Question: What do you want your disciples to avoid?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I want to improve my spiritual and devotional service. I am not able to attend maṅgala-ārati sometimes – is it an offence?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What to do when we know we are falling in bhakti but not be able to save ourselves?
Jayapatākā...
Question: After taking initiation from you, whom can we consider as our śikṣā-guru? Can we consider a devotee from whom we are getting regular guidance and training as our śikṣā-guru?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to manage bhakti and family relationships at the same time, when they are not devotees?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Spiritual master does so much for us, he is so merciful, but my heart is so contaminated. I am stonehearted, I don’t feel anything for him. What should I do to increase my love and devotion to him, dear Mahārāja. Please enlighten me.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How do we do sevā in the right consciousness, not in the mode of passion or ignorance?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What were your thoughts when you saw Śrīla Prabhupāda for the first time?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to be fixed in spiritual level of devotion within this material world and how to develop spiritual greed?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can I impress Śrī Śrī Gaura Nitāi and how can I be one of Their favorite servants?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Generally, there is a thought among devotees that kids who are devotees by birth never take Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously. What should we do as parents to make our kids as genuine devotees?
Jayapatākā...
Question: When I cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra on mālā due to some busy schedule of work, in such case how can I complete that gap?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Can you please let me know what are the services I can do every day that will please you?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What was the advice given by Śrīla Prabhupāda to you that you would like to give us?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to remove bad habits in the self, being in society and how to increase our spiritual consciousness, ever increasing till the end?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Kuntī devī prayed to have calamities so that she always remembered Kṛṣṇa. Is this an ideal way to keep our mind on Kṛṣṇa instead of meditating on our problems?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to deal with older devotees who are moody and ultimately cause fear in new people or community instead of motivation to serve?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We should surrender the body, mind, and words, but my mind is very uncontrolled. It is very painful that something which I don’t want to remember or think of again, keeps popping up in my mind which may be an offensive thought. Please kindly tell me what should I do?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How did you feel connected to Śrīla Prabhupāda after his departure? How did you understand what would please Śrīla Prabhupāda in a particular situation? Which aspects of devotional service pleases you the most?
Jayapatākā...
Why should we take second initiation?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can I progress in devotional life? Please kindly explain.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we always remain fixed with the same frame of mind in practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness till the end of our life?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s associates are all also mostly there in Kṛṣṇa-līlā. How is it possible that in the spiritual world, how one soul appears in Kṛṣṇa-līlā, in Goloka and Gaura-līlā in Śvetadvīpa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Externally we can see you are undergoing so many challenges and unstoppable. Is it because of your love for Śrīla Prabhupāda? Why cannot we develop such qualities to serve guru even 0.001 per cent?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I am doing bhakti in all possible ways but still my anarthas are not going. Please advise me.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why do we need to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously that we go back to Godhead in this life only? We could practice it little by little and in the next lifetime we can get devotee parents? Why not this way?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Is it a good practice to understand that everything good is happening in our life due to Kṛṣṇa’s mercy and everything bad is because of our bad karma. How to understand this right?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I was discussing with a devotee today. He told me that for every seva or preaching project we are engaged in we must have a vision for that. Guru Mahārāja, my question is if I am serving under the authority, can I have a vision for the project? What if our authority has different ways or visions?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to overcome the enjoyment mentality?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to remain enthusiastic despite challenges we face in serving Kṛṣṇa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to stop loose talk with other devotees because it harms our spiritual consciousness?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I want to offer myself in the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda but I am afraid of my attachments to material things and conditioning.
Jayapatākā...
Question: I have very deep rooted desire to enjoy so it hurdles my spiritual desire. How to get desire to serve?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What keeps you motivated to preach even with so many difficulties, especially with your old age?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we select the right guru?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How do we get enough intelligence so that we can protect ourselves from bewilderment of māyā because māyā is more intelligent than us?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I am struggling with anarthas. How to do anartha-nivṛitti?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to develop taste for reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books daily?
Jayapatākā...
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...
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...
Question: How to check one’s connection with guru and Kṛṣṇa at every moment. Could you please enlighten me in this context?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to perceive aparādhās in our devotional service performed as abhideya? How do we atone or correct those?
Jayapatākā...
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...
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...
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...
Question: How to understand sambanda, abhideya and prayojana with proper discrimination. Please enlighten me.
Jayapatākā...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Question: Does Kṛṣṇa’s omniscience mean that He knows our future choices? If so, how is that compatible with our free will?
Jayapatākā...
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...
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...
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...
Question: How should we deal with favoritism in the material world. If it affects our spiritual life too then it happens among devotees. Guru Mahārāja how to see this?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we reciprocate with devotees who prefer to have a bhajanānandī lifestyle within ISKCON?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we become more appreciative in our day to day life since as human beings our natural inclination is towards criticism and seeing the defects around us disfavoring us in the cultivation of good qualities?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to overcome fear and what is the sign of full surrender to the lotus feet?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I had a question on my mind for a long time now and especially in the time of the pandemic. So when I hear at the crucial times of some devotee’s health situations it sometimes looks as if he or she may make some decisions that seems more in the direction of leaving their bodies rather than live. How to understand or see this in a Kṛṣṇa conscious way?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to feel that we are always connected to your lotus feet and you are always with us?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How do we know if we are talking prajalpa because sometimes with devotees we need to talk something not Kṛṣṇa related or some management issues. But how to identify if we are doing prajalpa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I have too many negative thoughts about Vaiṣṇavas and in spiritual life I don’t seem like making any progress. I feel like I will go crazy if this is how it continues. What should I do?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Could you please explain what is the most effective way to make people realize that we need to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously right away. Many people understand the concepts but do not develop the faith. P.S. This is with regard to Bhakti-vṛkṣa. We are a study group discussing Bhagavad-gītā for the last two years but even now there are many doubts in people. I feel responsible for not being a good example for them.
Jayapatākā...
Question: No matter how hard I try I cannot escape the association of non-devotees. I am a college student who has to spend my morning till evening, with people who are materialists, Māyāvādīs or atheists. How to stay unaffected and firm on devotional path in such a situation, when I have to spend half of my day in such an association?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Is there a time to become completely free from māyā and go to Godhead. How to realize this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Regarding first initiation. Apart from four regulative principles, and 16 rounds chanting, and reading Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 1 etc. do we need to develop any Vaiṣṇava qualities also to be eligible to take first initiation?
Jayapatākā...
Question: After spending some years in devotional service sometimes it happens that past sinful life comes and troubles us in practicing the process. It may be from previous births as well. How should we deal with such a situation Mahārāja?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a very blissful process, but some resentment, some bad interactions we had with devotees occupy so much of the mind, that absorption and focus in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes difficult, and again and again same thoughts come when we see that devotee. How to overcome all this and absorb in service to our guru?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Gross body is changing continuously from boyhood to youth to old age, but we are the same being with same spiritual identity. And also, we remember some past memories because we are the living spark which does not change, Guru Mahārāja, please help me understand is there any role of the DNA in maintaining our identity and any role of our mind, intelligence, in remembering past memories?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can young gṛhastha couples practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness in a way that they can serve and assist you in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission and perfect themselves in one lifetime?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I am stuck in reading the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. I have read Caitanya-caritāmṛta before and heard many stories that are wonderful. But now since few years I cannot read beyond first few books because I don’t understand the philosophy. Should I go on or conclude that I don’t have that level and stick to Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this opportunity to ask my question.
Jayapatākā...
Question: It is said that if a person wants to go back to Godhead he or she needs to take dīkṣā. What if a person aspires to take but dies before taking initiation? Which destination the soul will reach Mahārāja?
Jayapatākā...
Question: : What to do when we cannot reach you for some important decision making and guidance? At the same time whatever guidance; we receive from the seniors are not satisfactory and not solving the issues?
Jayapatākā...
Question: In Caitanya-caritāmṛta there are many stories connected with Islam. Somewhere there is some information about Europe. Christianity of that time. What can Guru Mahārāja tell on their topics?
Jayapatākā...
Question: If I fix my mind to do a particular number of rounds for you every day but fail to complete some days, is it an offence?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the right mood to accept glorification when devotees glorify us for our services on some occasions like birthdays, etc.?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We are fallen souls. Is it suitable for us to observe birthday?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I was working in a place where other staff are Muslims. I used to carry water in a bottle to drink water. From the same bottle, they also drink sometime. Once I heard that a devotee should not take anything from the same utensil. So I am a bit confused. What should I do now? Allow them to drink or not? Please guide me. And also please guide me how I can preach in this situation and stay Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Jayapatākā...
Question: I had some fixed time for study of scriptures. Now I am reading the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, which will end in a few months. Thus, I hope it will be one round of all Śrīla Prabhupāda books. All your books, all the volumes of Śrīla Prabhupāda Līlāmṛta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Until publication of your Caitanya Book, what will be the best for me to read daily?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How do we know that you are pleased with us and we are progressing in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How do we develop favorable relationships with devotees?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to be free from laziness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Jayapatākā...
