Question: How to develop unflinching faith?

Author: Vijaya Rādhā devī dāsī
Date: 2021-07-29

Related Questions

Do Vaiṣṇavas exclusively exhibit the qualities of a brāhmaṇa or adapt as the situation requires ?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-08-29
You say that that is the work of a śūdra.
But for Kṛṣṇa, we clean the temple, that cleans our heart.
Devotee may also milk the cow, take care of the cows, or may go and do the marketing or something.
That is the vaiśya work.
Devotee may sometime defend the temple, or may organize, or manage as a kṣatriya.
Devotees also giving lecture and discussing, teaching others, its brahminical.
A devotee does all of the things, but everything he is doing as a devotional service; therefore it is transcendental.
Someone who is not transcendental, they do one thing, they do one work, and perfect that.
One who is transcendental, he can do other works if needed.
But whimsically, one need not do,
but according to the instructions.
During times of trouble devotees are reminded to live simply and think high. How is that different from what the karmīs do in a similar situation ?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-08-27
Jayapatākā Swami: You see we are trying to remember Kṛṣṇa.
And by following the path of navavida-bhakti we are trying to engage in devotional service.
And therefore, we want to return to the spiritual world to serve Kṛṣṇa personally.
But the karmīs, they are trying to find a solution to their material problems so that they can have interrupted sense gratification.
In this way they take birth after birth after birth after birth.
But we actually have this human life we should take advantage and go back to Godhead.
How can we develop even a drop of the loving surrender to Lord Caitanya like Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura?
Questioner: Rasapriyā Gopīkā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he was praying that,
he wants to fall at the lotus feet of Śrīvāsa
and beg him for that mercy.
So, we can follow the example of our previous ācāryas,
and we should surrender at the lotus feet, we should pray for the mercy of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura,
and our previous ācāryas,
for this special mercy.
Śrīla Prabhupāda
has given us this opportunity,
to engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
Actually, this is incomparable,
and people who give up their service,
it is very unfortunate.
How did Śrīla Prabhupāda instill a very strong sambandha-jñāna in you and his other disciples? We see a strong sense of identity which Śrīla Prabhupāda had with Kṛṣṇa. What was so different in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s preaching that is so rare to come across nowadays. How you all feel such a strong sense of belonging to Śrīla Prabhupāda and to Kṛṣṇa?
Questioner: Rādhe Śyāma Dāsa
Date: 2022-08-24
Jayapatākā Swami: As I said, I was looking what is the purpose of life
and a visiting professor from Harvard
had told, about the life of Lord Buddha.
And that inspired me, he told, about reincarnation and so many things.
Being in the West, we had no access to.
I don’t know how much Indian students have.
But it lit a spark in me, to find a guru, to find a teacher.
Of course, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that in my previous life I was a devotee.
Maybe there are some people who were devotees in their previous life, I don’t know,
and some people may be coming new.
So one has to be ready for different kinds of situations.
Now when I came to the temple nobody had any time for me.
They were all busy.
And then I was sent to Jayānanda Prabhu.
He was building a ratha cart.
He asked me if I knew how to hold a nail.
I held it.
Then he got it into the wood, and I took my hand away.
He said, very good!
Because that is the whole trick, how you hold the nail!
You should leave space so that you don’t get your thumb smashed.
And he said, “Do you know how to hit a nail?”
“Sure”
I said, because my uncle had a wood shop in his basement.
And then I hammered some nails,
and he said, “Okay!”, I passed the preliminary exam
and then he engaged me in service.
That service was something I liked to do, it was nice.
So, I think that is the trick for the youth. Whether it is prasāda distribution or something but engage them in something.
And with doing service, they hear from more senior devotees
and that way they get purified.
I was engaged in a lot of different services.
How do we avoid feeling envious of other devotees and their service ?
Questioner: Puja
Date: 2022-10-14
Jayapatākā Swami: You see, in the material world, people, they are competing with others in a race,
thinking I will be the first.
