20200104 50th Sannyāsa Anniversay Festival Day 2, Morning Address

The following is a talk given by His Holiness Jayapātāka Swami Mahārāja on January 4, 2020 on Day 2, 50th Sannyasa Anniversary festival held at New Panihati Dham in Atlanta, USA.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpāṁ tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī-caitanya-īśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Jayapātāka Swami: So I thank my dear godsisters and godbrothers, so nice to be here with my spiritual sons and daughters, with my spiritual nephews and nieces, and their children. So thank you very much! In 1970, Śrīla Prabhupāda asked me whether I wanted to take sannyāsa? And since he was asking me, I thought, I should take it! [Haribol!] So when he handed me the daṇḍa, he told me that the daṇḍa has three strands, sticks. Three sticks you perform words, deeds, and thoughts and fourth stick which is the ātmā or the self. And then there is like a moon thing on the top, that is the intelligence. So the intelligence should engage the words, the thoughts and the deeds in Kṛṣṇa’s service. So at that time, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that I was the eleventh sannyāsī. He had given 9 initiations in LA and 2 in Calcutta. So I was the eleventh. Many have passed away, and now I will be senior sannyāsī in ISKCON. Śrīla Prabhupāda taught us how Lord Caitanya had chanted a mantra from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, canto 11 Chapter 23, verse 57:

etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām
adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair maharṣibhiḥ
ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ
tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva

So this was chanted by the Avanti brāhmaṇa when he took the tridaṇḍi-sannyāsa. You didn’t take it did you? Ha! Whether one is a sannyāsī or one becomes a gṛhastha, they all have vows. And we would hope that the gṛhasthas also follow their vows. So we would be very happy to see 50-year anniversaries of our gṛhasthas!

So Śrīla Prabhupāda, His Divine Grace had me stay in Māyāpur and he gave me a lot of association. He came twice a year to Māyāpur. Once at the Gaura-pūrṇimā time, when he was focused on the worldwide devotees and once, he would come for a month to month and a half in the fall. And then he was translating his books, and he was training us to make Māyāpur an ideal temple. He would go on morning walks and he would say, “What is that? What is this?” Any paper, any dirt, he will point it out. One faucet was leaking, tip, tip, tip, a little water. He said, who is responsible, and everybody pointed at me! “Jayapatākā Swami!” Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “No, he is responsible for everything, but who is the particular person responsible for the taps?!” I was saved that day!! Śrīla Prabhupāda said that I should stay in Māyāpur, work through my assistants. But then he also told me that, as a sannyāsī I should travel and preach. He told me this, there were only two sannyāsīs present. One me and another. And he told us twice. Second time, I was the only one there! So, from 1980 until 2008, I was constantly travelling, five or six times around the world, a year. I was awarded the million miles’ award by United! And that was because Eastern was taken over by Continental and Continental merged with United. Somebody mentioned that I flew on Eastern and that is what happened. Anyway, I am lifetime Gold in United and British Airways also gave me a lifetime Gold! But now I cannot travel as much. One or two times a year, around the world! Very less! So Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me some service, I would like to complete it.

I am very grateful for all the assistance I am getting in completing all these services. I was supposed to attend a meeting today of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium Exhibits. We told them that I could not attend because of this function. So they are rescheduling it, maybe. This is one of the services that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me. And I am very happy to see all of you! I hope that you continue to take up responsibilities, for helping Śrīla Prabhupāda establish the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Actually, I was telling how somebody was helping the people pass away. But actually, in the west they don’t know what to do. At the time of death, they should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, should think about Kṛṣṇa, think of Śrīla Prabhupāda or guru-paramparā. So in this way we should be ready to go back to Godhead. Unfortunately, the people don’t know what to do. Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying of course even in India many people don’t know. One man he went to see his friend, he was a businessman, and his doctor told him that he was not going to live long. The man held the doctor’s hand and said, “Please give me one more year! One more year! I will double my money!” Even if he doubles his money, what is the use? He cannot take it with him! But someone who has done devotional service, or he remembers Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, they go back to Kṛṣṇa. So there is a lot of work for you to do!

In 2008, when I had my stroke, I was in the hospital. At that time, there was an URI meeting in Māyāpur in ISKCON. URI, United Religions International (URI). So at that time, there was an interfaith meeting in Māyāpur – Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and they all prayed for me! Of course, I think some of you prayed for me! So I am very grateful I am getting another chance to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. And he gave me the secret sannyāsa mantra which I cannot tell you, unless you take sannyāsa! So like this we are trying to carry out our different debts and our responsibilities to Śrīla Prabhupāda. And I think that ISKCON has so many dedicated devotees, Vaiṣṇavas, Vaiṣṇavīs, that the future is very good! So we should try to do whatever we can to help Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Of course, before, when I had the stroke, they told me I had Hepatitis-C and that my liver was damaged. I had gone for a checkup before, but they didn’t tell me that I had Hepatitis-C. So, I was attacked by a crazy man in Madrid in 1989, and he cut my jugular vein, and I lost a lot of blood. So they gave me a transfusion of blood, but they were not testing for Hepatitis-C until 1992! And at that time there was no cure. So the doctor said that, well because I had a stroke and had Hepatitis-C, at that time the only cure was Interferon. And that was only 30–40% success rate. So they said, that if I take that medicine, it may neurologically hamper me. So I was advised not to take it. So later on I met an expert in Delhi, and he said in 3–5 years you may need a new liver. At that time, they invented or found whatever, created a cure for Hepatitis-C. It was very expensive 45,000 dollars, one dose. But somehow or another I got that Hepatitis-C cured. But my liver was damaged. And the doctor said, “Sorry I made a mistake, you need a new liver in 3–5 months otherwise, I cannot say!” So with the help of my assistants somehow, we found a doctor who was the number 1 doctor in India, for this liver transplant, but we couldn’t get a liver! Anyway, somehow with help, we got a new liver and a new kidney! Then I had the operation in August 2018. But they told me no travel – at least for a year. So now my year is over 2019, and I am here! They say that it is very dangerous if I get infection, because I am taking immunosuppressant drugs. So for me it is very easy to get infected, and if I do, it is very dangerous. That is why I wear a mask. But I am still trying to carry out my duties to Śrīla Prabhupāda, and I am very grateful for all your help!

Hare Kṛṣṇa!