Question: In a class we heard to get Lord Nityānanda’s kṛpa we need to get guru-kṛpa. How can we get and be qualified to get guru-kṛpa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to prioritize and manage our time between, our own sādhana, material duties and giving time every day to Bhakti-vṛkṣa members?
Jayapatākā...
Question: If a brahmacārī is facing so many challenges in the āśrama from inside, and agitated mind making bhakti distressful for him, should he change the āśrama or what to do?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we make Kṛṣṇa consciousness accessible to all including those with learning difficulties and special educational needs?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You said with devotees we should feel connected. Sometimes it happens that devotees hurt with their selfish behavior.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why did Dhṛtarāṣṭra even though of all the processes of yoga, bhakti-yoga is the top, why did Dhṛtarāṣṭra opt for aṣṭāṅga-yoga and does Śrīla Prabhupāda support this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I am studying in college and want to join ISKCON being inspired by devotees and Śrīla Prabhupāda books. The ISKCON Youth Forum authorities have instructed me to complete my studies and then join. I am doing this. While studying I come across many prajalpa in the studies when the teachers in the class are teaching the studies. Under these circumstances how should I deal with this prajalpa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You often talk about devotee care. What should be the attitude when a Mātājī is taking care of a Prabhu, or a Prabhu is taking care of a Mātājī?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why do we celebrate the disappearance day of previous ācāryas?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What should we pray to Lord Kṛṣṇa in this New Year 2022?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You said we should not grieve for the departure of any material body when we know the soul is still there, but still being in Kṛṣṇa consciousness we shed tears and mourn for any material departure of near and dear ones. Please suggest how can we make ourselves understand those circumstances?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Śukadeva Gosvāmī was an impersonalist devotee before he heard the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Vyasadeva, but we also hear that Śukadeva was Rādhārāṇī’s parrot, that he was chased by Lord Śiva when he heard the Bhāgavatam, etc. so how is it that such a dear associate of Rādhārāṇī acted as an impersonalist worshiper, though he hears the Bhāgavatam from Lord Śiva, as well as Vyāsadeva when he was in the womb?
Jayapatākā...
Question: There are so many challenges which took place in Māyāpur while you were building the temple and we still see so many challenges which are coming. So Mahārāja, how do you deal with all those challenges?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is your instruction for the next generation of ISKCON?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Could you share some pastimes, your personal pastimes with Śrīla Prabhupāda which specially inspired you to dedicate your life in his service?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Mahārāja you mentioned that one should practice bhakti with determination, we see you as a personification of this condition. In so many years, you have been practicing and spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness under difficult conditions, across the world. So what is the secret of your determination in your service to Śrīla Prabhupāda so that we can follow in your footsteps.
Jayapatākā...
Question: In Vrndavana in Mangala Arati they sing ‘Vibhavari sesa’ and in Mayapur they sing ‘Samsara dhava’ prayers. How to understand this Guru Maharaj?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the best and easiest way to preach?
Jayapataka...
Question: We often hear you say, “it is a slow process”. Then is it valid to think that it is understandable or even okay if initiated disciples are not chanting and following strictly?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should one do while staying in Vrndavan or any holy dhama to make the maximum for one’s spiritual growth?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the real meaning of sankirtan? And how could it be practiced practically?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we use our professional position in the material world to help expand bhakti vrksa in the western world? As a councilor, in London, how can I assist to expand?
Jayapataka...
Question: What does the deity of Lord Jagannath alone signify? Many temples have only Jagannath deity in Gaudiya Matts.
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it okay to ask for forgiveness in Koladvip alone or must we also beg for forgiveness from the vaisnava we offended as well?
Jayapataka...
Question: I listen to many of your classes. I have a problem; I cannot remember everything. So what do I do about that?
Jayapataka...
Question: What all you did to please Srila Prabhupada and what should we do to please you, to make you happy? You made your guru Srila Prabhupada happy by doing so many services, what should we do to please you and make you happy?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes we feel strong in Krsna consciousness, sometimes weak and sometimes we feel Krsna is with me and sometimes Krsna is not with me. How to remain strong in Krsna consciousness?
Jayapataka...
Question: As you mentioned a little association can make the change. If one does not have much devotee association but he is reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books regularly and listening to your classes will they be successful? Please enlighten me dear spiritual father.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Sometimes we are not able to physically reside in holy dhāma but we should reside in the holy dhāma mentally. How can we nicely reside mentally in the holy dhāma.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How do we understand the difference between good and great devotee?
Jayapatākā...
Question: As you said in today’s class if we associate with more pure devotees, we can overcome our offenses, but how do we avoid offences from non-devotees who rarely believe in Kṛṣṇa or chanting, although we are sometimes bound to be in touch with them? If you could please suggest what should we do here?
Jayapatākā...
Question: The great souls like Vidura and Haridāsa Ṭhākura were associates of the Lord and they were themselves great devotees of the Lord, so it was very easy for Them to have the people to have these facilities, but fallen souls like us what to speak of giving association to them, we ourselves get affected by material association and we go down, so what to do in this kind of situation?
Jayapatākā...
Question: One should try to make more devotees or try to absorb one in devotional activities, chanting, reading and serving Deities?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You were reminding us that around the world they are saying that there is some crisis going on. So, we as devotees, we are also reminded to live simply and think high. So, I was curious that how is that different from what say the karmīs they are doing, like doing some remedies to help themselves against this crisis. What is the difference?
Jayapatākā...
Question: As you said that everyone should chant the name of God no matter what religion he belongs. Anyone who is a sincere follower of Jesus Christ follows the principles of Bible, will he enter the Kingdom of God as Jesus Christ has said? This Kingdom of God which Lord Jesus Christ talks about, is it the same as our Vaikuṇṭha or something else?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Guru Mahārāja in the last class we were told that if we speak the truth we should speak palatably. Today’s class we hear that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was spoken to very harshly by Vidura. To whom and how should we behave and tell the truth, because in order to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Vidura can speak harshly to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, but in what situation we should speak harsh words and to whom should we not? Please guide us.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the topmost yoga system. In order to very scientifically present Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the scientific world can we be engaged in any kind of service in this subject matter?
Jayapatākā...
Question: As we can see that when Vidurajī was insulted by Duryodhana then Vidurajī converted this adverse situation into an opportunity to visit holy places, to associate with saintly people. Guru Mahārāja, how we can also use such adversities in our life too because when such problems or adversities come, we become morose and disturbed and these adversities only become unfavorable in absorption in our spiritual activities.
Jayapatākā...
Question: As you explained that ¼th of the cosmic manifestation is material and ¾th is spiritual world. Guru Mahārāja can a time come when all the people will go to the spiritual world and all the people will be liberated, and no one will be there in the material world?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Bhakti-śāstrī course is only for initiated devotees alone? Can uninitiated devotees also take this course?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Please Guru Mahārāja, tell us what we should do to take initiation?
Jayapatākā...
Question: If the conditioned souls are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned, how to understand our original eternal position, if they are eternally conditioned?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Is Maheśa dhāma a part of the spiritual world or material world?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You said that truth has to be conveyed in a palatable manner. But I fear that if I convey the harsh truth to a very near and dear one that could result in straining the relationship. Please guide me what to do.
Jayapatākā...
Question: We are a South Indian Tamil family – at what stage will our aparādhās will not be forgiven?
Jayapatākā...
Question: The Queens of Dvāraka to heal Kṛṣṇa’s headache they denied to-give their dust from their lotus feet but they are still devotees of Kṛṣṇa right? How can we understand this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You mentioned to be dependent on Lord Kṛṣṇa but sometimes we say we are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, at the same time neglect our responsibility. How to understand that we are serving Kṛṣṇa and at the same time also dependent on Kṛṣṇa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Śrīla Prabhupāda gave second initiation to a disciple. And then the disciple asked Śrīla Prabhupāda have I become a brāhmaṇa now? Śrīla Prabhupāda said I have given you the opportunity to achieve all the twelve qualities of a brāhmaṇa. If I cannot even acquire 1 quality of the 12 can I become a brāhmaṇa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: As you mentioned that only 12% of your disciples are second initiated. What qualifications other than Bhakti-śāstrī you want us to develop to take brāhmaṇa initiation?
Jayapatākā...
Question: When we offer bhoga to the Lord, what should be our mentality be? What should we pray?
Jayapatākā...
Bhakti Advaita Navadvīpa Swami: All the devotees draw Govardhana, as we heard you did not like, so we did not do but all the other temples did. Kindly guide us Guru Mahārāj.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How if one takes prasāda with non-vegetarian food, is this acceptable or sinful?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we understand the mood and mentality of the spiritual master. We see in the case of Śrīla Prabhupāda in 1977 when he felt a little better, he wanted to go on Govardhana parikramā, and many of his disciples they did not want him to go, out of love for Śrīla Prabhupāda that he would not be able to bear the situation. And also we see in the case of Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī he wanted his body to be dragged through the streets of Navadvīpa after his departure, but Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura did not want it. So how do we understand the mood and mentality of the spiritual master?