But in service to Kṛṣṇa, it is not that we are competing with others.
Rather, Kṛṣṇa is more pleased if they help others.
We shouldn’t be thinking that by somehow by impeding others,
or somehow if someone else excels,
somehow that is detrimental to us - it is not the case.
Everyone has a personal relationship with Kṛṣṇa,
rather the envy of others is a great impediment
- you will never be the number one!
When I said to Śrīla Prabhupāda, I am the most fallen,
he said you are not the most anything!
So that should be our mood.
There will always be some devotee who is better than us,
but we should not envy that person.
Rather we should associate and try to improve our own service.
How do we develop a state of mind where we don’t see obstacles in spiritual life as obstacles anymore?
Questioner: Rāmakānāi Mathureśa dāsa, Reading, UK
Date: 2022-10-05
Jayapatākā Swami: You just expect to have different obstacles.
If it was too easy, that wouldn’t be glorious.
So we expect there will be tests and challenges.
If we see that, we will be determined to go ahead.
How do we draw the line between constructive criticism and fault finding?
Questioner: Mathurā Lileśvarī devī dāsī, Gītā Nagarī
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: It means… Frist of all constructive means that you are telling the person, how they can improve. 
But just telling the person how they are wrong it is not constructive. 
The rule of thumb is that we don’t tender any advice constructive, otherwise to the senior devotees. 
Rather [to a] senior devotee, we ask a question. 
But we always have a right to ask a question; 
and you can get your point across, even though it is put as a question. 
Say that somebody is a senior devotee, is not behaving the way what you think is correct, 
and we say that, “Prabhu, I look to you as an example to follow 
and you have always told us we should do like this. 
But I saw that you are doing like that. 
So there must be some reason why you are doing, so can you illuminate me?” 
And if the person illuminates you or if they don’t that means you caught them doing something wrong. 
And if they are broadminded, then they will apologize 
and say that, that activity is not something to follow. 
Prabhupāda once went to see Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda Ṭhākura’s brother, 
and since he was the brother of his guru, he accepted him as a senior devotee, 
and had the good fortune of being with him at that time. 
He had previously discussed about developing the birthplace of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. 
But this time he refused. 
So Prabhupāda asked a question, 
“Isn’t it sinful, 
if somebody cannot develop the birthplace of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura 
and someone who can, is not given a chance? 
Isn’t it sinful?” 
So technically that is a question, 
“Isn’t it sinful?” 
But he got the idea across. 
So technically even he may not have liked it, 
it was not an offence 
because he asked it as a question. 
So that is the principle, we should ask as a question, 
if someone who is senior to us. 
If someone is under our care, then we can offer them constructive criticism 
or someone is a peer, equal, depending on your relationship, you can offer a constructive criticism or you could ask a question.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
How do we give up our false ego, particularly in difficult or challenging situations with other devotees?
Questioner: Nandapriyā Premā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: The false ego is [inaudible word] identify our self as the body.
If someone tells us, “Oh, you are ugly!”
We are affected
that is false ego.
If someone tells, “Oh, you are beautiful!”
and we are affected—that is false ego.
So people can say different things,
but we don’t take it so serious.
Because we know that, it is temporary.
And we want to realize our real ego which is as a servitor of Kṛṣṇa.
So false ego is a very subtle thing that ties us to this material world.
So Kṛṣṇa, He gives certain instructions to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā;
so that he can overcome the false ego,
and by dovetailing our ego in the service of Kṛṣṇa,
that is a positive situation
for instance, Arjuna was a father,
he was a householder, he was a prince,
he was a general, in charge of the army.
So Kṛṣṇa did not tell him that you should give up everything and be a sannyāsī,
rather He said, you should carry out your duties as what you are;
but you should do so as an offering to Me.
So Lord Caitanya also said, “gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko
Whether you are gṛhastha or a mendicant,
you should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa
loudly and stay fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
How to avoid frivolous conversations?
