Then I had these lines marked, one, two, three, four, strike. One, two, three, four, strike.
I read ten times and got my first initiation.
But by reading Bhagavad-gītā ten times I had so much knowledge of the Gītā that I was giving accredited courses in the university.
Although I was a college drop out!
And in the McGill University I gave a course but there was no credit.
So then, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us a test, I got Bhakti-śāstrī.
Recently I want to encourage my disciples, my followers, devotees in general
to read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books.
Then the Māyāpur Institute offered me the honorary degrees,
because I had read the books so many times.
But I thought if I get honorary degree,
then that would not encourage the devotees to read.
I said, no, I will take the test.
And now I have finished the 5th canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I got one more canto to go to get my Bhakti-vaibhava.
After that I will go for the Bhakti-vedānta.
Then I am very glad that I am doing that.
It is nice that if you are reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and are getting tested then you read it more carefully.
But it doesn’t mean I don’t preach.
In fact preaching is going on.
Link: 20221024 Evening Darśana
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-08-25
You
try do that and by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
always praying to the spiritual master, previous ācāryas, Kṛṣṇa,
to be able to do that, that is the principal desire in one’s life,
well by their mercy the impossible can be possible.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Category: [Gauḍīya History / Śrīla Prabhupāda], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Sādhanā / Sevā]
Regarding the dust of the lotus feet of the pure devotee, often we are encouraged to touch the feet of the pure devotee, especially our Gurudeva’s, but then we see that when Guru Mahārāja goes to public places it is not encouraged to let other people touch the lotus feet of Guru Mahārāja, so could you give a bit of an insight into why this distinction is there? Or should we also should be careful?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-09-01
Jayapatākā Swami: When someone touches your feet, they give their karma to you.
And we see that - Śrīla Prabhupāda, actually once the home minister of Bengal, who is in charge of the Police and things,
he went and put his head on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lotus feet,
Brahmānanda wanted to punch him!
Śrīla Prabhupāda stopped him, said it is their culture.
Would have been a big mess to punch the Home Minister!
There are different circumstances.
And we see that some people, they want to touch the feet of the guru.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, when they would touch the feet, he would touch them on the head,
like giving them back the karma ha!
but also they were taking the blessing.
Sometimes the way devotees they prohibit people may be too much.
You have to see the situation.
I saw that in South India and different places, the ladies would pour the water and the husband would touch the lotus feet,
that ladies should not touch a sannyāsīs,
but they are allowed to pour the water.
That was the system that was apparently practiced when Lord Caitanya visited South India.
That the wife would pour the water and the husband would massage it.
So it is very late now.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings]
So, the next generation, I often feel that the kind of affection and loyalty and dedication like a sold-out-servant as all of you are, I feel that is greatly lacking in the next generation, Mahārāja. So, we feel in our generation many people, they get initiated officially and after that they do not feel such a great commitment to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission and in expanding the movement the way. I am sure that your expanding the movement has happened because you are strongly rooted in Śrīla Prabhupāda. So how can the grand disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda have such feelings for him and a sense of belonging with him and thereby a sense of love and dedication for his mission?
Questioner: Rādhe Śyāma Dāsa
Date: 2023-12-05
Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
You see Śrīla Prabhupāda, he gave us the science of bhakti-yoga.
So everyone should read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, attend the Śrīla Prabhupāda daily guru-pūjā.
I mean, what does it take for people to be committed to Śrīla Prabhupāda?
When I first came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we did not have many books.
So Śrīla Prabhupāda said we could read Professor Sanyal’s Teachings of Lord Caitanya
and there was a section on Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
He said that whenever he would think of anything else, he would chant louder.
So I was a new bhakta
and I had so many thoughts.
So I would end up chanting louder and louder!
All the devotees, they went to Śrīla Prabhupāda and said, “This Bhakta Jay, he shouts so loudly while chanting
and we cannot concentrate!”
Śrīla Prabhupāda called me
and he asked me, “Why you chant so loud?”
I told him,
he said, “Hmmm, that is not bad,
but you are disturbing all the other devotees.
