20220703 Question and Answer Session

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

[Audio started abruptly]

Jayapatākā Swami: You never died, you were never born. The only thing that dies is the body. We are not the body. We are not the body, so we are not born. But the body is born, dies, every minute that goes by, the body dies. So if you are 27 years old, you are 27 years dead. If you are years old, then you are 30 years dead. Anyway, I will have to give short answers.

Question: I am from VOICE. We preach to first year boys. Sometimes we get positive results, and sometimes we get bad results. When I get bad results I lose enthusiasm. Mahārāja, yourself and many other Śrīla Prabhupāda disciples have preached in places where there was practically nothing and made them flourishing preaching centers. How did you all take these setbacks when bad results come? What should be one’s mind during these circumstances?

Jayapatākā Swami: There was a devotee who went to see Śrīla Prabhupāda in New York in 26, 2^nd Avenue. He saw Śrīla Prabhupāda was lecturing, he saw through the window that Śrīla Prabhupāda was moving his hands and he thought, wow, he is giving a lecture. When he opened the door and looked inside, there was nobody there! Nobody there! Śrīla Prabhupāda was all alone talking! He looked and he was surprised, there was nobody there. Then he asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, somehow he asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is nobody here! Śrīla Prabhupāda said, what do you mean? Nārada Muni is here, the paramparā is here, everyone is here! So, we are told we should not hanker after the results. And I just remembered this pastime Śrīla Prabhupāda, he was preaching in the USA when nobody was there in the room.

Question: I am Hariprāṇa Prahlāda dāsa. I took initiation from the Nāmahaṭṭa. And presently I am serving in Kolkata in the Book Department. From there I am preaching in Bhakti-vṛkṣa. Is there any offence?

Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t understand what offence? You took initiation with Nāmahaṭṭa. But now you are preaching in Kolkata city and in the city Bhakti-vṛkṣa preaching, which is no offence. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Question: I have heard from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books that we should have the goal of going back to Godhead in one shot. But many times, when I read Bhagavad-gītā I find that it is very difficult for going back to Godhead in one lifetime. I am totally confused and worried.

Jayapatākā Swami: We have two bodies – the gross material body and subtle body. So in the material world we enjoy and suffer. But these are all very external. When the body does not do any more what we want, then the ātmā takes another body. So, whatever the subtle mind is thinking about that takes you to the next body. If the wife is thinking of the husband, then she takes birth as a man. If the husband thinks of his wife, then he takes birth as a woman. Whoever, wife or husband, if they think of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, they will go back to Godhead. It is not hard if you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare throughout your whole life. If you sing Bollywood sings then (no use)!

Question: We hear that in this material world Kṛṣṇa comes and reciprocates with His devotees, gopīs and Rādhārāṇī in separation. But we also here that in the spiritual world Kṛṣṇa is always with His devotees. So this transcendental love in the form of separation is it only possible in the material world?

Jayapatākā Swami: In the Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta it is said that Kṛṣṇa leaves Vṛndāvana for Mathurā. That the gopīs, the Vraja-vāsīs they feel great separation from Kṛṣṇa. But He will come back to Vṛndāvana in two weeks. But due to Rādhārāṇī receiving a curse, He stayed away from Vṛndāvana for hundred years. This was in this material world. So this is Kṛṣṇa’s līlā vaicitra. This is His variegated līlā.