Jayapatākā...
Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Mahārāja: I have one question. How to observe Bhīṣma Pañcaka? If you could guide us.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Kindly let me know how to get children, teenagers attracted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Jayapatākā...
Question: These days most of the children are born of caesarean even for devotees. During caesarean they can decide the desired time when to take out the baby. How they can have accurate horoscope from this kind of birth?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You said that to raise the children is the most important duty of ladies. Śrīla Prabhupāda also emphasized this point. My question is in devotional service for a lady other than raising children, what are the other things she can do to make advance in spiritual life. And if she wants to do service outside, to do bhakti in a nicer way, what she should do?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We have twins aged ten months and I am not able to chant and do my services to the Deities properly any longer. Sometime back I had a dream in which Lord Jagannātha came and said ‘you don’t need us any more, you have a son and daughter.’ what should I do? Please guide me.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How should a Vaiṣṇava behave when facing imminent threat to one’s safety?
Jayapatākā...
Question: As you said that in this material world, at every step there is danger, and we should give this hope that it would be a nice place. But Guru Mahārāja, if the whole world becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa just like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that in every town and village My name will be chanted, then still this material world would act in its own way, and remain a dangerous place? Or will it become better?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa with the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī then how could He feel the rasa of emotion which happened during Kaṁsa-vadha?
Jayapatākā...
Question: In the śāstra it says that the ideal disciple is one who does not talk about his material aspects to the guru. Then will the disciple not be able to ask the guru questions to get solution for any of his problems?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Due to the preaching effort of devotees many people are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness amongst them are many young children who are engaged in studies. They spend a lot of money studying and get financial help from their families and parents. Now these people, when they come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness if we allure them or enthuse them with financial help, do you think this would be a good proposal? What is your opinion in this matter?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we navigate the dangers of this material world? Should we only be proactive in devotion and leave the rest to Gaurāṅga?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You said that those who have received the mercy of Lord Caitanya should be very careful and alert. How will we understand that we have received the mercy of Lord Caitanya?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You have explained how the residents of Dvārakā and the residents of Navadvīpa were so eager to see and receive Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya. In this Kali-yuga, the Supreme Lord is manifesting as the worshipable Deity to accept our services. How should we develop our love and reciprocate with the Lord in His Deity form?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the perfect stage and time to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we heard that Lord Rāmacandra got coronated as the king, we don’t hear or read anywhere about Kṛṣṇa or Balarāma getting coronated as a king. Can you kindly clarify Guru Mahārāja?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I recently heard from a reputed ISKCON sannyāsī that Hari-bhakti-vilāsa is not a śāstra because it falls rather in the category of sādhu and guru and therefore its statements cannot be taken in the absolute sense. What is the criteria of what is considered or accepted as śāstra, since many of the statements from the recognized śāstras come from sādhus and gurus, not exclusively from the Lord for example Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā etc.?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Are the pastimes of Gaura-maṇḍala and Vraja-maṇḍala equivalent?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it figurative or real – Lord Caitanya’s body liquefied.
Jayapatākā...
Question: When we are trying to preach Krsna consciousness to others, in the process there is a chance that we get affected by recognition and a devotee gets caught in that position of fame and gets envious of other devotees. How should one do preaching without falling in these traps?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we are preaching we feel very low when we do the program and not very many people come? How do we keep the mood of preaching always high?
Jayapataka...
Question: How Lord Caitanya’s movement will go forward for the next ten thousand years?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the importance of initiation and after initiation how do we serve guru and Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: How could we please you guru maharaj?
Jayapataka...
Question: What are the five instructions that you want to give all your disciples?
Jayapataka...
Question: How one initiated devotee can connect to spiritual master in the physical absence of the spiritual master?
Jayapataka...
Question: You have many courses and in one of the courses you said that the devotees should act as nuts and bolts in ISKCON. Could you please explain that?
Jayapataka...
Question: How one initiated disciple is constantly attached to his spiritual master and how he is devoted for preaching in his spiritual life?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you please tell about your first visit to Assam, like how you constructed the Rukmini Krsna temple and how you made the preaching possible in Assam and your experience?
Jayapataka...
Question: You said that everybody who lives or wants to live in Navadvīpa-dhāma, they should have one set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in their homes. So if somebody has a set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, does that mean that the glories of the holy dhama are being established in that home?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes in life there are so many such unsolvable problems, which so much disturb us and without the Lord’s mercy, we cannot get rid of them. So in that case if we take shelter of the holy name and pray to help us, is that also offensive?
Jayapataka...
Question: You have mentioned in the class that one should chant the holy names, even with offences, because it is better than not chanting the holy names at all. My question is that sometimes when we are speaking to senior Vaisnavas, sometimes unknowingly or even without us wanting, sometimes we break the etiquette. So in that case do we come under offences?
Jayapataka...
Question: Today you spoke about how you want all your disciples to go home back to Godhead and that you want them to chant without offences. And my question is that, if a husband and wife, if both of them are initiated disciples, and if the husband beats the wife or give her some psychological harassment, or inflict atrocities on her psychologically or physically sometimes beat her sometimes to such an extent that she has to be hospitalized, in such cases, is the husband performing Vaisnava aparadha? Or not and how does it affect the guru?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the verse Srimad Bhagavatam 1.10.21 explained that the human beings remain asleep within the body of the Lord until there is another creation of the material world and then they arise to take up their unfinished work. The Lord is pavitra paraman, the purest, so when the jīvas enter or merge into the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu, they are with the Lord. Why are the living entities not getting cleansed of material contamination, even though they are with the Lord. Kindly explain why do they still have to continue with the material existence?
Jayapatākā...
Question: While annihilation is going on, do Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu also go inside Mahā-Viṣṇu?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we develop separation mood towards Lord Kṛṣṇa like the Pāṇḍavas?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You have mentioned that it is better to make devotees than temples. Devotees are so important but despite such importance of devotees, we criticize devotees, we don’t care for devotees. How can we be very careful and caring for the devotees?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the reaction for one who has not taken brahminical initiation, and doing pujari service? Will that affect their home worship also?
Jayapataka...
Question: You have faced so many obstacles in your life right from doing construction in Mayapur in the early days, and so many till today. How did you take on such obstacles and please tell us how to remain enthusiastic performing devotional service?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes we hear that devotees get possessed by black magic or evil spirits. How do we understand this?
Jayapataka...
Question: When new people come to our Sunday feast and they keep coming, isn’t it better to make friends with them and be very loving and personal before we start in on preaching? I feel that some people don’t come back when preaching is too heavy.
Jayapataka...
Question: When we deal with non-devotees we don’t carry the risk of offending, but while serving the devotees, sometimes due to difference of opinion, the devotees get offended. What precautions can we take so as not to offend devotees while trying to serve the Lord in the best possible way?
Jayapataka...
Question: If someone eats remnants of my food does my bhakti go to that person? No matter how much I try to avoid, usually someone eats or drinks from my plate. Is my bhakti lost?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be our mood while chanting and doing seva?
Jayapataka...
Question: We hear that the purpose of grihasta ashram is to raise Krsna conscious children. In case the grihasta couple are not fortunate to have children what is suggested for them? Any specific instruction for grihasta ashram for such devotees?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Srimad Bhagavatam 4.4.13 purport, Srila Prabhupada writes, “a great soul may forgive offences but Krsna does not excuse offences to the dust of that great soul’s feet.” First how do we understand this? Second, in case one feels that one has offended a devotee, he can seek forgiveness but how can one save one’s self from offences to the dust of his feet?
Jayapataka...
Question: Scriptures say that Deities or Arca Vigraha are eternal form, but Deities get hurt or some miscreants’ vandalize. So Gurudev, how do we comprehend Deities are eternal?
Jayapataka...
Question: We understand that Srila Prabhupada is an uttama adhikari. Is it proper to say that Srila Prabhupada is a Shaktiavesh Avatar? Please explain what should be our understanding the tattva of Srila Prabhupada?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be our duty to resolve any kind of misunderstanding happens with some devotee?
Jayapataka...
Question: Was Srila Prabhupada very particular on breaking Ekadasi next day and what should be the normal sadaka’s approach on it?
Jayapataka...
Question: Guru maharaj, we are blessed with a son six months ago and my question is how should we raise him that he becomes Krsna conscious?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be our responsibility to family when we are inspiring to join brahmacari ashram?
Jayapataka...
Question: My initial days celebrating festivals like Janamastami, Gaura Purnima, I enjoyed by doing service also waiting for the date, but now I have taken certain responsibility out of enjoyment. How I got so much fear, how to? Days are very less like that. Please guide me guru maharaj how to develop correct mood to celebrate the festivals.
