20230525 Question and Answer Session

The following is a Question & Answer Session given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 25th, 2023 in Dallas,Texas, USA.

Any questions? We have Mathureśa Prabhu the zonal supervisor of Bolivia and Peru and his better half.

Question: Sometimes we see some devotees forcefully take prasāda from our plate or want to touch our feet forcefully. How much appropriate is this attitude? What should we do in such a situation?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya’s associates, that sometimes Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī would try to touch each other’s lotus feet. And they would have a face off and have some competition trying to touch each other’s lotus feet. So, being great devotees they would not let the other touch their feet. But the other was trying to get the foot dust, so this seems to be a transcendental competition. Now, it hasn’t been accepted as an Olympic sport yet - maybe in the future, when the whole world becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious!! And Śrīla Prabhupāda, said that there are no hard and fast rules for mahā-prasāda. He said if you wanted, you can even steal from my plant while I am eating, but please let me finish prasāda! So if someone wants to take mahā-prasāda, appeal to them in the mood of Śrīla Prabhupāda, to have mercy on you, so you could finish your meal! Let them allow you to finish your meal!

Question: Why do we have to say the Pañca-tattva mantra before we chant our rounds?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, we got the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-prasāda-mantra through the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Pañca-tattva. So, we want to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra by invoking the mercy of the Pañca-tattva. Because in this chanting of the Pañca-tattva mantra, there is no offence considered. And therefore, we chant Pañca-tattva first. In Africa there is some tribe instead of drinking the milk, they cut a vein of the cow and drink the blood. Anyway, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that from now chanting the name of the Pañca-tattva it would be more effective because it would not be a great offence.

? ? (Question not clear)

Jayapatākā Swami: This tribe, they are doing a great aparādhā by drinking the blood of the cow. Milk is nothing but transformed blood and that is alright to drink. But drinking the blood is very sinful. As I understood, the reason why Śrīla Prabhupāda said that we could chant the Pañca-tattva mantra was because people are very sinful, and by chanting the Pañca-tattva mantra, they could get the mercy, and not because of any blood flow in our body. Kṛṣṇa stands for go-rakṣa, so they are cutting the cow - if you chant Pañca-tattva mantra, that would be more effective because they don’t take any offence.

Question: Few days ago in your class you explained about the different separation ecstasies of Lord Caitanya for Kṛṣṇa. Can we experience these eight transcendental symptoms of separation from Lord Gaurāṅga as He is the Supreme Lord, or only in love of directly from Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, can these moods of symptoms be experienced? Please enlighten us.

Jayapatākā Swami: One can also experience separation from Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityānanda, etc. And even you can experience separation from devotees. Separation is possible. When Śrīla Prabhupāda would leave, some devotees would feel separation at Śrīla Prabhupāda’s departure and others would be chanting and smiling. Later when Śrīla Prabhupāda saw the video he pointed out that devotees who were laughing at the departure of Śrīla Prabhupāda, they were not as advanced as those who were experiencing separation.

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Thank you very much!