20200517 Zoom Session with Perth and Adelaide Devotees

The following is a talk given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 17th,2020 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The talk was given to the Perth and Adelaide Devotees via zoom.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

I am very happy to be meeting devotees in Perth and Adelaide. I think that in Australia, you have a much more free movement now. We are in the last day of our lockdown 3.0, but we are told that there will be a lockdown 4.0 starting tomorrow! Maybe it will be two weeks. What rules there are, we don’t know yet. They said, there will be different rules than the 3.0. So, we will find out later today, I guess! We know that Śrīla Prabhupāda in his books he has written that sometimes people break the laws of nature. Therefore, there is war, pestilence, disease, and so the present worldwide pandemic seems to be one of those things. In India, they opened up the liquor sales because they make a lot of tax! But the temples, mosques, churches are still closed! But the liquor is breaking laws of nature. Similarly, this virus came from the animals. Therefore, human beings naturally, they don’t have any antibodies. Unfortunately, the humans are still eating meat and therefore this pandemic is coming on us from the animals. And unfortunately, even the vegetarians also catch the virus! We have some potential treatments and if you like we have a YouTube video done by some of our devotee scientists who are doing a clinical trial. You can see their YouTube video. We will put the link of the video on the chat box. We know that ultimately, we want all the people to render devotional service, to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and in this way make their lives successful. But people are very interested, they think the goal of life is enjoying the senses. But they ask, what is the cause of their suffering? Kṛṣṇa describes in Bhagavad-gītā that this world is a duḥkālayam, and is aśāśvatam, it is temporary. So we want to make a permanent solution in a temporary world! We want to be happy, but the world is a place of suffering – birth, death, old age, and disease! So it is a big contradiction! People want to get back to life as normal, but normal, we are breaking the laws – the laws of nature! So, we want to preach to people that they should rather perform sacrifice to Viṣṇu, yajña for Lord Viṣṇu. So there are various ways we are trying to convince people to chant the name of Hari, and somehow during this time of pandemic, people are a little more receptive. Because they know that there is a limit to what the doctors, scientists, and the government can do! So, in Trivandrum they advertised a Bhagavad-gītā class for beginners. They expected may be 60 or 80 people would join. 500 JOINED EAGERLY! AND STAYED ON EVERY CLASS! This is a great opportunity to preach through the internet. So different devotees in different places have done various programs. In one place, they said they took up an 18-day challenge to read one chapter a day of the Bhagavad-gītā. 309 devotees took up the challenge and they completed the Bhagavad-gītā in 18 days! Similarly, various Japathons have been held. One devotee chanted 2 lakhs 11 rounds or something. A little child did 16 rounds. So, somehow people are reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, they are chanting, they are taking advantage. From morning to night I am giving classes! And have meetings morning to night. Today is an off day! I am only giving four classes and meetings! Someday five or six. I hope you are taking advantage of this possibility of taking the internet to preach. Also, I am very happy to visit the homes of different devotees, seeing their Deities sometimes. Sometimes they offer me a feast! I say that Zoom feast, this is low calorie, but high love! Some people offer me lamp! Very wonderful experience to see me in your home. I would like to visit different devotees’ homes. But previously I did not have the chance! But now I have the chance, through Zoom! So I hope that your video will be on when I come to your house. We have different devotees with the names dāsa and devī dāsī. But some people have names like iPhone or Galaxy! I wonder how somebody can have the name Galaxy? Ha! Ha! Ha! Not dāsa! So anyway, this is a great chance to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. We are told that the fear and anxiety caused by this disease maybe worse than the actual disease! Some people have turned positive, they have committed suicide! Although the percentage of mortality is very low but the fear is so great. But don’t be afraid! Depend on Kṛṣṇa! And in this way, pursue your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We read in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa that different Purāṇas have prescribed different names for different diseases and things. So we usually chant Hare Kṛṣṇa which is the mahā-mantra to please Kṛṣṇa if we want to serve Him. But for some people, they are not at that stage yet. So then it says chant the Narasiṁha mantra – Śrī Nṛsiṁha Jaya Nṛsiṁha Jaya Jaya Jaya Nṛsiṁha, or chant the name of Hari. So like this you can get rid of different diseases.

Tomorrow is the Aparā Ekādaśī. I don’t know in Australia, if the Ekādaśī is today or tomorrow? If it is tomorrow, raise your hand. So, Apara Ekādaśī is an amazing Ekādaśī. Especially if people have killed someone like your guru, or had abortion or is a cheater or, there are various kinds of sinful people. By observing Aparā Ekādaśī, you can get so much benefit. You can read that on internet. In the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa and in the Padma Purāṇa, there are descriptions. If you read the glories, not even do the Ekādaśī, just read the glories, you get good karmas of giving away 1000 cows in charity. I heard it twice – from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa and the Padma Purāṇa – so I donated 2,000 cows!! I don’t know what I will do with all the good karma!! I simply want to serve Kṛṣṇa! So anyway, tomorrow is the Aparā Ekādaśī, which is unequal. So like this we have a great opportunity to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa by Lord Caitanya’s mercy.

I give class every day at about 6.15 pm India time. In West Australia it is about 2 and half hours later. But still not too late. Maybe in Southern Australia, in Adelaide it may be late. That is why we are having the Zoom program now. So that it will be convenient for you all. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy! Be careful! And stay healthy! Hare Kṛṣṇa!