So I give you permission to chant in the park.”
That was the pre joggers’ period, now we have many joggers.
I saw birds, and squirrels.
They all heard the holy name when I was shouting!
Anyway, by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy devotional service is so nice
that we start experiencing some bliss
and I don’t think that is a big secret.
Anyone who does Kṛṣṇa consciousness sincerely,
they can also experience bliss!
I have seen some new people
coming and they are very blissful and very happy.
We should be you know, grateful
that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us such a nice process
that works.
It is not a theory or just a faith, it works!
If you do it then you will not regret
it and then you feel grateful
that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us such a wonderful thing.
If he hadn’t come, he hadn’t preached, where would we be today!
I wrote a song yadi prabhupāda nā haita, tabe kī haita.
If there was no Śrīla Prabhupāda, what would there be today?
It is something terrifying,
to think back,
what I was
and what I am today,
what bliss I am experiencing by following Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions.
I think everybody should realize
that what they have
is all due to ultimately Śrīla Prabhupāda starting this movement.
Category: [Emotions / Faith], [Gauḍīya History / Śrīla Prabhupāda], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings / Association (Sādhu-saṅga)]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-01-20
Jayapatākā Swami: Interesting question.
We don’t want to be a kṛpaṇa – a miser.
You are saying how you understand the guru is doing so much for you!
But you don’t feel grateful!
Is that the way to feel?
If someone saves you from a car accident, should you feel grateful?
If someone is saving you from repeated birth and death, should you feel grateful?
If you don’t feel grateful, definitely you should be crying.
If you are not crying, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, you should cry that you are not crying!
And if you are not crying that you are not crying, then you should crying, that you are not crying for crying!
It goes on like that!
Category: [Anarthās], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Mercy]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-07-07
Jayapatākā Swami: First we should read all the translations and purports of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
They are what inspires me.
And what I know, is simply by the mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-09-23
So dīkṣā means…
Once they surrender to Kṛṣṇa and say, “Kṛṣṇa my life is Yours.
I want to serve You eternally.”
The way that one does that is through Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotee.
One has to surrender to a devotee of Kṛṣṇa as a spiritual master,
and accept initiation, and serve that spiritual master following his instruction as being the absolute representative of Kṛṣṇa.
So, initiation we give normally after a devotee is in the temple for six months.
A devotee can cook, means he can prepare the thing like cutting vegetables, rolling the chapāti, or making the batter and things like that.
But actually, fire work the putting the thing on the fire, and the final action that should be done by people who are initiated,
when you are offering it to the Deities.
Because this is the [pañca-tantrika] pañcarātrika ruling is there that the someone who is initiated they are able to serve Kṛṣṇa.
They are… there Kṛṣṇa says, “I accept someone who is initiated on My same spiritual level.”
We can’t approach Kṛṣṇa.
We are born human being.
Human being means that’s a material position.
Kṛṣṇa is not human.
He is on transcendental platform.
When we accept dīkṣā that means we accept a new birth, dvijatva.
Second birth means that mother is śāstra, and father is guru.
You see.
Then Kṛṣṇa accepts us that now you are on a spiritual platform.
That time we accept that we are not the body, we are the soul.
Body is only our vehicle, and we are serving in this way.
So all these thing are many implications for dīkṣā.
Dīkṣā also means to become a śiṣya.
Śiṣya means to follow the discipline of the guru.
Category: [Dīkṣā (Initiation)], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship]
Questioner: Golokapriya Gaurāṅgī devī dāsī
Date: 2023-07-07
Jayapatākā Swami: Since the guru is a pure devotee, always thinking of his guru and Kṛṣṇa,
therefore by thinking of the spiritual master,
one can also achieve Kṛṣṇa.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Material Sufferings / Death], [Sādhanā / Philosophical questions]
Questioner: Kackulī Rāṇī
Date: 2022-09-21
Jayapatākā Swami: It depends on how bad he is
and if he is slightly offensive or fully offensive.
