Questions And Answers: Emotions / Sorrow

How to deal with the feelings of separation from the spiritual master?
Questioner: Premeśvarī Śrī Rādhā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-09-21
Separation from guru and Kṛṣṇa is something that we encounter
and Kṛṣṇa.
So Lord Caitanya said that we can get a closer devotion
by feeling separation.
So if we feel separation that is to the body of the guru,
if we feel separation that is to the instructions of the guru
and just try to follow his instructions.
By following his instructions, we can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Serving the guru personally is vapu-sevā
and serving his instructions is vāṇī-sevā.
So vāṇī-sevā is more important.
Category: [Emotions / Sorrow], [Guru (Spiritual Master)], [Guru (Spiritual Master) / Guru Disciple Relationship], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings]
If a brahmacārī is faces many challenges in the āśrama from inside and the agitated mind is making bhakti distressful for him, should he change the āśrama?
Questioner: Seva Pālaka Nitāi dasa
Date: 2022-08-04
Jayapatākā Swami: In New York someone asked such a question and
Śrīla Prabhupāda once said that
if one is thinking
should I be a brahmacārī or should I take gṛhastha-āśrama,
then in that case, he should take gṛhastha-āśrama.
But being a brahmacārī, he takes a firm commitment
and if one is feeling what should I do, this or that,
then they don’t have enough determination
to be a brahmacārī.
Category: [Varṇāśrama], [Varṇāśrama / Changing Āśrama], [Day-to-day Life / Married life], [Emotions / Confusion], [Emotions / Sorrow]
In the class you were saying the Lord Caitanya experienced the jubilation and lamenting at the same time. Is there an example in this world which can give us an idea what it is like?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-10-23
Jayapatākā Swami: Rukmiṇī told Kṛṣṇa, "You know what is going in Brahmaloka,
You know what is going on in Kailasa,
you know what is going on in the ananta-koṭi-brahmāṇḍa, unlimited millions of universes,
but there is one thing You don’t know,
I know, Rādhārāṇī knows,
You don’t know."
No one ever said that to Him,
there was something He did not know.
Incredible!
So He asked what is that.
And Rukmiṇī said, You don’t know what the devotees feel for You, and how much we feel for You.
Then Kṛṣṇa thought I will come as My devotee, I will come as My devotee. I will come as My devotee.
He said that three times.
That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Such things that Lord Caitanya exhibited.
In India once in Māyāpur, I had very high fever in 1972 or ‘73
I was feeling pain in my body.
I was listening to Śrīla Prabhupāda lecture in Vṛndāvana on the Nectar of Devotion,
and I was feeling happiness.
So physically I was feeling pain
but my consciousness was very happy.
That may be an example
of how Lord Caitanya was feeling lamentation and jubilation.
Of course I was very happy to hear Śrīla Prabhupāda lecture.
So the consciousness, the living force was very happy.
But I realized that my consciousness was not the same as my body.
But most people do not have any consciousness of Krsna.
I don’t know, I don’t think does anyone know?
All of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, the author is saying I cannot write properly.
I think there is no example in the material world where someone is experiencing lamentation and jubilation at the same time.
Actually to be satisfied even in lamentation.
You are lamenting, let me give you an ice cream, or something.
Category: [Emotions / Happiness], [Emotions / Sorrow], [Kṛṣṇa (Godhead) / Pastimes], [Śrī Caitanya-līlā / Lord Caitanya]
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a very blissful process. But some resentment owing to some bad interactions we had with devotees occupy so much of the mind that absorption and focus in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because difficult, and again and again same thoughts come when we see those devotees. How to overcome all this and absorb in service to our guru?
Questioner: Hemāṅga Haladhara dāsa
Date: 2022-08-05
Jayapatākā Swami: This is the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
Not that you should be focused on bad experiences.
That would distract your Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Some bad behavior we may be committed that we would not like to do such bad behavior with others,
but other than that
we really don’t want to be focused on bad experiences,
other than thinking how to avoid such activities.
We see that Lord Nityānanda, He was merciful.
Even though He was hit on the head with a wine bottle,
He did not feel any anger or jealousy to that person.
He wanted to give mercy to that person.
So like that, everybody in the material world,
has some defect
and we try to avoid committing mistakes
having defects
in our spiritual life.
Category: [Anarthās], [Aparādha (Offenses) / Vaiṣṇava-aparādha], [Emotions / Envy], [Emotions / Sorrow], [Sādhanā / Sevā], [Vaiṣṇava Dealings / Cooperation]
Since I came to know that why we have come to this material world, I feel myself fallen and very sinful. Is it ok to think like that?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-10-29
Jayapatākā Swami: Very good!
Lord Caitanya said that
we should be very humble to all.
To think oneself very sinful, fallen is a humble state of mind.
But in the humble state of mind, one should not lose their enthusiasm.
They should remain enthusiastic, not to remain in the fallen state.
We should not think that I am sinful and therefore I should not practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Because we are sinful that is why we should practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
That way we can solve our problems.
Category: [Emotions / Humility], [Emotions / Sorrow], [Material World]
When we go for book distribution, people say we have this book and then we feel bad. What to do?
Questioner: Anon
Date: 2022-08-01
Jayapatākā Swami: Why should you feel bad?
It is not that everyone will take a book from you.
If they say they have this book, they say we have the Bhagavad-gītā.
Then we should ask them do you have Bhagavad-gītā As It Is? If they have, how did they like it?
Then you can ask them what is there in chapter 12 verse 32?
We know that in chapter 12 there are only 20 verses.
Do you really have the Bhagavad-gītā and do you read it?
It depends on how much time the person has, you can then have a discussion.
You can ask them how did you find reading this book?
What are the books you have? If there are many people, then you can say good and go to other people.
We want to serve the Lord.
If someone says, I have the books, then good.
Maybe they bought it from someone else.
But do they really have Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books or what books? You can inquire.
Category: [Sādhanā / Book distribution], [Emotions / Sorrow], [Emotions]
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