Questioner: Nikhil Raj, Bhopal
Date: 2022-10-15
Jayapatākā Swami: We have some very serious devotees in Māyāpur.
You can ask the residents of Māyāpur and they will confirm. One is Jananivāsa Prabhu.
Whenever he would come and talk Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
but if the discussion became a bit different,
he would leave.
You turn around he is gone.
As long as you are Kṛṣṇa conscious he will be there.
Loose talk and he is gone.
Also, some people they are able to change the topic.
If someone is talking loose talk,
they know how to change the topic.
And bring them around to serious talk.
Then if people are very addicted to loose talk they won’t like to stay around you.
Question: How to remain enthusiastic despite challenges we face in serving Kṛṣṇa?
—Bhakta dāsa, ISKCON Baroda
Jayapatākā Swami: You see there will always be some tests.
Māyā will test you, are you really sincere?
You want to serve Kṛṣṇa or you are just playing around.
So many devotees here.
I give class every day, more or less every day.
Wherever you are, Bhopal, Vadodara, you can watch the class,
either by Facebook or Zoom.
Question: How to overcome the enjoyment mentality?
Jayapatākā Swami: We maintain our enthusiasm
when we have a taste for spiritual life.
Like in different stages of devotional service like bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛtti, niṣṭhā, ruci,
ruci means taste.
You have a taste, you want to do more and more service.
And one time, in Montreal, mother and father came to see the son. Put their arm around him talked to him nicely.
But when they got to the doorway, they grabbed him and told him to go home.
Then he held on the door
and they were pulling his feet and Śrīla Prabhupāda when he heard he said he is attached.
After ruci comes āsakti, attachment.
You have to be attached to resist your parents like that.
So anyway, by devotional service we gradually get taste, we get attached
and in this way we desire to render devotional service more and more.
♦ ♦ ♦
I was discussing with a devotee today.
He told me that for every sevā or preaching project we are engaged in we must have a vision for that.
Guru Mahārāja, my question is..
Question: if I am serving under the authority, can I have a vision for the project?
What if our authority has different ways or visions?
—Amṛteśa Gaura dāsa, Bhubaneswar
Jayapatākā Swami: You see it may be different it may be the same.
If you have a vision that you want to serve Kṛṣṇa,
you want to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement,
maybe some individual differences.
But if your reason is Kṛṣṇa conscious then it doesn’t matter.
♦ ♦ ♦
So thank you for asking so many questions
How to develop tolerance?
Questioner: Rādhā Śrī
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: Rādhā Śrī! How to develop tolerance for everything? It is very hard to tolerate the absence of Kṛṣṇa 
and the absence of Prabhupāda. 
So that is called vipralambha-bhāva 
or feeling separation. 
That is something we don’t have to tolerate. 
We can cry. 
But all these false ego things I was talking about before, 
we tolerate those,
because we know that they are not constructive. 
So unless we can do something for Kṛṣṇa, we tolerate it and we don’t do it. 
So as we develop more attachment for Kṛṣṇa, it is easier to tolerate material things. 
So what we should do as a human being is learn more about Kṛṣṇa. 
And to develop our affection and attraction for Kṛṣṇa. 
And then it is very easy to tolerate all the other things.
How to develop unflinching faith?
Questioner: Vijaya Rādhā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-10-17
How to develop unflinching faith?
Questioner: Vijaya Rādhā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: To associate with devotees
who have unflinching faith.
Otherwise the process of bhakti-yoga
is to gradually increase your faith,
then it becomes unflinching.
How to forget and forgive people who did wrong to us?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-09-06
Jayapatākā Swami: We could remember Lord Nityānanda,
He was hit in the head by Mādhāi
with a clay pot.
He was caused to bleed,
and He said, “Just because you caused Me to bleed, does that mean I will not give you love of Godhead?”
So, we take everything, ultimately, if someone is doing something to us, we are thinking,
we take it that it is our karma.
That the person is acting as an instrument for our karma.
We don’t take that person responsible.
