20201203 Question and Answer Session

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Dilip, Bengaluru: When our authority misunderstands us, how to deal with that devotee so that we don’t lose our relation? Please throw some light on this Guru Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: Yesterday I sent a video out, “What if you are treated bad”. Have you seen that video? I mean authorities are very pleased if you offer to do some sevā. Normally, people don’t ask, “Do you have some service for me?” So, you can offer your apology if there is any misunderstanding. I don’t know if it is possible to explain the situation. But anyway, if you ask him, “Give me some sevā!” then I think the problem will be solved. And then when the opportunity comes, then you can explain it to him that you simply intended to serve Kṛṣṇa or something. I don’t know how you are being misunderstood. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Jayarāseśvarī devī dāsī: Thank you very much for the nectarean class. It was a revelation to hear the Śivāṣṭakam as recited by Lord Caitanya. But we don’t seem to recite in our temples, nor do we celebrate Śivarātri in our temples highlighting this. Please correct me if I am wrong Guru Mahārāja and enlighten us.

Jayapatākā Swami: Here in Māyāpur we celebrate Śivarātri at the Jagannātha temple and I pray to Lord Śiva every day. Since he is the protector of the holy dhāma of Navadvīpa. Without his mercy we cannot enter into Navadvīpa dhāma. But I don’t think that temples that are in ISKCON sufficiently understand the glories of Lord Śiva. Of course, he is not equal to Kṛṣṇa, that thing is emphasized. But that he is the greatest devotee is also there in the 12^th canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So that will be a nice thing if devotees would understand that. And one of the four Vaiṣṇava paramparās is started by Lord Śiva – Brahmā, Lakṣmī, Śiva and the four Kumāras.

Aruṇakānti Gaurāṅga dāsa: Bengali: If there is a fight between Vaiṣṇavas, then what should the senior devotees do to unite them? Please bless me that I stay away from committing any Vaiṣṇava aparādhā.

Jayapatākā Swami: We are thinking that to be a manager, one should learn how to counsel and resolve disputes. So, in a nutshell, the secret is to have each person see the thing from the other’s point of view. In this way, they understand the solution themselves. Thank you Aruṇakānti Gaurāṅga for your question.

Keyā Rāṇī: If any of our relatives leave their body, for how many days should we observe and not touch the altar? As I am not initiated, how many days should I observe and how many days should an initiated disciple observe. Please enlighten me.

Jayapatākā Swami: So it depends. A sannyāsī does not have to go through this, the days of aśuci. And I think that for Vaisnavas, generally it is 11 days. But if there is no one to do the worship and it is an emergency, then emergency knows no rules. It is like a mother who has to take care of her baby. She will not leave the baby to fast for eleven days. So, if there is no one else to do the worship, then you have to do it in our home temple. In the community temple, there may be different rules.

Kṛṣṇa and Samyak: Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, whoever remembers Me, comes back to Me. So, it is already predestined in people’s karma that at the time of death a certain individual may remember Kṛṣṇa and go back to Godhead. Is it a personal choice or free will?

Jayapatākā Swami: That is why we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa all our life. So that we can remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. We heard that remembering Kṛṣṇa and serving Kṛṣṇa, going back to Kṛṣṇa is not a matter of karma. It is a matter of our bhakti and free will. If someone thinks that at the time of death, we are not practiced thinking about Kṛṣṇa, they might think of anything else who knows? “Oh no! Who will feed my dog? Oh! My cat! She has to have her milk.” That is karma. So, we should try to remember Kṛṣṇa and naturally at the time of death we remember Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmahari Śrīnivāsa dāsa: When we have done some sinful acts before we came into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whenever we come across someone showing that act and showing our mistake, how to take it? But now I am in a great movement, doing all services, and doing my regular sādhana and following all your instructions and in the association of devotees. Please help me how to face these incidents and become stronger in my sādhana?

