Questions And Answers: Day-to-day Life / Education

As a student, what is the best way to preach and remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? How to remain focused while chanting?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-21
Jayapatākā Swami: If one is preaching, why can one then one not remain fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
If we understand, just like this pandemic is going on.
That, the material nature gives us the promise that we will be happy.
But we always end up getting kicked!
Lord Caitanya taught that we should tolerate, be tolerant of the happiness,be tolerant of the suffering.
And to develop our natural affection for Kṛṣṇa.
So, by having good association, you will be better equipped in preaching in the college.
The second question?
Before I met the devotees,
I had this problem.
My mind was going here and there and everywhere.
Once I had the process of bhakti-yoga,
it was so nice
that I didn’t want to go anywhere else!
So I don’t really understand this question!
If you practice bhakti-yoga, if you read the books,
then naturally, you will be fixed!
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
At least we can regulate our material life
so that we have Kṛṣṇa in the center.
I am very happy that we have many gṛhasthas here.
Śrīla Bhakti Vinoda Ṭhākura, he was gṛhastha-guru.
So in his song, about Godrumadvīpa in Nāmahaṭṭa,
he says, Kṛṣṇera samsāra kara, chāri anācāra.
He said, make a Kṛṣṇa conscious family.
Give up the unauthorized activities.
So like eating these creatures and doing different kinds of prohibited things like drinking
or taking narcotics,
naturally that makes one mentally disturbed.
So, he was stating that make a Kṛṣṇa conscious family, and give up the unauthorized things. 
One more question?
Tell me whether you would like more darśanas like this?
How often I should have it?
Thank you very much!
Hare Kṛṣṇa
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Education]
How can we keep ourselves unaffected by the non-devotees people around us especially at school?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-09-02
Jayapatākā Swami: Preach to them,
don’t let them preach to you!
Think how you can help them on the path to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Thank you for – you remember Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was in a school with all demon children,
but he preached to them
and he got them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
They said we are kids, we want to play, we don’t want to chant.
He said, you spend half your life sleeping, playing,
Category: [Anarthās / Bad association], [Day-to-day Life], [Day-to-day Life / Education], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings / Association (Sādhu-saṅga)]
How do I balance material and spiritual study? Is not material study a hindrance to spiritual preaching?
Questioner: Jagatbandu Pal
Date: 2022-10-04
Jayapatākā Swami: So we should do our study as a service to Kṛṣṇa.
By this education we will be able to reach out more effectively to many people.
Like Jīva Gosvāmī, he went to university first.
So that he could serve his gurudeva more effectively.
So if you see your education as part of service to Kṛṣṇa and guru,
then it should not be a hindrance,
for your spiritual advancement.
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Education], [Emotions / Confusion], [Sādhanā / Philosophical questions], [Youth]
I want to know what is the right mood to take the initiation test?
Questioner: Liz Valero
Date: 2022-10-05
Jayapatākā Swami: You have to listen to and read the books.
Understand the teachings, at least the basic books.
If you read the books, the questions are fairly simple. For instance, what is the difference between the body and soul.
You can have the questions in advance, no secret.
So if you want the questions, we can send you.
So any way don’t feel anxiety.
We want you to pass your test.
And if you don’t pass it first time,
you can ask for the answers.
Next time you pass.
I think they are not so difficult.
Why do you believe that Kṛṣṇa is God?
Questions like that, they are very simple.
More complicated for second initiation.
They have to pass Bhakti-śāstri.
For first initiation, they are very simple.
Okay? No anxiety! Be calm!
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Education], [Emotions / Enthusiasm], [Sādhanā / Reading / Śāstra], [Sādhanā / Sevā]
Sometimes especially at school it is very easy to get swayed by whatever is happening, and sometimes it is very distracting, and other times it is extremely hard to stay focused on Kṛṣṇa 100%. Under the circumstances how can we remember Kṛṣṇa?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-09-02
Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes Yaśodā was boiling milk on the stove
and then Kṛṣṇa was crying.
So it was very intense – what should she do? See the milk or go to see Kṛṣṇa.
So the actual devotional service always has these kinds of special situations,
and how you serve Kṛṣṇa in these moments, Kṛṣṇa is watching you.
It is very easy to serve Kṛṣṇa when everything is ideal,
but when one is being pulled by different māyās and different things then it is more complicated.
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Education]
Sometimes I have more to study, but I do want to do my devotional service as well. But my studies make me anxious. How to keep a balance?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-20
Jayapatākā Swami: I had said during the class
if we study as a service to the Lord,
then there will be service and study as well.
This way, to have taste for service you have to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra more.
If you do that way, the mind will work well.
Any studies you do you can offer as a service to the Lord.
And it will also help in understanding the economics as well.
You can study and do service in the temple as well.
Some will become engineer, or doctor, they can help the devotees.
In Bangladesh there are about 100-temples and you can help in building new temples, guest houses, youth hostels.
That is why we need engineers. Right?
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Education], [Emotions / Stress/Anxiety]
There are many discussions whether or not we should children to school opposed to gurukula. Home schooling or devotee run schools? In a place where there is no devotee run school or gurukula, is it okay to send our children to karmī-run school, while helping them to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness at home?
Questioner: Mathurā Līleśvarī devī dāsī, Gītā Nagarī, USA
Date: 2022-01-09
Jayapatākā Swami: You have to see the school I guess.
See what the situation is.
One of my South American disciples,
her daughter went to school,
and accidentally they switched her lunch box
to the non veg box.
She went to the school and complained.
How this the Kārtika or Dāmodara month.
So the school said, oh, you can prepare a lamp offering with all the students?
So then they brought candles
and all the students offered lamps to
Yaśodā Dāmodara.
So you can see what kind of school it is.
Whether it is a parochial school.
Hard do to say. I don’t know why you ask a sannyāsī these things.
You should ask gṛhasthas!
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Education]
When we go to university to study, I do bhakti but my fellow students do not do bhakti. I want to preach to them as I don’t feel good about this. How do I make them understand?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-02-20
Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda said that the path of devotional service happens gradually.
First, you have to say something easy for them.
Chant the name of Kṛṣṇa once and you will be happy.
If someone is interested in doing service to Kṛṣṇa, give them that.
From 17th September to 23rd September the ‘World Holy Name Week’ is being celebrated.
That is why they want many people to get together and chant the holy name.
Those who have smart phone,
make a video in which one time you say that I am from Bangladesh and I am chanting for world peace and happiness and chant:
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare
And send this.
If you chant these names, you will get love for Kṛṣṇa.
There is no need to give much details.
Just say you will be fortunate, just chant the holy name.
We will send the video to America.
Fortunatepeople.com
Category: [Day-to-day Life / Education], [Sādhanā / Preaching]
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