19990401 Question & Answer

Lecture Code: 19990401

Question & Answer Session By

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja

In Sridham Mayapur, India

 

vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca

  sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam

sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devam

sri-radha-Kṛṣṇa-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

 

 

 

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami:

Question: Can anyone be a diksha guru without being a sanyasi?

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

Question: Maharaj please can you clarify the different role service of women and men if there is any? Thank you, Hare Kṛṣṇa!

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami repeats question in bengali)

 

That, according to the Bhagavad Gita and all the vedas that the real personality in the body, the real personality is the spirit soul. That we are not the body, we are not men or women in the higher spiritual sense but we are eternal spirit souls. So every spirit souls has one duty which is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Ever since we have, there’s no particular service that only, basically all services can be done. Maybe there are few formal differences of things that are in the vedas are reserved for women and few things reserved for men primarily. But generally one can do in Kṛṣṇa consciousness almost all these services. What we do is, like now that there should be some, this separation you can say, or this not free mixing between unmarried men and women. Those men who are practicing a brahmachari life like monks that there’s restriction on how much they can associate with women and how. So in Mayapur, since we are in a spiritual city, we have got the ashram for the brahmacharis, we have a ashram for the married people and we have different parts of the community ashram. In the future there will also be more ashram facilities for women in our master plan like retired women and unmarried women.

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

(devotee:) Question: When a guru falls down he leaves ISKCON. What should the disciples do if the supreme authority is the GBC and not in the person? How long they have to wait to take shelter in another guru and is he still connected with Prabhupada or not?

 

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami:

Disciple can immediately as soon as they, regarding time they had faith immediately they can serve senior devotees, they can serve vaishnavas and if they have faith in someone they can also take guidance from that devotee or they can take a shelter depending on the situation of their guru. When one takes initiation, then they are connected with Prabhupada and the guru parampara. It’s considering how there are three things happen when we take initiation, may be more things but three come to mind. One is mentioned in scriptures that there is a transformation like bell metal touching the touchstone becomes gold. So there is a transformation and one begins to become spiritualized by surrendering to the representative of Kṛṣṇa and take initiation and Kṛṣṇa then accepts the devotee as an equal. Subsequently if the representative ceases to represent, but as he was a representative when one took shelter of Kṛṣṇa through him, that shelter would still be there. But also the guru has taken a responsibility personally to take, to guide the disciple and give shiksha. Also he is personally responsible to see the disciple gets back to Kṛṣṇa and he is responsible for the karmas of the disciple if the disciple breaks principles. So there’s a connection to the parampara, there is a blessing of Kṛṣṇa coming down and acceptance by the, there is the personal responsibility of the guru and then there is the guidance of the guru.

 

So the first two things are still there, acceptance by Kṛṣṇa and the blessing from initiation once connected to the parampara. But then that personal guidance of the diksha guru as the siksha guru as well as someone who’s personally taking a more direct active responsibility to help the devotee get back to Kṛṣṇa and being responsible for sheltering that devotee, in that particular our role would become vacant. So there one is connected but the scriptures recommend that we also, we’re supposed to become a servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa and always be serving Kṛṣṇa through the devotee. So that time who is the devotee we are directly serving, usually one may be serving Prabhupada but it’s good to serve a particular devotee who also give us guidance from outside. So that may initially be in just informal service and relationship, they may develop into a siksha relationship where one accepts as a shiksha guru as a representative of Krishna to give guidance. And then eventually may also become where one wants to take shelter and formally offer all the service to that particular guru. It’s no specific time period given in scripture to take the, any other siksha or shelter except in that circumstance. Only thing that in ISKCON if one wanted to take reinitiation or something that one had to wait, be under shelter at least six months. And then only if their guru was not anymore guru or at all would taking a reinitiation be allowed.

 

(devotee:) Question in bengali

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali) Haribol! (laughing)

 

(aside:) How many people don’t here have a translator? It’s not enough translators to go around so I’ll speak both in bengali there’s one.

 

Study was made worldwide who is the richest poorest country, the lowest stand, poorest country Bangladesh was one of them, I forget what number. And in another study who has a most peace of mind in what country? They asked different questions and they found that of all the countries in the world the people, the country where the people have more peace of mind is Bangladesh.

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

When we think that I have more money, I’ll be more peaceful

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

Others, they may think that the question really was how to get rid of this envy when we see someone else has more than we do or something better than we do?

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

So, as a new bhakta, our temple in Montreal in 1968 didn’t have any money. And suddenly the president said everyone go out, get a some temporary job or something. Bring in some money so that we can pay for Prabhupada’s rent because he was there from America, lost his visa, his visa expired for America, so he came to Canada where I was staying at that time. So I got a job as a sweeper in a coffee shop, cleaning up the tables and things. I was a brahmachari, I wore shirt and pants and wore a little hat.

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare! I’m explaining how I was cleaning the floor but inside I was thinking about Prabhupada, I’m doing this as a service for my guru and then I’m sweeping the floor, I’m chanting to myself and I’m very happy and I’m smiling. And this guy is looking at me, he’s a real rich guy, big Mercedes Benz outside and he’s got the Rolex watch, in a fancy suit. He has come there to drink a cup of coffee and he’s looking at me sweep the floor, really happy smiling Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa!

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

I’m very rich! I have a Rolex watch! Beautiful wife! Big car! Big house! I’ve got everything you can want! I got no mental peace! I’m not happy! What are you? You are the scum of the world! You are sweeper in this, in this coffee shop, what do you? Why you’re happy and I’m miserable!

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Same thing happened to me in Kṛṣṇa nagar. I was driving my bicycle to Kṛṣṇa nagar in 1970. One, when in here, Mayapur building when I reached Kṛṣṇa nagar I went into one shop.

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

So for 45 minutes I’m riding my bicycle to the Kṛṣṇa nagar district headquarters. So I’m chanting the whole way and singing so that I’m feeling very happy. When I get down into the shop I’m beaming with happiness in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa while cycling towards the Kṛṣṇa nagar.

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali)

 

You have nothing just a bicycle you are coming here, I’ve got three storied house, beautiful wife, I got money lakhs of rupees in the bank, I have my own private car, why is it you are happy and why is it I am frustrated?

 

(His Holiness Jayapataka Swami answers in bengali) Jai! Haribol!

 

Doesn’t matter east or west if you try to be happy by material things you get frustrated and if you get happy by Kṛṣṇa consciousness then you get very deep spiritual happiness. And even if the material environment is less ideal you feel very satisfied, if you are Kṛṣṇa conscious.

 

(aside:) Now aarti began, everyone should go to sandhya arati. Haribol! More questions later

 

(devotee:) One more question

 

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami:

(aside:) What can I do? I can’t leave the deity waiting

 

Transcribed By: Bhagyavati Subhadra Devi Dasi

Transcribed On: 20 Aug, 2020

 

Proof Reading By: Amrita Padma Devi Dasi

On 14/10/2020

 

Proof Reading by: Medhavini Sakhi Devi Dasi

Completed on 23rd Dec 2020