20230920 Question and Answer Session

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Question by Kṛṣṇa Caraṇa dāsa: How do we realize getting sick as Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy?

Jayapatākā Swami: When we get physically sick, how do we realize this as Lord Kṛṣṇa’s causeless mercy? Practically, not theoretically. So, the Lord gives us the feasibility study somehow, we are all subjected to sickness. Ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika - these things are part of material life. Sometimes our body and mind give us sickness. Sometimes a living entities mosquitos, flies give us sickness. Sometimes the hotness, the dryness, excessive droughts, the frustration of the material life cause us some suffering. So how do we realize this transcendental vibration? In the material world one sometimes chants the name of Nityānanda – Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda! Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda! Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda! Gaurāṅga! So instead of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa they chant Gaurāṅga Nityānanda! And they chant this on their mālā. Even they chant 16 rounds. But Śrīla Prabhupāda said that the mahā-mantra Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is to be chanted on the japa-mālā beads. So, one should chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra on the beads.

Question in Bengali: If someone disrespects the guru at some stage, what is the way to make amends for that offence? Is there any possibility of him getting back into devotional service?

Jayapatākā Swami: This is a question on the Bengali Facebook page. There is a lot of speculation, but we should chant the mahā-mantra there. Some people chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and so that is where this kind of question comes from. One should chant on the japa-mālā. If he offends the guru then he should in a humble state of mind ask for forgiveness from guru and Kṛṣṇa. If one is very offensive, then he should in a humble state of mind ask for forgiveness from the spiritual master. Like Śrīmatī Śacī Devī, she had committed an offence to His Grace Advaita Gosāñī. So Lord Caitanya told her to touch Advaita Gosāñī’s lotus feet and in this way she got forgiven. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Question from Nitāi: Dear spiritual father. Is it necessary to take permission from mentors or senior Vaiṣṇavas to approach the spiritual master in needed times?

Jayapatākā Swami: You can always ask the spiritual master some question, and for that you do not need to ask permission. Unless you have a question that you are going to ask which is not normal. Then you humbly ask that question, just as a precaution.