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be our mood and prayers in order to inspire our god brothers and god sisters to advance in Krsna consciousness?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to avoid vaisnava aparadh, how to respect all vaisnavas equally?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I increase the taste for chanting the holy names?
Jayapataka...
Question: It is said grandfather is more dear to grandsons but approaching Srila Prabhupada in the right mood is required. What should be our mood while approaching Srila Prabhupada?
Jayapataka...
Question: If children are reluctant to chant the holy name of the Lord, can we force them to chant? How to train them?
Jayapataka...
Question: Nowadays kings like Yudhiṣṭhira are very, very rare. What is the duty of the Kṛṣṇa devotees in this age? Do they follow the instructions of the sinful ministers or the statesmen?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can I encourage the Muslims and Christians to chant the holy names? For example, my office staff?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Guru Maharaj You spoke about the glories of chanting wonderfully. My question is when we go on street Harinamas we have both men and women dancing to the holy names in the Western countries. Newcomers who are men also tend to catch our hands and dance, as they do not know about our culture. Being a woman, either married or unmarried, on Harināma, does this affect our chastity and purity?
Jayapatākā...
Question: In a nutshell his question is when he was a new devotee he read a lot, but now he finds it difficult.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Can you please share the roles and responsibilities of a upadesaka, siksa guru? How do you expect us to help you?
Jayapataka...
Question: How should a devotee of Lord Caitanya associate with a vaisnava from other sampradayas?
Jayapataka...
Question: In our school preaching, we make the children chant a little, sing a little and hear some Krsna stories. What is the benefit they get? Will they ever come to the platform of taking initiation and practicing KC seriously?
Jayapataka...
Question: Even if we don’t have position we still can have pride about the services we do very well, thinking that we do better than others. How should we protect ourselves from this pride?
Jayapataka...
Question: In today’s class, you mentioned about pratista and devotees must always be humble to serve guru and Krsna. Question is that in spite of knowing these attitudes of being humble and tolerant, devotees, especially in leadership, find difficulty to follow. Kindly please tell us how to be humble and tolerant in all situations?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Bhakti Rrasamrita Sindu, it is explained that a devotee can obtain Prema through nine ascending steps of progression. Now is it possible for someone to return back to Godhead without achieving pure love of Godhead in this lifetime? Where he perfects sadhana stage, i.e. he attains aasakti,attachment platform. Also without attaining bhava stage, can one chant shudda nama?
Jayapataka...
Question: If I know that somebody is dying in front of me and I am aware that this person is not interested in Kṛṣṇa, God, but he is dying in front of me and because I know he has no interest in Kṛṣṇa, he will have to take birth again in this material world, what should be my duty at that time towards this devotee?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why did Bhīṣmadeva being a mahājana who attained perfection place his own vows higher than taking Kṛṣṇa’s side in the battle?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Bhīṣmadeva had departed during uttarāyaṇa, he was waiting for uttarāyaṇa and departed. In that case why do we follow Bhīṣma Pancaka during dakṣiṇāyana?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Is there any way to trace the misled disciples committing offence and bring them back to Krsna consciousness, so that it would not lead to suffering of their guru?
Jayapataka...
Question: Today I was reading His Holiness Sacinandana Swami Maharaj’s glorification about You. There Maharaj mentioned that he had instructed devotees don’t let anyone steal Your bhakti. Would you kindly explain what it meant?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the temple while performing Tulasi arati, the deity altar remains closed. When doing guru puja or Prabhupada puja it is open. What is the reason for both?
Jayapataka...
Question: What steps can we take to avoid offences to senior devotees or others in general, when we are in the neophyte stage? Should we stay from or keep distance from them in order to avoid such offences and only hear from a distance.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to understand vaisnava physical suffering and how to take it? We heard and read how Srila Prabhupada suffered during his Jaladuta trip and in the initial times in the USA and we see you are undergoing so many sufferings.
Jayapataka...
Question: When there is different initiating guru for husband and wife, then how to maintain unity within grihasta ashrama? Can we recite each other’s pranam mantra? Could we offer daily obeisances to both gurus?
Jayapataka...
Question: Guru Mahārāja can you elaborate about the importance of accepting responsibility in our movement?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What kept you enthusiastic and remain in devotional service even in the midst of such troubling situations even when so many others were falling down from bhakti?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I am a student and I daily read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books with my peers. We are reading the same chapter of Bhīṣmadeva leaving his body. Sometimes it is difficult to understand how is Bhīṣmadeva able to maintain his full Kṛṣṇa conscious mind in spite of having so much pain in his body as he was lying on a bed of arrows. Why such an exalted Vaiṣṇava has to suffer so much pain in his life?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Guru Mahārāja you said that Gopakumar when he was going to the spiritual world, he was about to enter into the impersonal brahmā jyoti and at that time he shouted the name of Govinda and in this way he was transferred to a Vaikuṇṭha planet. Now when he was in Vaikuṇṭha planet he was thinking of himself as a cowherd boy and because of this he came back to the earth planet again and he performed his devotional service and in this way he went back to Goloka. So my question is that how is it that once Gopakumar a worshiper of the impersonal brahman, he was taken to the brahman effulgence? And the other question is that we heard that once one goes to Vaikuṇṭha, he never returns, but how is it that Gopakumar returned from the Vaikuṇṭha planet to the earth planet?
Jayapatākā...
Question: If we desire some minimal facilities for performing niṣkāma bhakti would it be an obstruction or would it be helpful for my progress in devotional service?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I have heard in Srila Prabhupada’s lecture that if a devotee could not be able to remember Krsna at the time of death, Krsna can deliver that devotee. But in case of Jada Bharata, he took birth as a deer and undergone three lifetimes to reach Krsna. How can I understand maharaj about this?
Jayapataka...
Question: When I am in temple or with devotees, my consciousness is good and I remember Krsna. But the moment I get occupied in non-Krsna conscious activities, I tend to forget about Krsna consciousness. I chant but what else should I do?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we constantly think of improving our services?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get out of maya in this world when practicing Krsna consciousness because everybody surrounding are not following?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to control the anartas?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes there are many services to be rendered and we lose focus. How to decide which service we should give priority to?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I improve my chanting as a lot of times I come into anxiety for material things and my quality of chanting drops down instead of going up?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to continue chanting 16 rounds when one has to spend too much time in office. Have been facing this problem for the past two months.
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you please explain the land of Audarya?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to do book distribution and inspire people where they are not interested in taking books?
Jayapataka...
Question: People are tired of religions. How to present Krsna consciousness without making people feel that there is one more religion on the market?
Jayapataka...
Question: Why different devotees have opposite understanding although they read the same books?
Jayapataka...
Question: You have told us that Prabhupada said that one of the three things we can pray for unconditionally is friendship with devotees. What is the value of that friendship if those people hurt and disappoint us? Then also when the time of death comes, guru and Krsna are our only shelter, we cannot have any other attachments even to friends isn’t it?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the path of Krsna consciousness how important is it to be a leader and develop leadership qualities?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we get taste in japa?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the secret to strongly maintain our daily morning program?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the CC it is mentioned “in this way the Lord went to the extreme southern part of India and He converted all provinces to vaisnavism. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not manifest His spiritual potencies at Navadvip. But He did manifest them in South India and liberated all the people there.” So does this mean that the whole of South India became vaisnavas and with time things changed?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to overcome obstacles in devotional life if it keeps on coming and we get stuck and cannot move forward?
Jayapataka...
Question: You mentioned that this Deity Athivaradar is usually under water. Can you explain the reason for this?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get Jagannath’s mercy?
Jayapataka...
Question: You had said that when someone leaves the body, if someone is given and sprinkled Gaṅgā water and dry Tulasī twig is placed on his body, and he is cremated in such a way with Harināma and circumambulates his body seven times, that person gets to go back to Goloka Vṛndāvana. How should we accept this? Does that mean that person does not need to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Bhīṣmadeva was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa and a mahājana, so why was he silent during Draupadī’s vastra hārāñā took place, and took the side of the irreligious Duryodhana in the religious war?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to be completely subservient to guru’s instructions in spite of day to day obstacles and be 100% inspired.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to apply Srila Prabhupada’s teachings so as to please Krsna exclusively?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to protect our bhakti lata?
Jayapataka...
Question: If we don’t get chance to do arcanam, should we perform arcanam in our mind? Is there any aparadha?
Jayapataka...
Question: You were talking about BTG and about its free distribution. Can we actually include the cost along with Bhagavad-Gita and other books and give it free?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do I know that my prayers are listened to by Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you call Lord’s name in short form out of love? Will He reciprocate? Will it grant us moksa at the end when we call Him as we die? Even if we didn’t address Him by His full name? For example, some devotees call Kanhaiya, to Krsna and to Jagannath, they call Jagga.
Jayapataka...
Question: When we can pray directly to the Lord and feel connected, why we need guru, what is the importance of guru in one’s life?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to convince new people to have faith in the sastras?
Jayapataka...
Question: The disciple has tremendous love for guru but owing to external factors falls down due to outer negativity. How to overcome that and face the challenges?
