20251216 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

Bhagavad-gītā 5.19

ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo
yeṣāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ
nirdoṣaṁ hi samaṁ brahmā
tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ

Translation: Those whose minds are established in sameness and equanimity have already conquered the conditions of birth and death. They are flawless like Brahman, and thus they are already situated in Brahman.

Purport: Equanimity of mind, as mentioned above, is the sign of self-realization. Those who have actually attained to such a stage should be considered to have conquered material conditions, specifically birth and death. As long as one identifies with this body, he is considered a conditioned soul, but as soon as he is elevated to the stage of equanimity through realization of self, he is liberated from conditional life. In other words, he is no longer subject to take birth in the material world but can enter into the spiritual sky after his death. The Lord is flawless because He is without attraction or hatred. Similarly, when a living entity is without attraction or hatred, he also becomes flawless and eligible to enter into the spiritual sky. Such persons are to be considered already liberated, and their symptoms are described below.

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Jayapatākā Swami: So we can see why Śrīla Prabhupāda almost in every lecture said, you are not the body! Because if we have reached that platform, we don’t think ourselves as the body. Then we are liberated! But everyone thinks I am Indian, I am American, French, Pakistani! And we have to get out of that platform and realize that we are eternal souls, and we have a body. We get a particular body according to our desires and karma. You are very fortunate to have an Indian body because here you can hear instructions, śikṣā on how to be liberated! There are different rules for different bodies. Men’s body, women’s body and what kind of varṇa. But we change our bodies, and we pass through 8 million four hundred thousand species. And everyone thinks I am the body! Those who realize I am not the body, but I am meant to serve Kṛṣṇa, they are already liberated! Today we are going to have different questions-and-answers. How many questions came? They put on the website that today’s session would be a question-and-answer session. If you haven’t sent your question, then please send it. I thought there are 90-questions and it was only 19. Now they have 46! People have sent questions from different cities. As there are many questions, I will give short answers.

Question: You said that we have to have ācāryas as children. When there is a situation when one parent is Kṛṣṇa conscious and one is not, and sometimes there is a single parent situation. He tries to take care of the child’s education and spiritual progress and also lead a gṛhastha’s life. In this situation, how can be accept this and lead the Kṛṣṇa conscious life with determination and courage?

Jayapatākā Swami: I am a sannyāsī, how do I know how to train the kids! You are asking me a question which is very complicated. You know your parents or your family members. And I think you have to preach to the person who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. Tell him how he or she is not the body. Who we are! That would be ideal. Man or woman, whoever the partner, make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is why I was saying make your partner Kṛṣṇa conscious. Try the best you can, what can I say!

Question: Why is it considered that the Lord’s lotus feet and the lotus feet of the ācāryas and pure devotees are glorious? Even though the Lord is sat-cit-ānanda, still the amṛta, the nectar we say is flowing from the Lord’s lotus feet. And why it has to be caraṇāmṛta where the nectar is. What is the significance of the lotus feet of the Lord?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we need the questions to be translated in English as well. So, we try to be humble. So naturally, we look at the feet first and then move up. Normally, a person’s feet are not very nice! But the Lord’s lotus feet give us shelter! So, we always pray to the Lord’s lotus feet! And although every part of the Lord is transcendental we start with the Lord’s lotus feet.

Question: How to overcome fear, anxiety due to attachment to family members and have complete faith in Kṛṣṇa and chanting 16 rounds but not able to do it will concentration?

Jayapatākā Swami: So devotional service is a gradual process. First listen to the lectures, then associate with devotees and then we start to chant and do bhajana-kriyā. You may take first initiation then. Then we get rid of all the obstacles. So this attachment to the family members is one of the anarthas. But if you are really attached to your family members and do devotional service then if you go to Godhead, seven generations before and seven after will all be liberated! Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that He delivers all the family members! So you should not become distracted, even if your family members, some are not conducive. Then you become fixed, niṣṭhā. You start to taste the nectar of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then ruci, then you get attached to that spiritual happiness. That is called āsakti. Then from āsakti you reach ecstatic chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. And then you will not have to send such a question. Then to bhāva or rati and reach premā. Who would like to reach premā? You have to stay in the process. Every step is one step closer to premā. Like in this temple there are many steps. When we walk up these steps we come to see the beautiful Deities.

Here I see the devotees in front all have tilaka on but at the back not all have tilakas. I thank everybody with tilaka! Haribol!

Question: What is the real meaning of self-realization. Is self-realization that we are able to feel the presence of the Lord in our heart? Or does it means something else. What happens in self-realization and how should we properly understand it?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see in this verse we read today in the Bhagavad-gītā it described what a liberated soul is like. So if we realize we are the soul and not the body, in one sense that is a type of self-realization. Realizing the Lord in His divine form, divya-rūpa, is very hard. And one can reach that stage, but it is still a professional stage. Lord Caitanya taught us that to feel separation from the Lord is also a very effective process.