That they don’t know what they are doing.
So in different ways we remember how the bull and cow were beaten by the personality of Kali
but they did not hold the personality of Kali responsible.
And Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, he was Ajātaśatru,
he did not look at anyone as his enemy.
He was a well-wisher to everyone.
So, even his enemies found that it was better
to be a friend, to follow him because he was a well-wisher to everyone.
How to keep one enthusiastic at all times despite what situation one is in?
Questioner: Yaśodā Kṛṣṇa.
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: If you associate with enthusiastic devotees
you will also be enthusiastic.
And knowing how wonderful is Kṛṣṇa,
and how when you take one step towards Kṛṣṇa, He takes ten steps towards you.
So how can you fail to be enthusiastic?
How to recognize a real Vaiṣṇava?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2024-03-15
In Bhagavad-Gītā I think Arjuna asked this question.
In the Bhāgavatam this question is asked
and the answer is given.
So generally, you see the anubhāvas are something that people cannot imitate.
The bhāvas, some people may cry,
that could be imitated.
But the anubhāvas, like losing something material
and being unaffected,
being always fixed in devotional service,
in spite of many difficulties.
All these are anubhāvas.
They cannot be easily imitated.
So there are 11 anubhāvas
and you can read about them.
So those who have these anubhāvas,
you can know them to be Vaiṣṇavas.
How to tolerate bodily pains and carry on enthusiastically in devotional service ?
Questioner: Sureśvara Nimāi dāsa
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: Well, if you can do that, it is a sign of being very advanced. 
Usually when we are suffering, it is hard to render devotional service enthusiastically. 
But some devotees are able to do so; 
and that depends on how grateful you are to the guru, or how you are attached to Gaurāṅga or Kṛṣṇa. 
Also, how bad is the material suffering you are going through? 
I fear that if I convey a harsh truth to a dear one, it could strain the relationship. Please guide me what to do?
Questioner: Jayarāseśvarī devī dāsī
Date: 2022-08-27
Jayapatākā Swami: That is why we only tell the palatable truth.
We don’t tell things that we know which would disturb the people.
One of the key questions I have is about forgiveness. Maharāja spoke about how Rukmī’s hair was cut and Balarāma almost chastised Kṛṣṇa that this is not how you cut people’s hair. That brings us to the point of forgiveness - how can we build on this quality because it is so important right now to have this mood of forgiveness, because it actually impacts our service.
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2023-01-21
Jayapatākā Swami: It is interesting
that two days ago was the Putradā Ekādaśī.
So some people want children,
they observe Putradā Ekādaśī.
But in the glories of this Ekādaśī,
it is said that for the
renounced people or people who don’t want children,
they observe this Ekādaśī
to get the child of forgiveness,
because forgiveness is a quality that Vaiṣṇavas need.
We were reading today how,
some foolish student
was criticizing Lord Caitanya
when He was in the mood of a gopī,
a Vraja-vāsī, He was chanting the name, Gopī, gopī!
The foolish student came and told Lord Caitanya, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, why are You chanting gopī, gopī?
They did not understand that Lord Caitanya, at that moment, He was in a different mood.
He was in the mood of Rādhārāṇī,
or some gopī-bhāva.
And they did not understand that.
And they were thinking ill against Him.
They wanted to attack Him, or to take some retribution.
So then Lord Caitanya was thinking,
I came to deliver the most fallen,
but if these people they offend Me,
they don’t pay their obeisances to Me,
they will be deprived of the mercy!
So like that He was thinking how can I get these people to offer their respect to Me, and thus take up bhakti-yoga.
So He had the mood of forgiveness.
So it is very important, that we also adopt this mood.
And somehow, that thing we should practice regularly.
We don’t take the offences of anyone,
as something directly to them.
So we take it that,
we have some karma which is because of something,
we caused suffering for someone else.
And therefore, we are getting the reaction.
Somehow we take it indirectly,
and do not take that persona as responsible, and we forgive them.
And then we go on.