Jayapataka...
Question: In South Africa recently there has been a drive or push towards Devotee Care, caring for devotees. What are some examples of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibiting care and compassion towards His devotees?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What lessons from Mahāprabhu have you applied Guru Mahārāja with regard to perseverance, taking into account your bodily obstacles?
Jayapatākā...
Question: When I heard your story about how you came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and how you left your comfortable life in America to take sannyāsa at the age of 21, I was really astounded. What inspired you to make this movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu your life’s mission?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took initiation and accepted Śrīla Īśvara Purī as His spiritual master, despite being the Lord Himself. So what can we gather from this about the importance of accepting a spiritual master?
Jayapatākā...
Question: As youth, how can we practically keep this inspiration to chant and complete a certain number of rounds on a daily basis?
Jayapatākā...
Question: As young devotees, we are often exposed to many non-devotees in our school and working environments. How can we introduce or explain Kṛṣṇa consciousness to our non-devotee colleagues?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Discrimination on various grounds such as racial discrimination, religious discrimination, etc. is a virus in itself that many people are still fighting. How did Caitanya Mahāprabhu break down the social barriers when distributing love of Godhead freely to one and all?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Mahāprabhu always stressed the importance of learning and being scholarly. As young devotees what is the importance of us focusing on both our material and spiritual studies?
Jayapatākā...
Question: From a young age Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed many pastimes with His mother Śacī Mata and father Jagannātha Miśra. As young people, what can we learn from this with regard to keeping a close relationship with our parents
Jayapatākā...
Question: Like Acyutānanda was a qualified son of Advaita Ācārya and he received the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, were there any unqualified sons of Advaita Ācārya?
Jayapatākā...
Question: There are many discussions whether or not we should send 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 ok to send our children to karmi-run school, while helping them to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness at home?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Is cabbage considered as a sāka. Is coriander, mint curry leaves considered sāka? And also some sakas are available only in Bengal not available in Tamil Nāḍu. So how to offer these things to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Could you please tell us how to overcome the attitude of eating prasāda to gratify our senses and to develop the proper mood to honor the prasāda?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Can I take the vow of renunciation sannyāsa? I wrote you about it in a letter. Thank you for the ocean of mercy from your lotus feet.
Jayapatākā...
Question: In a recent class it was mentioned that if there is a pure devotee in a family, fourteen generations of his is delivered. So even if the children are not devotees like smārta-brāhmaṇa sons in the case of Advaita Ācārya, will they also get liberated and get entrance into the spiritual planets?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Do we find Acyuta sāka anywhere now?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Which chapter of Bhagavad-gita would you recommend to chant every day?
Jayapataka...
Question: When chanting on mala how do we start Panca Tattva mantra? In big bead and proceed or chant Panca Tattva next to head bead and start Hare Krsna mantra on the same bead?
Jayapataka...
Question: Could you please explain the difference between Ramanujacarya’s visista advaita philosophy and Lord Caitanya’s acintya beda abeda tattva. Both the philosophies say that the Lord and the jiva are same in quality but different in quantity. What is the difference between the two?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to have a constant sadhana?
Jayapataka...
Question: Please tell me what are the four principles adapted by Lord Caitanya from the four sampradayas?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be our mood when we are praying for the devotees who are suffering physically or due to other circumstances? Sometimes the devotees are cured and sometimes they leave their bodies. We understand that Krsna is the ultimate friend and controller. What should be our mood in accepting whatever the result is?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to overcome vaisnava aparadh?
Jayapataka...
Question: Why are we not keeping Haridāsa Ṭhākura in our altar, as he is a Nāmācārya, not everyone, got this name from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Jayapatākā...
Question: If even after following all the instructions prescribed for conceiving Kṛṣṇa consciousness child and even after that the child is not Kṛṣṇa conscious and disrespects, in that case is it not a complete waste and in such a case should it not be better that one not enter the gṛhastha life?
Jayapatākā...
Question: When someone tries to put us down, they want to put us down again and again, if such a person is a devotee, then what should be our attitude?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How could it be that Advaita Ācārya can have three children who are smārta-brāhmaṇas? Advaita Ācārya being a great associate of Lord Caitanya. We have heard that even by remembering Śrī Advaita Ācārya we can get kṛṣṇa-prema. He was present with them 24 hours, how they did not get kṛṣṇa-prema?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Sometimes or most of the times it so happens that we know the philosophy, but there is no transformations of the heart according to that philosophy. Why does that happen? How can we rise above this and live according to the teachings along with its spirit?
Jayapataka...
Question: Was the Dhandaria family very instrumental in the formation of ISKCON India? Was the constitution of ISKCON India formed at 48D, Muktarama Babu Street, in Kolkata, where you used to visit after you arrived with Srila Prabhupada from America?
Jayapataka...
Question: There are ups and downs in our consciousness. Times come when we are very attentive in our service and sadhana and time comes when we get involved in offences in office and other things and not focused in sadhana and somehow completing our daily chanting but not in full consciousness. So how to be in full consciousness, attentive about our sadhana and service without getting much distraction?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am very attracted to Panca Tattva and Radha Madhava, but I live in Kolkata now and here Radha Govinda are present and I am not so attracted. Though sometimes I think the Lord is one and the same, then why this is happening to me? What is the solution for this?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is our actual connection to parampara – if it is through diksa guru, then we see that some of our previous acaryas did not take diksa in parampara. If it was through siksa, then we find there is stress in taking formal initiation.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to love Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be the morning program standard worship of a grihasta devotee? Especially the deity worship standard and waking up standard?
Jayapataka...
Question: Could you please tell me how one can know if he or she is under the protection of the Holy Name? When Kala sarpa dosha or ketu dosha has been active in their birth chart.
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes we have to make our family members go through inconveniences for the higher purpose of serving guru and Krsna. Does Krsna bless them also in the process? Since they are also undergoing some sacrifice, although not directly practicing devotion?
Jayapataka...
Question: Due to preaching activities it is difficult to hear from senior vaisnavas, association of senior vaisnavas becomes tough sometimes. My humble question is that, for that situation, what should we do? Kindly advise.
Jayapataka...
Question: The doctors you desired that I should preach to are quite resistant initially and try to understand with mundane intelligence but once they learn, they become steady devotees. So how to inspire those who are struggling to accept on their mental platform?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada says that we should meditate and become deeply absorbed in the names, forms and qualities of the Lord. Can we do that with His pure devotees as well?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can girls live without marriage?
Jayapataka...
Question: Practices like Taoist meditation, kundalini yoga, tantric yoga, is being practiced within the frame of the regulative principles is this acceptable?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can one keep deities without prana prastista? If yes, then what should be the standard of service?
Jayapataka...
Question: It is said that mental offences are not considered in this kali yuga as one is not able to control mind properly, but it is considered as a facility by the mind. Please guide us in this.
Jayapataka...
Question: I don’t eat lettuce or basil leaves during the first month of Caturmasya. But can you eat fresh basil leaves and lettuce during the first month of Caturmasya. I don’t want to do anything that is not required. Please ask guru maharaj and reply asap. Caturmasya starts here on Tuesday. Thank you so very much.
Jayapataka...
Question: I remember that you had mentioned in one of your lectures you had studied Buddhism, auras and cakras before coming to Krsna consciousness. How does it relate to our chore philosophy? Auras and cakras?
Jayapataka...
Question: If we happen to break any regulative principles, unknowingly, how to overcome or repent?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can non-initiated kids or youth wear one round kanti mala. What is the standard of number of strands and significance of the number in wearing Tulasi kanti mala?
Jayapataka...
Question: Why we always have a tendency to misuse our free will and how to overcome it?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can we give the Lord Jagannath some offerings and request to do the needful?
Jayapataka...
Question: Gurudev, can we pray to Lord Jagannath to find a devotee boy for my daughter?
Jayapataka...
Question: While serving in the top position, unknowingly the position of controller comes in order to execute the service properly. Though my position is servant, my question is, how to serve in the top position while keeping the mood of a servant?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the significance of second initiation? Can somebody simply take Harinam initiation and perform devotional service throughout his whole life? In that situation, is it necessary to take second initiation?
Jayapataka...
Question: After so many years of practicing bhakti I don’t get a taste of bhakti. Please give some light on this.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to develop vaisnava quality within the heart?
Jayapataka...
Question: If we become conscious of Lord Caitanya the Lord is happy, but Raghunātha dāsa was thinking of Lord Caitanya, and Lord Caitanya asked him to go back to family life. Why is this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Most of the devotees are asking what is the procedure for making this festival at home. How we should make ciḍā dahi and how we should distribute the prasādam? If you can give some guidelines
Jayapatākā...
Question: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu why did He not accept Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī the first time? What should we learn from this pastime?
Jayapatākā...
Question: While chanting sometimes we feel tired and take shelter of pillow, left and right! What should we do?
Jayapataka...