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya said that no one should hold Jagāi Mādhāi responsible for the sinful acts they performed previously. They should not judge them on that. Because now that they have accepted devotional service, they have become very dear to Kṛṣṇa. So, whatever we did before, when we take initiation, that gets naturally forgiven. Also, it may be forgiven by practicing other activities like circumambulating tulasī, observing Ekādaśī, Puruṣottama month, Dāmodara month and Bhīṣma-pañcaka.

Lalitāṅgī Rādhā devī dāsī: We understand from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that when Brahmā created Rudra, he found his descendants dangerous and asked him to do penance. We also hear Rudra was initiating a sampradāya. This looks contradictory. Please enlighten us.

Jayapatākā Swami: We see Lord Śiva as a guṇa-avatāra, of the mode of ignorance. So naturally in that aspect he can do things unusual. At the same time we know that his overriding quality is his devotion to Lord Hari. And in this pastime, we read he begged at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa for a place to stay, for forgiveness. Kṛṣṇa was pleased with him and gave him a place to stay in the Śrī Kṣetra. And in Bhubaneswar, which is a part of Śrī Kṣetra.

Lakṣmī Rādhā devī dāsī: I have a question related to chanting japa-mālā. Sometime back at a program while chanting time I did not have my mālā and I was chanting on a counter, clicking. Then someone handed me a japa-mālā. From one of the many malas kept there for devotees to chant and I accepted it. Someone else told me that you being initiated should not chant on any mālā used by other people. Is it really so? Cannot we chant on any japa-mālā in a situation where we don’t have our own. Kindly bless me to develop taste in chanting and taste more.

Jayapatākā Swami: It would be nice if you always had your japa-mālā. I never heard particularly that we cannot chant on other mālās. We know that of course, if someone chants on other malas, they may leave some offence there. That is why we chant the Pañca-tattva mantra first and then we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That should not be a problem. Anyway, in the temple it is not nice to use the counter. I allow disciples to use it when the are driving on the motorway or going on a morning walk. But in the temple they should chant on their beads.

Bhakta Brayan from Bogota, aspiring disciple: How can we take care of the devotees? We see that some devotees come for a time and after they run away. This is very frustrating. Please help me to understand the proper care of the devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: That is why Śrīla Prabhupāda said that to make a devotee it takes buckets of blood. You think what could have done to make the devotee feel at home in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And maybe we could be more caring, more loving, more friendly so even if they run away, they will have good remembrance and maybe they will come back later when they realize that in the material world, there are no friends.

Guru Dayāla dāsa: If some temple there is no president living in the temple, there are temple council members managing. So that area some devotees are not following Deity worship standard, not following rules and regulations. How can we cooperate with them?

Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t understand the relationship between not having a temple president and the temple council. And then some devotee who does not follow the rules and regulations of Deity worship. And he basically is considered to be fallen. We should try to encourage that devotee, we should not take his association, but we should give our association. And try to help him to be more enthusiastic. What else can we do?

Vaikuṇṭha Vijayā devī dāsī: Will we be doing Vaiṣṇava aparādhā knowingly or unknowingly to control that, what do we want to do at that time? Please guide me.

Jayapatākā Swami: In Kali-yuga to think good about Vaiṣṇava, about Kṛṣṇa, if you meant to do some act of charity, donation or devotional service, you will get the benefit. But if you think about some bad thing and you don’t do it, then you will not get the result. So, that is the advantage of Kali-yuga.

Śānta Gopī devī dāsī: Is Lord Śiva as kṣetra-pālaka also applicable for all ISKCON temples?

Jayapatākā Swami: The ISKCON temple if it is a kṣetra, then Śiva is the kṣetrapāla. I don’t know if all the temples are considered to be kṣetras. We heard that a temple may be a śrīpaṭa, and that within a certain radius of the temple is sacred. And 12 śālagrāmas in certain areas, there are certain measurements for that. So we can also offer our respect to Lord Śiva. I don’t know, most ISKCON temples have Lord Śiva or not. But if they do, we offer our respect as the greatest of all Vaiṣṇavas. Hare Kṛṣṇa!