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Question: I am struggling with anarthas. How to do anartha-nivṛitti?
Jayapatākā Swami: Usually, bhajana-kriyā stage is the time we take initiation. Then after that with the guidance of the Guru, we get anartha-nivṛitti. We may hear from the Guru or we may have Śikṣā-Gurus who help us to overcome these anarthas. One book I translated...
Question: How to develop taste for reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books daily?
Jayapatākā Swami: If you read the books every day, your taste will increase. And I was reading last night, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that those who are somehow in connection with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they should read all of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books...
Question: Lust is always bothering and affecting my mind, and stands as an obstacle from making me a good devotee. But I want to get out of this situation? How can I get out of this situation and how can I, under any situation, keep my mind firmly fixed on the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa?
Jayapatākā Swami: I just said that we should pray to Kṛṣṇa that whatever we do, we do service in a Kṛṣṇa conscious way. Firstly, you have to get married, and then the two should pray that you have Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Hare Kṛṣṇa! 17-April-2022 Sridhama Mayapur,...
Question: How could I develop unalloyed love for Kṛṣṇa as any near material allurement distracting my mind toward it and I am unable to focus my mind on chanting and services, etc.?
Jayapatākā Swami: We should not be attracted by temporary things. Temporary things only last for short time, so we should not be distracted by them. If we are attracted by some temporary things, we should think how to do that in the service of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, we...
Question: How to check one’s connection with guru and Kṛṣṇa at every moment. Could you please enlighten me in this context?
Jayapatākā Swami: Sambhanda, abhideya and prayojana are the three things to be remembered. If we are engaged in abhideya in devotional service, then naturally our relationship with guru and Kṛṣṇa is strong. If we are not engaged in devotional service, then there is...
Question: How to perceive aparādhās in our devotional service performed as abhideya? How do we atone or correct those?
Jayapatākā Swami: The abhideya is devotional practice of devotional service and so thinking of practicing devotional service is one thing, but if you are thinking something against devotional service, that is aparādhā. To atone an aparādhā there is no higher atonement...
Question: Generally, it is considered that if a husband is always thinking about his wife, his children, it is not very Kṛṣṇa conscious. But if a devotee husband is thinking about his devotee wife, is that considered a deviation?
Jayapatākā Swami: It depends, what the thinking is. We saw in many households the wife is worshiping Deities, cooking bhoga and offering to the Deities. So like that the wife is showing a good example of serving Kṛṣṇa and if that inspires you and helps you to increase...
Question: I heard pastimes where Śrīla Prabhupāda told you to go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you asked if you could chant Nārāyaṇa-kavaca because of some problems. I was facing a lot of obstacles in devotional service, serious health issues, not able to sleep peacefully in the night for many years, etc. And it is affecting my quality of chanting in the morning also. So should we chant Narasiṁha-kavaca and pray to Lord Narasiṁhadeva also? Is it a lower form of faith in Kṛṣṇa? Should we just go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and everything will be alright? What do you suggest Guru Mahārāja?
Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda said chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you can occasionally pray to Lord Prahlāda Narasiṁha, but as a regular practice chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. 17-April-2022 Sridhama Mayapur, India
Question: We see you are so much attached to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions and feel eternally indebted to Śrīla Prabhupāda and ready to give your life and soul to fulfill them. How can we also develop such consciousness and determination giving up desire for enjoyment in this world?
Jayapatākā Swami: See, if you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it tells you how the material world is a kind of a jungle and the pleasure here is temporary. So we should side by side render devotional service. I was thinking how in this age of Kali it is recommended that most...
Question: How to understand sambanda, abhideya and prayojana with proper discrimination. Please enlighten me.
Jayapatākā Swami: Sambanda is understanding of our relationship that we are the servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Abhideya is engaging in that relationship. And prayojana is achieving the perfection of life, pure love of Kṛṣṇa. 06-May-2022 Sridhama Mayapur,...
Question: It is said nityam-bhāgavata-sevaya – does it mean that we should read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam every day or we can read any other books of Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Jayapatākā Swami: You should read all of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books but having read, you may read other books one time. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you should read every day. Bhagavad-gītā is necessary for preaching, the Bhāgavatam takes you...
Question: Sometimes devotees preach very harshly and condemn others particularly Indians who don’t completely understand the position of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They approach me and ask how come they speak so cuttingly and harshly. This turns them away. How do we respond without condemning and blaspheming the devotee who spoke harshly, and at the same time encourage the person to take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not feel hurt by such harsh words and turn away from Kṛṣṇa because of this interaction?
Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, if we follow the advice of Śrīla Prabhupāda in these verses, he said that just like Lord Caitanya spoke very sweetly, we should also speak very sweetly. Maybe you could talk to the devotee who spoke harshly and show him the purport and the...
Question: How to be Kṛṣṇa conscious? We need devotee association but in due course of time we take devotee association for granted? How to maintain proper vision for devotees?
Jayapatākā Swami: A very good question that sometime we take devotees for granted and we should not take a devotee cheaply for granted. We need the association of devotees. So we should avoid offending devotees and we should appreciate the good association they are...
Question: What if one wants to go and live in holy dhāma like Vṛndāvana or Māyāpur and serve there only? So this desire of one’s, how could it be fulfilled? Kindly enlighten Guru Mahārājajī.
Jayapatākā Swami: Thank you for your nice question. Having heard from Lord Caitanya, we should ask our spiritual master to see what his instruction is. Of course, it is recommended as one of the five things, to live in a holy place. So, we have like, some people they...
Question: Does Kṛṣṇa’s omniscience mean that He knows our future choices? If so, how is that compatible with our free will?
Jayapatākā Swami: He may know what we are going to choose, but we still have the free will to choose what we want. And we want to choose to serve Kṛṣṇa. And if He wants to know something, He will know it. But what he wants to know, how do we know? 23-February-2022...
Question: You said in one lecture that for making devotees it requires buckets of blood, and also for taking care of devotees it requires buckets of blood. The question is what is the moment when we are mature enough for taking care of someone? How can we learn the art of taking care of devotees? I am afraid that if Kṛṣṇa sends someone, maybe I will not be able to take care properly.
Jayapatākā Swami: In all the services we want to depend on Kṛṣṇa and we pray to Kṛṣṇa to helps us so that we can guide devotees appropriately and it is not that we think that oh we are ready, we may never feel that way. We always depend on Lord Kṛṣṇa or Lord Caitanya...
Question: When Śrīla Prabhupāda was instructed by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura to preach in the western world in 1922 why did Śrīla Prabhupāda take so many years to fulfill the order of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura?
Jayapataka Swami: Interesting question. We know that Śrīla Prabhupāda, he was a gṛhastha. He mentioned that in Allahabad he had a house, and it had a special room for visiting preachers. So, he facilitated many Gauḍīya Maṭha preachers. And he said that he wanted to...
Question: Is there really any difference between taking the divine initiation from our Śrīla Gurudeva directly or virtually? Please kindly forgive for any of my improper service to you.
Jayapataka Swami: As far as benefit of taking initiation directly or virtually, if you feel initiated you feel connected to the guru, that is what counts. Śrīla Prabhupāda had initiated many devotees by letter. And now sometimes due to the pandemic we have initiations...