20200217 Question and Answer Session

The following is a Question & Answer Session given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on February 17th, 2020 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

So today I had just six meetings!! And so, they said I wouldn’t give any class. But to have your association, “IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN MY DAY” I would give some class but I know that it is a bit late. And this meeting we had the MBD and other meetings. So maybe we will just have question-and-answer, because it is so late. Anyone from China listening? So how many are there still? Four! There is no class today, only question-and-answer.

Question: Dear Guru Mahārāja, what do we need to do for new people who come to ISKCON for them to stay and practice more seriously, Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

–Bhakta Yuvan, Russia

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda said that we should not give too many rules and regulations. We should be very friendly and engage people according to their likes. So, if they like to do particular things, like they like computer, or they like agriculture, whatever they like, engage them in that. Make it very interesting and treat them very nicely! That is what Śrīla Prabhupāda said, that in some letters, how to preach to the intelligent people. Is that alright, Yuvan?

Next question.

Today Nīlā Mādhavī left her body. She was a very dedicated devotee in Malaysia. She was the wife of Ravilocana Prabhu. She was the chairperson of the ladies’ wing of the Hindu Saṅga and she had a TV show, she showed people how to cook vegetarian prasāda. And she did a lot of outreach programs. So today, she left the world, and we would like to glorify her, and everybody can pray for her smooth transfer to the spiritual world, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa three times.

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Thank you! ?

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Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja, Please accept my respectful obeisances. How should a mother deal with a growing son who is in his teen-age?

–Rahita Sivalingam

Jayapatākā Swami: Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he said that for the first five years, you should let the kids do whatever they want, more or less. From 6 to 15 be very strict with the children. And 16 up, be like a friend and try to convince them the right thing to do. But as a friend. That is what Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said. But you can talk to the Youth-Minister in Māyāpur, he may have more experience, you can talk to him, Manorāma dāsa.

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Question: What is the proper mood to carry on bhakti even if we commit mistake unintentionally?

–Guṇagrāhi Gaurāṅga dāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: We may commit mistakes, but we should beg for forgiveness, and we should continue to do our devotional service, being more and more careful. If we realize we did a mistake, we can ask for forgiveness. I saw that even in one of the prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the devotee says, I have committed innumerable offences, please forgive me and engage me in Your service. I surrender to Your lotus feet! So, there are offences we commit knowingly or unknowingly, but we should be humble, try to correct any mistakes we make and continue to render devotional service. Haribol! If there are any questions, you may write down and send it. Even on the internet, anyone can send a question.

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Question: In Māyāpur, (Jayapatākā Swami said: In Māyāpur!) mostly devotees are very busy in their services. We don’t have close association with devotees. We feel alone in the crowd. How to fill up this vacuum?

Jayapatākā Swami: Did you hear the question? Yes, or no?

So, well, if you are busy like everyone else, then you will feel like one among the others. But if you want to talk to someone and they are all busy, then you go to the book tables and maybe buy a book and they will talk to you for a while! What to say? There are various times when devotees talk to each other. But during the day they may be busy. So, there is a Help Desk in the festival. You can go to the Help Desk and either you can ask for help or you can sit behind the desk and people will come to you to ask for help! Or you come in my program at night, I would be happy to talk to you. Ask me a question!

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Question: How to develop submissive mood, keeping aside false ego while carrying out services under authorities?

–Śaraṇāgati Gaura dāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: You have a nice name, śaraṇāgati, means surrender. Just apply your name! Lord Caitanya said in the third verse of the Śikṣāṣṭakam which they chant here every morning – tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Be more humble than a blade of grass.

Śrīla Prabhupāda described – you step on grass, it bends over, it is humble. When you walk away from the grass, the grass comes back up. So, in that way, we should be humble and at the same time be resilient. Go upright in due course of time. Be more tolerant than a tree. A tree stands there in a rain, in heat, in a wind and people cut branches from the tree and make toothbrushes.

One devotee, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, he wanted a neem tree. There was a neem tree outside his window. He hung out of the window to get a neem branch. Śrīla Prabhupāda said, don’t do that! He said, don’t worry Prabhupāda, I did that many times! Maybe, but don’t do in front of me, Śrīla Prabhupāda said.

Śrīla Prabhupāda was afraid for the devotee, maybe he will fall! That way a tree is very tolerant, so we should be tolerant and we should offer respect to others but not expect any appreciation or respect for ourselves. In that way we can always chant the Holy Name.

So śaraṇāgati is the actual mood we should have surrender and whether our authority treats us very nice with a smile, or he treats us harsh, we are not doing it for the authority. As such, we are doing it to please Kṛṣṇa. And if the authority gives us a service we can do, we should appreciate it, thank you for giving me the service! She had a question? Anyone leaving tomorrow? Who is leaving tomorrow?

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Question: One of the qualities we develop is humbleness and tolerance. Sometimes this results in others taking advantage of us. For example, at work. What should we do to avoid this?

–Your servant and spiritual daughter, Śyāmavallabhā Gopī devī dāsī

Jayapatākā Swami: If they are right, you know that you are able to do. If someone is asking you to do something you think that, is not correct or which is beyond your scope, then you can say, I am sorry, but be very polite. Humility doesn’t mean you do everything that everybody tells you! Śyāmavallabhā Gopī devī dāsī.

So, who is going tomorrow, see Ekanātha Gaura dāsa and he will arrange that I give you my blessings!