Question: Are there any special instructions for those who have aspired from you and how can I develop more faith in my spiritual master as the initiated devotees have?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes when I am cooking something, my child feels hungry and I pick up the item being cooked and she will run with it before offering.
Jayapataka...
Question: Being a householder and a single mother, it sometimes becomes difficult for me to do my duties to the Lord. Sometimes I have to feed or serve my child first in many circumstances. What should I do? Will I fall from bhakti because of all this?
Jayapataka...
Question: Nowadays Zakir Nayak is talking a lot. The Lord has no form. Natasya pratima asti and such Vedic quotes he is misquoting and he is misguiding so called illiterate or illiterate about Vedic or Sanatana dharma. He is misguiding young children of Hindus in this way and influencing them. What is the opinion of the vaisnavas in this regard?
Jayapataka...
Question: How will I accept gurudev’s instructions and service given by the authority as my life and soul and carry it out?
Jayapataka...
Question: If someone follows the four regulative principles and chants 16 rounds, then can he go to Goloka dhama in this very lifetime? If he does not develop the 26 vaisnava qualities and if he does not develop trnad api suni cena, can he actually go back?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we are in doubt what should be our main consideration to take decisions in our spiritual life?
Jayapataka...
Question: Why are there so many obstacles in the path of bhakti?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am doing my rounds and hearing lectures but not spending much time in developing relationship with my counselors. How important is it to develop relationship with vaisnavas?
Jayapataka...
Question: Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, why did he say that he will tie a pot around his neck and jump into the Ganges when Lord Caitanya, Lord Kṛṣṇa is with him?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to cultivate my children to practice devotional service and chant the holy names in an easy way?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I am not the body, I am the soul, how do I remember this all the time?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to follow Amanina mana dena?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the secret behind the Hare Krsna mantra?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is more important, chanting or service?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the first step or initiative to follow of the first sloka of the Nectar of Instruction?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be the attitude of the disciple after getting initiated by guru? Sometimes we are thinking that just after taking initiation, from the next day we will become hundred per cent pure. But it is very difficult to become changed in one day. So therefore what kind of effort should we take after initiation?
Jayapataka...
Question: Today some of us witnessed a strange incident at the Kolkata Ratha Yatra. When you were there in front of Balarama ratha, waiting to do arati, all of a sudden the ratha started rolling. Everybody started panicking and we were worried that the ratha may hit you and also the devotees. It was so scary. But we noticed that you were so calm during the whole chaos. Really wonder what was going through your mind then?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get rid of negative energy? If we are suffering from that being a devotee and following brahminical culture, and still such things around us act effectively.
Jayapataka...
Question: In deity worship, is Lord Jagannath more forgiving of the offences than Krsna? Is Jagannath a more merciful form than Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: Seeing Jagannath on the Ratha Yatra one gets immense benefits. So what mood or what can we aspire from Lord Jagannath the most?
Jayapataka...
Question: If we should consider astrology as a guidance from Krsna for decisions related to material affairs?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it necessary to put our children in gurukul when parents are initiated devotees? Or can we make them study at home? Please guide me.
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you tell us your experience at the San Francisco Ratha Yatra in 1968?
Jayapataka...
Question: Just by glancing at Caitanya Mahāprabhu the Muslims started chanting. But on the contrary, when Mahāprabhu was personally leading the saṅkīrtana movement in Navadvīpa, why were many people, even the brāhmaṇas, did not take up chanting? Can you please throw some light on this guru mahārāja?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can I please Lord Nityānanda Prabhu so that He will give me the bhakti same like the associate of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Yesterday we heard that Lord Nityānanda prabhu also took prasāda in Rāghava Bhavana. He came to Rāghava Bhavana when He was in Bengal or He came to Rāghava Bhavana when He travelled with Lord Caitanya?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Here we can understand wherever Mahāprabhu says about worshiping Lord Nityānanda, can it be applied to our spiritual master, as he is Śrī Nityānanda prabhu’s personal manifestation for us? Thank you.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Can we ladies, do Giriraj dandavat parikrama?
Jayapataka...
Question: In our home, my prabhu brought one Narayana murti from Muktinath. There one priest gave it to him. Can I do service to the Narayana murti or does my husband, prabhu have to do that? I have heard that ladies are not allowed to do seva to the Narayana murti. Is this right?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can Buddhism study be considered as a preliminary study on the way to liberation?
Jayapataka...
Question: Does Lord Buddha have His own planet? When one attains perfection in Buddhism where do we go?
Jayapataka...
Question: Lot of preachers talk about bhakti in one way, but they act otherwise in their own lives. How to understand this?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is there any difference between meditating on guru and meditating on Krsna.
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we have authentic humility like Haridas Thakur, not pseudo humility, like when we are being praised?
Jayapataka...
Question: What are the most important things of grihasta ashram?
Jayapataka...
Question: Kindly tell me the rules to be followed by the beginners while preaching for the first time?
Jayapataka...
Question: My question regarding kirtan is since Srila Prabhupada always sang the Hare Krsna maha mantra with the end of the kirtan, with no jaya or Haribol! Should we also chant this way instead of chanting jaya and Haribol! Is it important to worry about this?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we do multiple services for eg, deity back up service, and preaching, at times we tend to give more importance to one’s service than the other at times. I feel I am not giving my total time to one particular service, I feel I am not doing justice to one particular service. How do we understand the multiple services?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do I develop a taste for reading Srimad Bhagavatam?
Jayapataka...
Question: It is said that pure devotional service is very difficult to achieve, sudurlaba. What does it mean? How can we achieve pure devotional service?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is causeless mercy or ahaituki kripa? It seems that Jagai and Madhai became the recipients of Lord Nityananda’s mercy purely because of their completely degraded situation, Lord Nityananda wanted to display the power of Lord Caitanya’s compassion on these two fallen, drunkard brothers. Without the mercy of the Lord it would not have been possible for them to stay fixed up in that state of sadhana as displayed throughout their lives, thereafter. How can we be recipient of such mercy?
Jayapataka...
Question: For many days now we are hearing about the very merciful Lord Nityananda prabhu with regard to Jagai and Madhai. That Nitai prabhu is manifest as Nitai Pada Kamala in our Bhajan Kutir. How did Nitai Pada Kamal Doyal Thakur come to Mayapur? Since when are They are here? Kindly tell us something about that.
Jayapataka...
Question: There are many defects or negligence in my devotional service, how do I rectify that?
Jayapataka...
Question: I want to know jealousy, envy can influence our spiritual life how much?
Jayapataka...
Question: What does it mean to fix one’s mind on the lotus feet of the Lord? Is it to meditate on different symbols of His lotus feet?
Jayapataka...
Question: Many times we are enthusiastic to take services for which we may not be capable or qualified, both materially and spiritually. So how can we decide because we don’t want to be a disturbance for your mission.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to always remember Krsna in our daily life?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I please you and Srila Prabhupada, both?
Jayapataka...
Question: You are a great devotee of the Lord. You have so much love of Godhead. How can I get a little bit?
Jayapataka...
Question: Please advice how to be patient in Krsna’s service?
Jayapataka...
Question: I did not break Ekadasi fast on time. What should I do now?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should we do to remind ourselves that we are the eternal servants of Krsna as many times the propensity to enjoy supersedes the propensity of service?
Jayapataka...
Question: Now for Gayatri initiation it is compulsory to do the Bhakti Sastri course. But what will be the plight of illiterate devotees?
Jayapataka...
Question: Have got a pair of Gaura Nitai, can guru maharaj give permission to worship Them?
Jayapataka...
Question: We read in the biography, Srila Prabhupada said, let them chant Haribol! Haribol! And we will chant Hare Krsna and go back to Godhead. Then in Caitanya Caritamrita it is said that the three mantras to be chanted in kirtan in Krsna consciousness movement are Panca Tattva mantra, Hare Krsna maha mantra and Hari Haraya Nama Krsna. Why did Srila Prabhupada always end the kirtan with the Hare Krsna mantra and no Haribols or Jais?
Jayapataka...
Question: What did you think when you saw Srila Prabhupada for the first time? What went through your mind?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Bhagavad-gita and many places, Srila Prabhupada has mentioned that we should act under the direction of the Supersoul situated within. How to understand the direction of the Supersoul within? How can we tune in to realize the form of the Lord he mentions is present within and is it necessary to first realize the Supersoul before approaching Krsna or Supreme Brahman? Also please tell me how to understand what Krsna, sat cit ananda form wants us to do in cases we are given free will.
Jayapataka...
Question: Just for the record, I don’t eat garlic but if I step on the shadow of a person that eats garlic, who is considered here as sinner. Should I take a bath in the Ganga? What about meat eaters then?
Jayapataka...
Question: Where is the house of Jagai and Madhai? In Navadvip or Mayapur?
Jayapataka...
Question: I need to ask how can one connect to her guru maharaj when she cannot approach her guru maharaj?
Jayapataka...