Just like Lord Jesus,
He was crucified, He was innocent,
but He prayed,
please forgive them, they know not what they do.
Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura,
he was beaten in 22 marketplaces.
Normally one would die after 2 or 3,
but he was surviving even after 22 marketplaces.
Because he prayed to Kṛṣṇa,
please forgive these executioners,
they don’t know what they do.
The executioners were very frustrated.
He asked them, why are you so unhappy?
They said, because you are alive.
Because you are alive, the king will punish us.
So he said, if I die, will you be happy?
They said, Oh! So happy!  So happy!  Please die!
So then he lay down and went into nirvikalpa-samādhi.
Then they thought he was dead.
Then they told the king, ok, he is dead.
So how these great souls,
they have forgiveness.
Like Lord Jesus was saying,
one who is sinless throw the first stone.
So naturally, we all have committed various offences.
So rather than wishing ill on anyone,
we rather forgive them.
That is the special qualify of a Vaiṣṇava,
that quality Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa, They had.
There are 12 qualities required to qualify as a brāhmaṇa. If cannot even acquire even one of them, can I become a brāhmaṇa?
Questioner: Sukamala Nityānanda dāsa
Date: 2022-08-24
We should try to achieve all the 12 qualities.
And if we have difficulty in anyone, we can contact our senior godbrother or godsister or guru.
Taking initiation is like taking a new birth.
After birth there are other things by practicing you can develop.
It is not that just from birth you will have all the qualities you have to practice and acquire them.
We are generally advised to speak palatable truth. However, we also see that Vidura preached the unpalatable truth to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. How do we adjust our preaching as the situation demands ?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-08-27
Jayapatākā Swami: To do this, one should use his common sense.
Like he went to the Pāṇḍavas and he did not want to make them unhappy and tell them that Lord Kṛṣṇa had already departed.
But with Dhṛtarāṣṭra it was another situation. Therefore, he comes and speaks harshly to Dhṛtarāṣṭra so that he is encouraged to take up devotional service.
So, preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness takes a lot of common sense.
In different situations we have to act differently.
I guess, this may be frustrating but there is no easy formula I can tell you.
That is why, we hear the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam where we find that Vidura according to different situations, he behaves differently.
What can we, as parents, do to make our children determined devotees like Dhruva Mahārāja?
Questioner: Ratikeli Rādhikā devī dāsī
Date: 2022-10-05
Jayapatākā Swami: Teach them by your example
and encourage them that anything they do in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Just like Śrīla Prabhupāda, his father gave him Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa small Deities to practice pūjā.
And also gave him a Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā ratha.
So he was happy to have this Kṛṣṇa conscious play.
What does it mean to want to become a devotee? Is being a devotee different from being the Lord's servant ?
Questioner: Jayā Gopālī devī dāsī, Russia
Date: 2022-10-17
Jayapatākā Swami: A devotee means a servant of the Supreme Lord. 
I don’t think there is any difference. 
You see, in this material world, 
people want to be a member of the Legislative Assembly, 
or Councilor of some municipality, 
or to be a Member of Parliament, 
be a minister 
or be a Prime Minister
or be a President. 
But actually, to be a devotee of the Lord is the most wonderful position. 
All these temporary things in the material world, 
being a king, being a president, 
at the end of life they will still be punished by Yamarāja, in the precincts of Hell. 
So, the real thing is to be a dāsa, to be a servant of the Lord, 
and we should all aspire for that transcendental position. 
Lord Brahmā, who is the first living entity of this universe, 
he likes to be addressed as a servitor of the Supreme Lord, 
Lord Śiva, He likes to be addressed as a servitor of the Lord, 
Durgā is known as Vaiṣṇavī, 
she likes to be considered as a maidservant of the Lord. 
The most exalted living entities in this universe, 
aspire to be a servant of the Lord, 
a devotee of the Lord, 
so that should be our aspiration, 
and other things in the material world, in themselves, they are not very useful. 
Unless we can use them in the service of Kṛṣṇa. 