We don’t want liberation by the impersonal method,
and that is something we reject.
I don’t know what type of liberation that person gets.
So the guru is giving instructions to help us
so that we can achieve the spiritual perfection
and we should appreciate what the spiritual master tells us.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-09-22
Jayapatākā Swami: What is real compassion?
You know, the mercy given out
which actually regenerates the relationship with Kṛṣṇa,
that is really the highest compassion.
Because we read how different Purāṇas,
someone does some particular sacrifice
(isn’t tomorrow Ekādaśī?)
Pāpamocani Ekādaśī.
So by observing Ekādaśī, by doing some penance,
one may get freed of all the sinful reactions.
So, if someone they worship some devas,
they go to svarga
but for a devotee
svarga is like a ghoḍa-dīm – horse’s egg.
Horse doesn’t produce egg!!
So a kind of an ākāśa-puṣpa,
a flower in the sky
that one is in the heavenly planet for some years
and then one comes down.
So that is not kind of permanent benediction.
So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
tells us about the permanent relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
And that allows us to have an eternal life.
And what pleases me the most?
I am most pleased
when devotees develop pure love for Kṛṣṇa.
Haribol!
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Mercy]
Questioner: Lalitāṅgī Rādhā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-10-04
Jayapatākā Swami: That is why we offer daily guru-pūjā
and on the Vyāsa-pūjā we offer the puṣpāñjali three times.
That way we pray that we may be forgiven for any knowing or unknowing offences.
Category: [Aparādha (Offenses)], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Sādhanā / Technicalities]
Questioner: Akshay, Vadodara
Date: 2022-10-15
I feel very grateful for all that Śrīla Prabhupāda did for me
and so to repay him I try to preach.
And in 2008 I had a stroke.
And the right side of my body is not paralyzed fully but paresis, partially paralyzed.
And the left side of my face.
But the teachings of Lord Caitanya are very blissful.
It says that normal people if they eat grains and milk, you get strong,
but for devotees even if you have one drop of nectar
then you feel so much energy.
Lord Caitanya gives this nectar.
We hope that your visit to Māyāpur was very nice.
This is known as audārya-dhāma,
the merciful dhāma.
Vṛndāvana is mādhurya-dhāma, very sweet.
Jagannātha Purī and Dvārakā are aiśvarya-dhāmas,
very opulent.
This is the place to have mercy
and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa but He is in the mood of devotee, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
So that is why it is the special mercy we get
and we want to serve Lord Caitanya and Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-03-15
Jayapatākā Swami: What pleases me the most? Pleasing Śrīla Prabhupāda! Ha! Ha!
He asked me to distribute books,
expand the congregation,
to expand Kṛṣṇa consciousness pracāra unlimitedly,
to develop Māyāpur Dhām,
to unite the Saraswat family,
to develop Navadvīpa-dhāma,
to develop Gaura Maṇḍala Bhūmī,
and many other things.
So you can do any of these things,
which one will you do?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-19
Jayapatākā Swami: Naturally, we should serve the spiritual master as the representative of his guru, the guru-paramparā and Kṛṣṇa.
So, in this way Kṛṣṇa is watching
and how we satisfy our spiritual master
that Kṛṣṇa sees.
He blesses accordingly.
Now how to develop proper attitude.
It happens naturally as we progress in our spiritual life.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-19
Jayapatākā Swami: You see, Śrīla Prabhupāda called me to LA,
at that time I was in Toronto,
and he told me that he would send me to India
as soon as Acyutānanda had his own place.
I went and opened up the Chicago temple,
along with Bhagavān dāsa.
Then I was called up and Śrīla Prabhupāda told me to go to India.
I flew to London
and then I went to India.
I arrived in Calcutta,
but Acyutānanda did not have his own place.
So for some time, we were staying in the Gauḍīya Maṭha.
And then we found our own place.
Śrīla Prabhupāda flew in from Japan
and he went to that place in South Calcutta.
After a while Śrīla Prabhupāda said he had given sannyāsa to nine devotees in LA.