Question: If I do something I consider for the benefit of that person but that person takes it that I have offended her or him. That I don’t have the opportunity to pardon myself to take the dust from that devotee’s lotus feet. In that situation, what should I do?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be our prayer during Janamastami?
Jayapataka...
Question: One has to do pious activities to take birth in brahmana family. So how come Jagai and Madhai were born in such brahmana family and still so sinful? What has made them so sinful?
Jayapataka...
Question: On which festival we should do fasting? Like in which festival we can eat Ekadasi prasadam and which festival we can eat normal prasadam.
Jayapataka...
Question: Do grihasta devotees try to earn more money and serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission in a greater or more intense way? Or they should focus on the paths of devotional services.
Jayapataka...
Question: How much time should be allocated to read and understand the scriptures?
Jayapataka...
Question: Many times we are engaged in services and not feel very enthusiastic for reading scriptures. So how to inspire ourselves to regulate to take Krsna sika?
Jayapataka...
Question: If a young devotee gets lot of responsibilities in ISKCON, should he focus in spending more time in service or to complete his basic sadhana nicely or should he focus on spending more time in sadhana or complete whatever he can in eight hours of service?
Jayapataka...
Question: Guru maharaj, how to increase taste in Harinam?
Jayapataka...
Question: We are serving along with devotees and sometimes due to misunderstanding, sometimes we get attacked by devotees. So how to cooperate and serve along with such devotees?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we make spiritual brothers come closer and closer?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be our position in difficult situations in ISKCON?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the material world we have a lot of attractions, but that should ideally be amongst the devotees. If we have a lot of material desires, they always keep bothering us and weaken us.
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we fulfill the senior devotees take care of the junior devotees and make you happy?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can you get spiritual brothers get more together?
Jayapataka...
Question: Gadādhara Paṇḍita has the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. In which situation is he exhibiting that?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why does Rādhārāṇī have to go through pangs of separation in every līlā? We know that Gadādhara Paṇḍita is Rādhārāṇī Herself.
Jayapatākā...
Question: When the guru instructs the disciple and he leaves, the separation is unbearable, so with this unbearable separation, how can the disciple serve the guru?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we have the same love and devotion that Gadādhara Paṇḍita had for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was blessed by the Lord in his dream. Does the spiritual master also show such mercy on his disciple when required? How seriously should the disciple take the instruction received from the guru?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Which is the place where Lord Gaurāṅga left on a boat for Vrindavan?
Jayapatākā...
Question: In the beginning Lord Caitanya did not meet King Pratāparudra, but now we see He is embracing the king. Could you please explain the internal reason behind this pastime?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We see the devotees of Gaurāṅga in Gaura-līlā were all nitya pārṣada of Kṛṣṇa. The king got so much mercy and the Lord had a sweet pastime with Him. Who was he in Kṛṣṇa-līlā?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Many times the children do not get along with the parents and the parents suffer due to their children’s behavior, but the parents pardon the children. But when children give suffering to the parents is that a Vaiṣṇava aparādha?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You said that Śrīla Prabhupāda said that other authorized names of God can be chanted apart from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that there is no other way in the age of Kali except chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, so Śrīla Prabhupāda was talking about which other names?
Jayapatākā...
Question: In Kali yuga the only sacrifice is Harināma saṅkīrtana. But sometimes we see that people in the name of performing sacrifice, they have indiscriminate animal killing. How do we pursue these people to stop such indiscriminate killing?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Kṛṣṇa has manifested his opulence in his pastimes and the conditioned souls are already envious of the Lord, so instead of telling about Kṛṣṇa, can we directly preach about Caitanya Mahāprabhu is that correct? Just telling Gaura Nitāi līlā and after that we give the holy names?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Performance of saṅkīrtana yajña brings all kinds of opulence, auspicious things, how can we engage ourselves in the service without these kinds of motivations?
Jayapatākā...
Question: By hearing this pastime we get greatest benedictions. But if one commits any offense later on, will the benedictions work on that person?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Taking darśana of Ganges will it give same benefit as taking bath?
Jayapatākā...
Question: If Lord Kṛṣṇa or guru comes in the dream, but we don’t remember the whole dream, is it ok? Can we share the dream openly to others?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the simplest way to attain the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We hear many results of hearing different pastimes. How to honor such results?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Point came about bathing in the Ganges and Ganges is considered to be emanating from the Lord’s lotus feet, but the same water we use for bathing the deities which touches the head of the Lord. How is that appropriate?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We know that a Muslim gets punishment from Rājāpur Lord Jagannātha in his dream, when he does not accept the prasāda. How to understand this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi saw this pastime as the mercy of the Lord, how do we see the mercy of the Lord in everything in our life?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How much should we aspire for personal reciprocation from the Lord?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā: yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas – whatever great people do the common man follows – if devotees don’t follow the rules then common man also start doing the same, without understanding the inner intention. How to understand this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: From this Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi līlā, we have to learn that even a little enviousness towards any Vaiṣṇava is very dangerous. I find it very difficult to overcome enviousness. Please help.
Jayapatākā...
Question: We know that Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi is an incarnation of Vṛṣabhānu mahārāja. So he is like the father of Lord Jagannātha. So giving him a slap or punishing him – is it appropriate or correct?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Sometimes we hear non-devotees criticize devotees or our movement. Sometimes we are in a situation when we cannot say anything to them. What should we do in such situations because their words might have bad or huge impact on others too? Please kindly enlighten.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Here Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi understood his mistake when Lord Jagannātha and Lord Balarāma enacted Their punishment pastime. But I commit many offences, and sometimes I cannot even understand my offences. So in such circumstances how am I to ask for forgiveness from you and from Lord Kṛṣṇa so that you may completely forgive me?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What are the qualities of a devotee friend with whom we can share our heart or recognize as a true spiritual friend?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How this fault-finding mentality affects our devotional service?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Sometimes we may see someone with different behavior. Although I don’t say anything bad about that devotee, or I don’t want to offend but in my mind, there come many thoughts which may be offensive towards the devotee. At that time, what should I do? Please instruct me.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Sometimes it does not get cold enough to offer winter clothes for the Deities, in regard to house Deities. So then can the service be delayed until it is cold?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We sometimes see a devotee doing something extra or different from the established protocol. It may be out of good sentiment or speculation. How should we take it?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Can you explain why Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi found fault in the devotees? What does this pastime want to teach us?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Here we see that Svarūpa Dāmodara and Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi are very good friends. How to develop such loving and trustworthy friendship in today’s world?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why did Lord Caitanya come to external consciousness due to Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi? Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi is not an outsider for Him?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi develop doubt about Oḍana-ṣaṣṭhī?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We should always depend on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy but it is also said that we should try to help ourselves and then depend on Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. So when should we try to help ourselves and when should we depend completely on Lord’s mercy? Please kindly enlighten us.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to overcome obstacles in preaching?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why Lord Jagannātha is wearing starched clothes?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why did Lord Caitanya and His associates choose India and Bengal to be the līlā place?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was very scholarly and the guru of Gadādhara Paṇḍita. Through this pastime what does he want to teach us?
Jayapatākā...
Question: For Oḍana-ṣaṣṭhī the unwashed cloth is used but otherwise the cloth is always washed. However, when we get dresses for our Deities, we never wash them because they will get ruined.
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the importance of revealing our mind without hesitation, since this was mentioned many times in the conversation today? Whom should we reveal our mind to, as sometimes we get offensive or wrong thoughts as well?
Jayapatākā...
Question: It is mentioned that after Ratha-yātrā Advaita Ācārya returned to Navadvīpa. In that case when Lord Caitanya fell into the well, Advaita Ācārya came there. And it is mentioned that Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi when all the devotees returned, he stayed in Purī?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Why is Śrī Vārṣābhānavī Murāri Deity your prāṇadhana? What is your special connection?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Is there any reason for Lord Jagannātha’s worship being relaxed than in other places?
Jayapatākā...
Question: One devotee after initiation for many years now is interested in another religion and started to preach the other religion to us. Should we continue to associate or just keep far away? Why we should keep far away from other religion people?
Jayapataka...
Question: At the time of initiation we take vow of chanting minimum 16 rounds. But due to different circumstances I sometimes just somehow or other finish the 16 rounds. is it really pleasing to you? Because Hare Krsna Mahamantra is not different from Krsna Himself. Should we every time be very attentive, whenever we chant, no matter how busy we may be? I often remember my initiation vows and think how you will be pleased.
Jayapataka...
Question: Why does Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa puja occur for seven days? Please explain.
Jayapataka...
Question: You had mentioned the other day that to get spiritual strength we should get the mercy of Lord Balarama. Can you please explain various things we can do to please Lord Balarama?
Jayapataka...
Question: After Caitanya taking sannyasa, how His family was maintained? Mother Saci, Visnupriya, etc.?
Jayapataka...
