20190219 Question and Answer Session

The following is a question and answer session given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 19th February 2019, in Kolkota, India.

So today we are broadcasting from Kolkata, the birthplace of Śrīla Prabhupāda. We left this morning from Chennai. It was a heartbreaking experience. We had been in Chennai for one year, more or less, and through the thick and thin of various ordeals of my health, they have always been there helping us. And, sometimes we were visited by Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, Rādhānātha Swami and Anuttama Prabhu and Rukmiṇī devī dāsī, Bhakti Cāru Swami and many others. So the devotees of Chennai were so wonderful! That, It is was very hard to say “Goodbye!” At the same time, I was eager to get back to Māyāpur, so I had mixed emotions, of separation from such nice devotees, and eagerness to go before Pañca-tattva, Rādhā-Mādhava Aṣṭa-sakhīs, Prahlāda Narasiṁha and Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā. Go before Prabhupāda’s Puṣpa-samādhi, and to see Sīmantinī devī and Lord Caitanya and Gaurāṅga. And the nine islands of Navadvīpa island – Sīmantadvīpa, Madhyadvīpa, Godrumdvīpa, Koladvīpa, Ṛtudvīpa, Jāhnudvīpa, Modadrumadvīpa, Rudradvīpa and Antardvīpa.

So now we flew from Chennai to Kolkata, and when we arrived in Kolkata some devotees were on the same flight as we were. And they were disciples from the UK, who had been diverted to Chennai and rescheduled on the flight to Kolkata. But it was fairly quiet a bit good inside the airport. But as soon as we went outside, there were around 100 or thousand or more like so many devotees, chanting, dancing, raising their hands, crying out even the police were frustrated about what to do. They got a rope out to make a barricade and keep them back. Since, for the first year after my operation I should be very careful, not to get any infection, as it could be very serious. So on the one hand the caretakers were trying to keep the mob away, and on the other hand, they were so enthusiastic as they had not seen me for one year! Some were jumping with joy, some were crying, it was a very emotional occasion. I don’t know if pictures have been uploaded about this. I haven’t seen the Facebook as yet. But somehow or another I got into the car and then people came out all around the car, sides, front and gradually the car went through the crowd. And so now I have reached my destination which we are not disclosing because we don’t want people coming here.

So this is the birthplace of Śrīla Prabhupāda, the birth city. At one time they wanted to close Calcutta temple because it was difficult and then Prabhupāda wrote, “You cannot close the temple at my birthplace.” That this temple has to stay open. And so, Prabhupāda indicated that this temple must be a gateway to Māyāpur and it is very important. So some devotees are seeing through the new temple’s land, some are preaching from the existing temple which was Prabhupāda’s residence and pastime place. And, then in the future we have some land but we want to procure more at the birthplace. So this is a part of the Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. That was sung – gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yebā jāne cintāmaṇi, tā'ra haya vraja-bhūmi-vāsa. The Gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi is a transcendental place and those who realize this, they are actually residents of Vṛndāvana.

So we are staying here for the night and going tomorrow morning to Māyāpur. So that is my report for today. And I don’t have the notes of the Caitanya book, so I can’t give you a normal class. If you have some questions, you can send them up by internet and we will see what the questions are.

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Question: Siddhāntamaṇi Prabhupāda dāsa: If a devotee who is initiated falls down due to enjoying sense gratification and breaks his regulative principles and has lost the holy name and Vaiṣṇava devotees, how can such devotee advance in his devotional life ahead and what is his duty towards his spiritual master and how can he be sincere enough to get back to kṛṣṇa-prema and serve Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions again?

Jayapatākā Swami: If one is initiated and breaks the principles, they are guilty of one of the offences to the holy name disrespecting the order of the spiritual master. So there is no higher atonement than devotional service. So in that case one should repent for their misdeed and then again take up the practice of devotional service, as sincerely as possible, and gradually they can regain their status. But, of course they have ceased their progress for some time, but they can start again and there is no other way recommended by the śāstras.

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Question: What is the qualification to receive kṛṣṇa-prema from Nityānanda Prabhu?

Jayapatākā Swami: It is not by any material qualification, neither BA, MA or Ph.D, not by any kind of money, not by any good karma, it doesn’t hurt to try to serve Lord Nityānanda serve Lord Caitanya and His mercy is causeless! That whatever you are doing will not be sufficient to be worthy of getting His blessings. But He gives His blessings freely without considering the good and bad qualities. If you want His blessings, you are more likely to get it. But He even gives His mercy to those who didn’t want His blessings. Like Jagāi and Mādhāi.

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Question: How do we inspire western bodied contacts to take up process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa daily? From Pratapamaya Nitāi dāsa.

Jayapatakā Swami: You see, there is no stereotype or standard answer that works for all. Everybody is an individual. So we have to adapt for each individual and give them what they are looking for. The answers that they seek. That is why Prabhupāda said that it takes buckets of blood to make one devotee. It is not one thing for Indian devotee this thing and that thing for western devotee, it is not easy. You have to understand where each devotee is coming from, what questions they have, what desires they have and how these are all insignificant compared to getting the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, compared to serving the Lord. So there are many preaching programs which help people to understand the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How it applies in their life. So, If you can apply to the person’s life, then they would be more likely to try it out. But that goes for all people – east, west, north, south. If you know a little bit about them, that will help. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

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Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Gurudeva! We preach to people. Some people take up and many people go away. How to be detached from the results of preaching. How to understand that the spiritual master pleased with our efforts. - Susevinī Guru Gaurāṅga devī dāsī

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa is in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, or Paramātmā, the Christians know as the Holy Ghost. So, one is actually talking through the Paramātmā in the heart of the living entity and to the Spirit Soul. So with the help of the Paramātmā we want to help the jīva to get out his illusion. The word preaching has kind of a negative connotation. The word in Sanskrit or Bengali is pracāra, pracāra means to glorify the Lord and the process of His devotional service. It means how to encourage someone to take up devotional service. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda Ṭhākura said that there is no scarcity in the material world, only scarcity is devotional service. Everywhere you see this scarcity. People work so hard to win some athletic competition, they work so hard to get some academic degree, they work very hard to get a raise. But actually even if a little effort they give to serve Kṛṣṇa, they would actually be able to perfect their lives. Who remembers the one athletic event five years ago? And some people leave and some people break their bones and die, but if we render some devotional service we never lose the result, it stays with us life after life. But all the things we achieve in this material world, the material things we achieve this life we leave behind us. Say we earn millions of dollars; we cannot take one paisa to the next birth or one cent. But any devotional service you do,it stays to your credit. If you have enough credit, you leave this material world and go back to the spiritual world where you can serve the Lord constantly, where there is no birth, death, old age or disease. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

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Last question.

Rasa Gopāla dāsa: (Comment) We are very, grateful to have your darśana after long travelling, please Guru Mahārāja have good rest because tomorrow is a long day. Waiting for you at Māyāpur.

Jayapatākā Swami: Oh! Ha! That means I have to take rest very soon! This is my first flight after a long time!

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Question from Vaikuṇṭha Nitāi dāsa: (Jayapatākā Swami: Oh, Vaikuṇṭha Nitāi!) Is this the longest time you have not been in Māyāpur since your first arrival? Your Servant, Vaikuṇṭha Nitāi dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: I think so. I had many trips but I would always go back to Māyāpur after 2 or 3 months or shorter. In this time, I was away for one year. I wonder what offense I did, it kept me out the dham out for one year. I hope the devotees in Māyāpur are very careful, not to commit any offense, especially to Vaiṣṇavas and each others which is displeasing to Kṛṣṇa. Thank you all.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma,
Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.