He asked Acyutānanda and myself, if we wanted to take sannyāsa.
At that time, I thought it was a very glorious thing!
I still think
but I see it is very difficult to be a sannyāsī in the West.
I was fortunate that I was in India!
Where it was not so difficult.
Anyway on Rādhāṣṭamī day Śrīla Prabhupāda gave Acyutānanda and myself sannyāsa.
He said Acyutānanda was the 10th sannyāsī and I was the 11th.
Now I think I am the oldest sannyāsī still alive.
Basically, that is what happened.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-09-17
That is our connection with our spiritual master,
to serve him
and carry out his instructions,
the vāṇī-sevā.
It is definitely very difficult
but there is nothing else we can do.
We have to keep our connection with the spiritual master,
by carrying out his instructions, his vāṇī,
and this way we will be connected with our spiritual master.
Category: [Sādhanā / Sevā], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Spiritual World / Dhāma], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Guru (Spiritual Master)]
Yesterday we saw while you were reading the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you were experiencing extreme such separation even while reading, from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Kṛṣṇa. We could tell from just what was going on. In addition to that you were experiencing extreme physical pain and today in the medical meeting you mentioned that you are missing Gaura, Kṛṣṇa and that you are also missing Śrīla Prabhupāda. How are you able to handle such seeming diametric feelings, all at once?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-10-25
Jayapatākā Swami: Just like when the lady climbed on Lord Caitanya’s shoulder holding the Garuḍa-stambha,
then Lord Caitanya said that Lord Jagannātha has not blessed Me with such eagerness.
So, He was praying that this lady would give Him blessing
so He would have so much eagerness to see the Lord.
I don’t have so much intense separation,
that I am surviving
is due to my lack of intense love for Kṛṣṇa.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
I will try to take lunch early and come for my evening class earlier
so that everybody can take rest early!
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-10
Jayapatākā Swami: You see having a material body includes having disease and old age.
And I asked Śrīla Prabhupāda once, should we desire to live for a long time?
He said why do you want to live old age
because old age means lot of trouble.
I have many disciples.
So I have to take their karma.
So, although the doctors said that I had zero chance of survival,
I am still here!
And unfortunately, not every disciple follows all the rules that they vow to follow.
So, I have the opportunity to serve my spiritual master,
I am very happy with that.
And since the stroke and since the other diseases,
I also have a liver and a kidney transplant,
I got cancer
although that was cured.
So I am still in the war.
I asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, “What I should do.
My father wanted to turn me down to the Vietnam war draft.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “Better than serving the American army, serve in Kṛṣṇa’s Army!”
And I came to India, he told me to be an Indian citizen.
So I have been an Indian citizen since 1978.
So that is going on.
So we all have to die,
eventually that happens to everybody.
I want to take as many people as possible back to the spiritual world!
Haribol!
I need your help!
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-20
Jayapatākā Swami: This is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy that I am living in Māyāpur dhāma.
And I had a lot of service to Kṛṣṇa.
I engrossed myself totally in that service.
I had no time to think of Māyā.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said, I am giving you the spiritual world, now develop it.
That is why I had a lot of service.
If we have service, then that helps.
Most of the people will become gṛhasthas.
You have to be in one place
then with family, children, you have to give them association.
But Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me sannyāsa at a young age. He told me that being a sannyāsī I have to travel.
I was in Māyāpur and then I toured the world.
Some years I travelled around the world 5 or 6 times in one year.
This way the British Airways and United Airways gave me Life Gold card.
So I can go by plane.
But this is for Kṛṣṇa’s service.
As I had so much service, there was no time for Māyā for me.
Those who work and stay in a place, they should get married to a devotee girl.
Those who stay as a brahmacārī in the temple and do there then they can stay that way.
It depends on their service.
And their nature.
Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me so much service that I have no time for anything else.
How will I accomplish these services that is my worry.
Śrīla Prabhupāda had told me that I should distribute 10,000 Mahā-big books and 100,000 small books every month.
Now I have to see how many books were distributed in all my zones.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said that the Sārasvata family should be united.
