20210801 Addressing Japanese Bhakti-śāstri Award Ceremony

The following is a Address given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja via zoom on August 1st, 2021 in Sri Dhama Mayapur, India.

The Address was given to the Japanese Devotess At the Bhakti-śāstri Award Ceremony

Jayapataka Swami : I offer my obeisances to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

I am very happy that 16 Japanese devotees have completed their Bhakti Śāstrī. This was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s desire that we study his books. I also have the Bhakti Śāstrī. I am taking the Bhakti Vaibhava course now. Kesavi devī dāsī, I heard she has done the Bhakti Vedānta course. We hope that the Japanese devotees will also continue to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We were just having a special inauguration of the Bhadra Pūrṇimā for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So, Anyway, all of you who have studied the Bhakti Śāstrī, I am very happy for them. Is Rādhā Līlā devī dāsī, is she one of the students? (Yes). All of you are very dear. I don’t know what to say, this is a historical achievement! Actually, everyone is looking at Tokyo now, because of the Olympics! But Bhakti Śāstrī is more important than a gold medal! By having Bhakti Śāstrī, you become dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is a great achievement. People work very hard to excel in some athletics or something. But in spite of their achievement, they don’t conquer over repetition of birth and death! But by the Bhakti Śāstrī, by reading the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you can achieve untold benefits. It says that the Supreme Lord visits your house, if you have these divine books. And that now this is available in Japanese language, that is also a wonderful achievement. Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted that his books be available in every language of the world. This way, Lord Caitanya’s movement would spread. I am very grateful that you are actually studying the books. I am very honored to be here at this ceremony. Anything I can do to help you in this great sacrifice, I am ready to do. I am very thankful that Kesavi devī dāsī is helping to teach this in Japanese. I hope that she will continue to teach.