20201129 Zoom Session with UK Devotees

The following is a Zoom session with the United Kingdom devotees by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 29^th 2020 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India.

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

So in the Nectar of Devotion, it recommends that one should practice devotional service under the shelter of a spiritual master. So today we are accepting candidates for shelter, this is a kind of testing period. We see how it is to practice all the rules and regulations, vows taking of initiation. So, it is almost like initiation, but there is no vows. Just like when you buy a car, you test drive it. Similarly, this is testing yourself. Testing your relationship with your spiritual master. So one should at least be under shelter according to the GBC, for six months. I don’t know, if it is a rules in UK are different. In Russia they say one year, but the minimum is six months. We have a check list of things you should read and learn, like reading the Bhagavad-gītā twice, I have to read the Bhagavad-gītā ten times before I could get first initiation. And I did that. But for my disciples I only say twice. So, somehow, we want to be connected with Śrīla Prabhupāda. That comes naturally by reading his books. Then there are other things like wearing tilaka, learning how to offer prasāda. These are the things one learns in the bhakta program. Since most of my disciples are congregational members, we also have a checklist of things that they should learn. They can download this from the JPS Office website. I don’t know, its on the Jayapatākā Swami.com. But we also recommend that Satyamedha Gaurāṅga dāsa uploaded on the website in UK. So these things you have to complete and then you can take initiation. Its possible to complete everything in six months, even if you take more time that is your wish. We really give initiation, when you want it. When you complete the checklist. Rather than having people wait for a long time. We just made a checklist. So you can finish it quick as you want. So we hope that you develop your taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I pray for the devotees, who are initiated, who are sheltered, who are aspiring, and my śīkṣā and my grand-disciples. Also recently at least for this year I have been praying for Bhakti Cāru Swami’s disciples. Since he left us very suddenly. So I do hope that this testing period, trial period you will find it very enjoyable and very helpful for your growth.

Transcribed by JPS Archives team 12/JAN/2023