Yudhistira, he was the emperor of the world, 
but the position he really aspired was, to always be a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. 
So, he ruled his empire as a service to Kṛṣṇa, 
all of us, whatever our position is, 
should try to serve the Lord, 
with whatever ability or power that we have.
What is the difference between a Vaiṣṇava and a pure Vaiṣṇava?
Questioner: Jayarāseśvarī devī dāsī
Date: 2022-08-01
Jayapataka Swami: Anyone who chants one time, Hare Kṛṣṇa, is a Vaiṣṇava.
But a pure Vaiṣṇava is, that you are not doing karma-miśra-bhakti, devotion mixed with fruitive activities.
I am not saying aśuddha, I am saying karma-miśra or jñāna-miśra-bhakti.
How can a Vaiṣṇava be aśuddha?
But we want pure devotion.
That gives love of Kṛṣṇa.
And karma-miśra-bhakti may give, like heavenly planets or some fruitive benefits.
Jñāna-mixed-bhakti may give like, impersonal liberation.
We want pure bhakti.
What particular quality is in the devotee, is it that really attracts the Lord?
Questioner: Devotee
Date: 2022-08-24
Jayapatākā Swami: The devotee, when a devotee render pure devotional service,
that’s attractive to the Lord. The conditioned soul, acting in the material world,
independently is that nothing really very attractive about that to the Lord.
In accordance with their desire to serve the Lord, in accordance with their desire to approach the Lord,
it becomes more attractive. It is more glorious when someone wants to do some religious principle.
It is even better if they want to become liberated from the material world.
But he when he realizes the super soul but, the best is when someone is engaging in pure devotional service.
That’s really attractive for the Lord. Just like we have a small child but
when the baby is relating with you, depending on you, there is some attraction there.
Even though one sense insignificant but in another sense and especially
when the baby is trying to say their father’s name, they recognize and say you know,
“da, da” or something, that’s a special.
So, it is a happiness for the mother and father you know, it’s like a little high point there.
So, when the conditioned soul remembers Kṛṣṇa and wants to serve Kṛṣṇa,
that pure devotional service is attractive even to Kṛṣṇa.
Not only attractive, but it can purchase Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa promises to reciprocate although we are insignificant, but if we give our whole self to Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa would give His whole self to us. Talk about a business deal. (laughter)
There’s no great king or great person even if some political follower
gives his wife you know for the leader, this leader is not gonna reciprocate
and give everything just for the one little person.
Because he has this one person, he has to see over so many.
But Kṛṣṇa being unlimited, He can individually expand and individually relate to each devotee.
He is not limited like that. So, He can reciprocate, although we are insignificant
but He can, He is so unlimited that He can relate with each insignificant part of Him.
He is not limited.
But like one president, he has got millions or 250 million people,
how can he personally relate with each individual.
It is beyond his capacity. He can only have a cabinet of 20 people and
talk with a few congress committee chairmen.
He can hardly relate to all the representatives in the house of congress.
What to speak of you know in a personal way. It would take his whole time.
He has only 24 hours in a day.
But Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. He is not limited by time also.
In the spiritual world, there is no limitation of time.
So, Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself unlimitedly. He can be having unlimited simultaneous pastimes
going on. So, because of Kṛṣṇa’s grace, although we are so insignificant,
that doesn’t limit Kṛṣṇa because He is so unlimitedly great.
He can relate and He becomes attracted when we approach Him in pure devotional service.
Not only that, They have to purchase. The way to attract even when we do a little devotional service.
He is attracted. Is that clear?
What qualifications other than Bhakti-śāstrī you want us to develop to take brāhmaṇa initiation?
Questioner: Hari-Hara Caitanya dāsa
Date: 2022-08-24
Basically, you have to read some Śrīla Prabhupāda books.
You have to be regular in chanting and attending programs.
If there is anything you did not complete before the first initiation checklist, that should be completed before second initiation.
And also, other things, you can talk to the JPS Office.