20250701 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

Haribol! Jaya Jagannātha! Jaya Baladeva! Jaya Subhadrā! Jaya Sudarśana cakra! Jaya to all devotees! Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda! Haribol!

Question: I want to help you in preaching. Please tell me how I can preach the most?

Jayapataka Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda had instructed me to preaching unlimitedly! So, I am not able to do this properly. I need your help! All of you, whoever you meet or go with, preach to them about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s names, His qualities, His pastimes. And to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa! I will try to speak concisely as time is less.

Question: I am very inspired by your life and service attitude to Śrīla Prabhupāda and his mission. I am full of anarthas and material desires. But after seeing the dedication of senior devotees and your sacrifices, now I want to serve you in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission. Please give some advise, how I can assist you even though I have many material desires and anarthas. I need your blessings Mahārāja.

Jayapataka Swami: If you read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and get the degrees – Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedānta – I have all of these degrees! Many ideas are given for preaching in these courses. How people accept what you are saying, that is important.

Question: Can we observe vānaprastha-āśrama staying at home? If it is possible, how we should practically implement it?

Jayapataka Swami: That is a big question. Gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. After remaining in the house with your wife for many years, if with your wife you decide to accept vānaprastha, which means four levels of vānaprastha. First three levels are husband and wife together. They can go to different holy places together or engage in different services of Kṛṣṇa together, but with complete self-control. In the fourth stage the husband can, like brahmacārīs, take up saffron robes. And then, after that will not lie down with the wife.

Question: How will I understand that I have advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in devotional service or not? What are the symptoms? I have mentally offended you as well, please forgive me.

Jayapataka Swami: I had told in my last class the stages of devotional service, how to gradually advance. If you follow that, you will understand which level you are on. Especially the level after initiation. That is anartha-nivṛtti. Trying to get rid of unwanted bad habits. So this way you can understand easily what stage you are in. The Nectar of Devotion explains this very elaborately.

Question: You never miss reading Śrīla Prabhupāda books even after having so many services and responsibilities. I also made the commitment of reading Śrīla Prabhupāda books 30 minutes every day, but due to other services I miss sometimes. Please give me some tips how I can be steady and regular in reading Śrīla Prabhupāda books every day?

Jayapataka Swami: Every day, give a particular time when you have to read your books, that may help you. It is not rocket science. If you are busy all the day, then read at night.

Question: Every day we should offer three times obeisances to the spiritual master and do guru-pūjā. If sometimes I fail to do so, what will you advice me?

Jayapataka Swami: If you can, attend the temple guru-pūjā. If you cannot then at least offer a flower to your guru’s picture.

Question: Bhakti-vedānta, Bhakti-Sārvabhauma degrees – how can one after attaining these degrees, how can I be freed of all pride and serve with humility, preach and how can I in the name of being humble don’t end up being a lazy person.

Jayapataka Swami: Now, I was reading Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, why should I become puffed up? We read that practically every page tells us to be humble. So why will we be become puffed up? To learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is an opportunity. And one part of this is being humble. Now, this is such a vast subject matter that I cannot explain it to you in such a short time. So we want to please Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will not be happy if we become proud.

Time is up, I have to leave now.