Question: I am staying with the devotees in the temple now. But finding it difficult to maintain a good relationship with devotees. I am trying to maintain and trying to be obedient but somehow or other misunderstanding is coming in between. Please give me some solution Guru Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya wrote the Śikṣāṣṭaka [3]. The third verse of the Śikṣāṣṭaka He said:

tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

“We should be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree. Offer respect to everyone and do not expect any respect for ourselves.”

So try this and see if it works! If you praise someone and don’t expect any reciprocation, then you will be well liked.

Question: In temples we have different group of devotees, and everyone wants us to be with them. That is not possible. So we associate with one group or the other, then the others are offended. What should we do under the circumstances?

Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t know why any other group is affected. It would be nice to be with all the devotees. But we may choose to have more intimate association with a particular devotee who we think is more advanced. That is recommended by the ācāryas and if other devotees are offended by that, what can you do?

Question: I have heard the importance of spiritual life, and also about doing services. But I am extremely lazy. How to overcome laziness, is it based on astrology also?

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, said ISKCON is not for lazies or crazies! It is not that we are formed by astrology, we get a particular body according to our karma. And laziness is something to do with the tamo-guṇa. And reading Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa will gradually destroy tamo-guṇa. We like to be enthusiastic in Kṛṣṇa’s service. So, astrology tell us what is the influence is on us. It is not that astrology is somehow influencing us.

Question: How will I know who is my Gurudeva? Will he directly tell me or through some medium?

Jayapatākā Swami: In ISKCON we are forbidden to tell people oh, you can be or you are my disciple. That would be considered canvasing. Now, we can think someone asked me this question many times. How do I know who is my guru? We should pray to the Deities and Śrīla Prabhupāda to reveal to us who is the person who can guide us most effectively. So who we see that Śrīla Prabhupāda is talking to us, Kṛṣṇa is telling us through the guru.  Who are you inspired by? And whose presentation we like. Like that there are different things that we can consider. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Question: When we become attached to a particular outcome and then Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement turns out differently. How should one let go of that attachment while maintaining faith and gratitude?

Jayapatākā Swami:  Since we are not supposed to be attached to the outcome. There are people who work in different factories making automobiles, like Maruti car, Tata, other things. They don’t own the car, they cannot take the car, just help in the construction of the car. Someone may get a bad grade in college or something else. But that may be Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement and later we can see that by that we could take the shelter of guru and Gaurāṅga. Something may not work out the way we wanted as Kṛṣṇa is not our order supplier. But we can see and ultimately it may be Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement that we take shelter of Him!

Question: How do I know that my spiritual master is happy with me. And how to overcome the feeling of not being able to preach properly, say book distribution, even after trying?

Jayapatākā Swami: If you are feeling happy may be that is a symptom of the guru feeling happy with us. But we have to always try to improve our sevā. I mean, every guru is different. So, generally if you are following the principles and doing the devotional service the guru is happy! You can always ask the guru, are you happy with me? What way can I improve my sevā? I don’t think we should be mental. Maybe the guru is not happy with me! Oh! Oh! Oh! OH!

Question: In Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā it is mentioned that the separation of the devotee from the pure devotee of the Lord is the biggest separation. It is called duḥkha-sindhu. How can we deal with this separation, Guru Mahārāja?  How can we deal the separation when you leave Mumbai? Out of your mercy you are so accessible online but we are going to miss your association.

Jayapatākā Swami: How can I be separated from all you nice devotees! Śrīla Prabhupāda was seeing a film, when he was on a plane, where some devotee was chanting and smiling and was very happy. And one devotee was very sad and crying, guru is leaving. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that this devotee is advanced. The other devotee who was chanting and smiling, was very happy, the guru is leaving. He said he is not advanced. So that is why sometimes serving Kṛṣṇa and serving guru in separation is more focused than when the guru is present. One may be thinking guru is here and giving a long class, “I am hungry!” When the guru is gone, even when you are eating, you think, “Oh, I am feeling separation from guru!” Are you advanced? How much love you have for the guru and how much devotion for a devotee?

Question: When we start doing bhakti there are a lot of challenges. How to face them with patience and determination without giving up?