And develop the Navadvīpa dhāma parikramā, he said.
And develop the Gaura-maṇḍala Bhūmi he said.
Lots of service.Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me so much service that I don’t have time for anything else.
Category: [Emotions / Enthusiasm], [Gauḍīya History / Śrīla Prabhupāda], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Varṇāśrama / Sannyāsī]
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-09-01
Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, we have to desire to be there.
We also have to do favorable devotional service.
The two things together, I mean it is Kṛṣṇa’s causeless mercy
that there is nothing we can do that will deserve that.
But if we desire and engage in devotional service then Kṛṣṇa, if He pleases will give His mercy.
Sometimes Śrīla Prabhupāda said that Rādhārāṇī would say to Kṛṣṇa, this is a very nice devotee.
If Rādhārāṇī indicates that Kṛṣṇa should give His mercy,
then He will do it.
So that is why we say it is causeless mercy.
There is nothing we can do that actually we would deserve it.
We try and if Kṛṣṇa gives us the causeless mercy, we can have it.
Category: [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Gaurāṇga], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Pastimes], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Spiritual World / Dhāma]
- Anarthās
- - Apasampradāya
- - Bad association
- - Māyā
- - Māyāvāda / Impersonalism
- - Sinful activities
- Aparādha (Offenses)
- - Nāma-aparādha
- - Vaiṣṇava-aparādha
- Day-to-day Life
- - Children
- - Education
- - Food
- - Health
- - Married life
- - Parents
- - Relatives
- - Technology
- - Workplace
- Devotee Care
- Dīkṣā (Initiation)
- Emotions
- - Anger
- - Confusion
- - Enthusiasm
- - Envy
- - Faith
- - Fault-finding
- - Greed
- - Happiness
- - Humility
- - Hypocrisy
- - Lust
- - Pride
- - Sloth
- - Sorrow
- - Stress/Anxiety
- Festivals
- - Sāka-Festival
- Gauḍīya History
- - Gauḍīya maṭḥa
- - ISKCON
- - Śrīla Prabhupāda
- Guru (Spiritual Master)
- - Dīkṣā-guru
- - Guru Disciple Relationship
- - Guru-paramparā
- - Śikṣā-guru
- Holy Rivers
- - Gaṅgā
- Jayapatākā Swami
- Karma
- - Desires
- Kṛṣṇa (Godhead)
- - Gaurāṇga
- - Kṛṣṇa's Incarnations
- - Pastimes
- - Spiritual World / Dhāma
- - Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī
- Material Sufferings
- - Death
- Material World
- - Demigods
- - Demons
- - Guṇas / Modes
- - Kali yuga
- - Mind / Intelligence
- Mercy
- Other philosophies
- - Christianity
- - Islam
- - Jainism
- - Western Science / Western Philosophy
- Prasāda and Bhoga
- - Onion and Garlic
- Sādhanā
- - Book distribution
- - Chanting (Japa)
- - Diet
- - Maṅgala-ārati
- - Philosophical questions
- - Preaching
- - Reading / Śāstra
- - Regulative Principles
- - Sevā
- - Technicalities
- - Time Management
- Saṁskāras
- - Anna-prāśna
- - Antima-saṁskāras
- - Garbhadhāna
- - Upanayanam
- Śrī Caitanya-līlā
- - Lord Caitanya
- Vaiṣṇava Dealings
- - Association (Sādhu-saṅga)
- - Cooperation
- - Etiquette / Sadācāra
- - Vaiṣṇava-qualities
- Varṇāśrama
- - Brahmacārī
- - Changing Āśrama
- - Gṛhastha
- - Sannyāsī
- - Vānaprastha
- Vigraha Āradhana (Deity Worship)
- - Home Deity Worship
- - Temple Deity Worship
- Vratās (Austerities)
- - Bhīṣma-Pañcaka-vratā
- - Ekādaśī-vratā
- - Kārtika-māsa-vratā
- - Puruṣottama-māsa-vratā
- Women
- - Protection
- Yet To Categories
- Youth