Jayapatākā Swami: It is like recently we see how the Sindoor operation was done by Indian Army. We are declaring war against māyā. Why do you think it is going to be easy? It is hard. There will be many battles, some you win some you lose. But in the war we win if we serve Kṛṣṇa in any situation. You want to surrender? Māyādevī, I surrender? Who wants to surrender? Who wants to fight? Gaurāṅga! We have the power of Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityānanda, guru and Gaurāṅga behind us! And the fight is done by Lord Caitanya’s power, Lord Nityānanda’s power, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s power. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Question: If Kṛṣṇa loves us all then why do we have to suffer?

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (5.29), suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ. Why do we disobey Kṛṣṇa? We do bad activities, vikarmas, and we have to suffer. And if we serve Kṛṣṇa, then we don’t have to suffer. Short answer!

Question: How can one stay Kṛṣṇa consciousness in every situation? Sometimes when something upsetting happens, the question comes up, why me? How can I get over this question of why me?

Jayapatākā Swami: You know, some great sages are there who know the past, present and future. And people would ask them, and they could tell why this is happening to you! But now it is very difficult to find such people! So, people go to astrologers, and we take whatever situation has come, how we will be Kṛṣṇa conscious in spite of it. Why me, we may not understand, maybe we understand. My pūrvāśrama mother fell in the Ganges by accident, she drowned almost a little less than the top of the head and was pulled out of the water by someone. So Śrīla Prabhupāda told her that you are protected from here down (Gesturing that from a little down her head and all the way down.) Then she had a stroke, at the top of her head! So she came back to Māyāpur to have a full bath. Why me?

Question: How can I grow my love for you?

Jayapatākā Swami: How to say? I don’t know if I am lovable! I think that Śrīla Prabhupāda acted in such a way that he inspired people to love him! Kṛṣṇa, if we love Kṛṣṇa, then we love all the devotees of Kṛṣṇa! His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, he was very lovable because he was a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa! So, if we see someone attached to Kṛṣṇa, naturally we have an affection to them.

Question: How do I get guru-niṣṭhā or guru-bhakti? Whom should I pray to you, to Śrīla Prabhupāda or to Lord Kṛṣṇa?

Jayapatākā Swami: Yes! Pray to guru, Gaurāṅga, Śrīla Prabhupāda, Lord Caitanya and Lord Kṛṣṇa. I pray here to all the Deities.

Question: Your enthusiasm is ever increasing in bhakti. But we see devotees losing their enthusiasm after many hears. How do we keep ourselves highly enthusiastic in spiritual life?

Jayapatākā Swami: After many years if we are losing our enthusiasm, means we must be committing offence. Lord Caitanya said that Mother Śacī would not get love of Kṛṣṇa because she had offended Advaita Ācārya. The devotees were very distressed – “Mother Śacī, she carried You her in her womb, she is the mother of the universe, how can she not get love for Kṛṣṇa! No, no, no! It cannot be! How is that? What did she do?” Lord Caitanya said, “She offended Advaita Ācārya.”

One day Lord Caitanya brought Śacīmātā to meet Advaita Ācārya. And Lord Caitanya asked Advaita Ācārya to forgive Mother Śacī for her offence. And Advaita Ācārya, He started glorifying Mother Śacī! He was so ecstatic in glorifying and praising her good qualities, He fainted in ecstasy! So Lord Caitanya told Mother Śacī, “Take the dust from His feet! He is not going to forgive you, so you take the dust from His feet and you will be forgiven!” Hare Kṛṣṇa! So she did that and she got kṛṣṇa-prema!

Question: Currently I am doing Bhakti-śāstrī course, but I am not able to do up to the mark. I am married and have a child. I am pediatric physiotherapist. I would like to read the śāstras all my live but somehow I feel I am lagging. So how to improve in this situation?

Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t know how old you are. For those who are over 40 years or above they can take the summative test. There are two tests for the Bhakti-vaibhava. One has to read the first six cantos of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now with the ‘Transcend App’ you can hear the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam! All Śrīla Prabhupāda books in English, Hindi, and other languages are there on this app. It costs 7 thousand rupees, for two devices. It is available on Apple Play store and Google Play store.

Question: How to be always in the mood of following guru-vāṇī all the time? How to always be more surrendered to guru?

Jayapatākā Swami: These how to questions are kind of what to say, how to, how to, it is not proper! Now the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is meant to increase your Kṛṣṇa bhakti and that included reading the books, understanding the philosophy, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So how to, if we follow the process gradually, naturally our devotion will increase. It is not a secret thing. How to is one thing, this and that. Śrīla Prabhupāda said it took him twenty years to reach perfection. I don’t know how long it will take each one of us. How many births! So we should try to practice sincerely and naturally advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Someone said I have been chanting but don’t feel any ecstasy. How long have you been chanting? He said 6 months. It may not be possible, maybe take six years, or 60 years, depends how sincere you are. I could not answer all the questions. What to do? I have to get up for the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class tomorrow.