Question: We have heard that Puṇḍarīka Premanidhi was chastised by Lord Jagannātha for considering wrongly about Lord Jagannātha’s servants. In today’s chapter Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi is glorified that he doesn’t have a speck of false ego. How to understand this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Can you please elaborate on what you said: simply remembering his transcendental qualities, the conditioned soul gets purified. Practically how to apply that in our day to day services?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We see that Caitanya Mahāprabhu had advised Gadādhara Paṇḍita to get the mantra from his dīkṣā-guru. Sometimes we see that some disciples lose their faith in their dīkṣā-guru, they have lost their taste and are attracted to other gurus other than their dīkṣā-gurus. What should they do in this situation?
Jayapatākā...
Question: When Gadādhara Paṇḍita saw Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi for the first time, he was not happy to see his opulence. What do we learn from this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can I approach the spiritual master when the spiritual master is far and it is difficult to have association with his disciples? What can I do to serve the guru in this situation?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You said that Lord Caitanya did not know He fell in the well, but at the same time he knew that Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was coming in ten days, how to understand these two contradictory incidents?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Guru Mahārāja, yesterday you said that Gadādhara Paṇḍita lost his taste after he gave the mantra to somebody – how to understand this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: A new devotee asked how if she sometimes wanted to eat meat. After she joined Krsna consciousness she knows that eating meat is not good. What to do?
Jayapataka...
Question: If one keeps doing mistakes in given devotional service, despite his best efforts to avoid such incidents, what should he do?
Jayapataka...
Question: If someone is under the shelter of guru and chants 16 rounds and follows the regulative principles. But if they suddenly give up their body, will guru give them mercy?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to keep doing the service to guru in spite of not satisfactory results in course of services, especially preaching?
Jayapataka...
Question: A new devotee, she feels suffering when with family members, what to do?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we get the mercy of guru and Krsna? How do we get the shelter of the Lord? How do we become sinless?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can we offer rakhi to Lord Balarama and then offer that offered to our devotee brothers?
Jayapataka...
Question: Today we saw in a passage that Srila Prabhupada told in a letter to Mukunda prabhu that rakhi bandan is not approved by our vaisnava rituals.
Jayapataka...
Question: I am a nurse. My work often needs to go to work in the evening, my daily schedule is not regular, chanting cannot be done in the morning, worship deity not on time too. I feel very disturbed for my spiritual practice. I feel my mind unstable, what should I do?
Jayapataka...
Question: Which is better – to improve our devotion to Lord Krsna, taking shelter of Ganga mata or shelter of Tulasi maharani? What is the difference?
Jayapataka...
Question: Please enlighten us on the correct process of honoring, respecting and distributing Your Divine Grace’s maha prasadam remnants. Can we distribute to non vaisnavas and those of us who are not maintaining our principles adequately as vowed and required?
Jayapataka...
Question: I cannot remember the reference where I heard or read a devotee asked Srila Prabhupada on Ekadasi, can we offer grains to the deity? Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes, but not guru. Ekadasi is observed by jiva tattva and not Visnu tattva. Caitanya Mahaprabhu should also not be offered grains because He is playing the part of devotee. Only Jagannath, Baladeva and Subadra can be offered grains. But not to guru and Gauranga. Please can you enlighten us on this. But we know Lord Caitanya is Radha and Krsna Himself. So even if He is playing the part of devotee, why no grains offered to Him? I am confused.
Jayapataka...
Question: What can we do to develop love and affection towards devotees so that we follow in your footsteps? You are an oasis of love for people, which is inconceivable and inspiring!
Jayapataka...
Question: A devotee thinks that doing some other seva is more important than chanting, so he lags behind in chanting.
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we preach to educated people, beautiful people and the youths? It is difficult to preach to them because sometimes they have lot of pride in their hearts and they don’t accept. So how do we preach to them?
Jayapataka...
Question: Trnad api suni cena taror api sahisnuna. But nowadays people are so rude and words are so harsh. So if anyone is insulting ISKCON or saying bad words, against your gurus, then what should a vaisnava do? To what extent should they tolerate?
Jayapataka...
Question: I know one devotee and he chants Four lakh names a a day. What does Guru Maharaj think about this?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we know what aparadh we have caused unknowingly or unintentionally in whose feet, how do we realize it?Even if it was not our fault or a misconception, what do we do? How do we get rid of it? What is the compensation? How do we correct ourselves?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we develop concentration while chanting for beginners because initially it takes a lot of time to concentrate on chanting.
Jayapataka...
Question: Can we roll on the ground in kirtan in ISKCON?
Jayapataka...
Question: If one is engaged in services which are not related to deity worship is second initiation necessary? What is the purpose of second initiation?
Jayapataka...
Question: Chanting means we are praying to the Lord to engage us in His service. But isn’t chanting itself a service to guru and Krsna? Will more and more chanting lead to ragamayi bhakti. Does more and more chanting constitute ragamayi bhakti?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Heng Ho, a province, I am your only disciple. Although according to Iskcon principles, all disciples should treat all gurus in the same way and all the gurus should treat all the gurus in the same way, disciples of the same guru are more intimate and some gurus favor their own disciples more than the others. Therefore, after going to other gurus’ programs I feel benefitted in knowledge but disturbed spiritually. I am not feeling inspired and going back on my chanting and enthusiasm. For example, last week I woke up every day before 4 am. After a program I woke up after 4 am.
Jayapataka...
Question: How can one take shelter of Ganga mata to improve one’s devotion to Lord Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: Why is kirtan more important than sravanam?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Tulasi prayers we sing that those who take her shelter, their desires are fulfilled. In the prayers we also ask her to make us followers of the gopis in Vraja. So question first, what type of practical services can we do to please Tulasi maharani and get her shelter?
Jayapataka...
Question: Dear gurudev, what pleases Srila Prabhupada the most?
Jayapataka...
Question: If one is not respecting the instructions of gurudev will it also be considered as impersonal aspect in our heart? So how to overcome this tendency?
Jayapataka...
Question: Some doctors recommend the medicines that contain nonveg items such as Calcium, Iron and Vitamin D. Should we take those medicines?
Jayapataka...
Question: Do mayawadi guru go to hell or Brahman?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we observe the Vyasa puja of Lord Nityananda here in Mayapur?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should I do that I go back home back to Godhead in this life?
Jayapataka...
Question: Like there are six symptoms of surrender to Krsna, what are the symptoms of surrender to guru? How does one develop such symptoms? Does surrender to guru automatically helps one to surrender to Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Dvapara yuga Krsna and Balaram were the sons of the same father and brothers. But in Kali yuga, the parents of Nitai and Gaur were different. So then how do we call them brothers?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada says we have to follow in the footsteps of the six Goswamis of Vrndavan, especially in the path chalked out by Srila Jiva Goswami. Can you please explain and elaborate on how we can do it?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I always stay steady in Srila Prabhupada’s service?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we know what aparadh we have caused unknowingly or unintentionally in whose feet, how do we realize it? Even if it was not our fault and just a misconception or a misunderstanding? What do we do?
Jayapataka...
Question: Bhāgavata-vidhi and Pāñcarātrikī-vidhi – in which category does Harināma initiation fall into?
Jayapatākā...
Question: When we have so many exalted female devotees who are very respected and advanced in their Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how do we understand and explain to other, another instruction of the scriptures that women are less intelligent. Is this the case that only women who are completely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are intelligent?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What are the qualities a woman should have to be a good wife?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Can sannyāsīs not cook for the Lord?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How much does it affect our consciousness when we eat food cooked by non-devotees.?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What qualities do we need to develop in our devotional life to have this kind of affection that Kuntī devī had for Lord Kṛṣṇa in her family life?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Krsna says He is the origin of all thoughts, so why is He giving me bad thoughts when I am chanting His names?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is following the instructions of our immediate authority, those you guide us, the same as carrying out the order of the spiritual master?
Jayapataka...
Question: A few days back you spoke how one should not leave the prasadam and not give one’s remnants to others. Many times children leave the prasadam and mothers have to finish that. How does the karma work in this case?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we are in the conditioned state and trying to worship Deities at home, is there any way to know if the Deities are pleased or not with our worship? Is there any way to ask for forgiveness?
Jayapataka...
Question: Criticism is inevitable in the course of our services. How do we understand what to pay attention to and what to reject?
Jayapataka...
Question: Doing Mangala Arati is important or doing chanting during that time is important? If I start doing Mangala Arati, dressing, and offering arati takes at least 40 minutes. And after, I am not able to finish chanting in the morning itself, so I am confused, which one to be given importance? So please guide.
Jayapataka...
Question: I have heard that one is not supposed to get the Giriraj shila on her own and the shila would be given by some Brajawasi. If a devotee has strong attachment to Giriraj and has desire to worship Giriraj Shila what is the qualification and how to get the Shila?
Jayapataka...
Question: As one puts in many years of devotional service, fear of Maya reduces. How should one be cautious and progress?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to deal with devotees who are professional liars?
Jayapataka...
Question: Today is the 44th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s visit to New Talavan farm, and yesterday was the same for New Orleans temple. What should be the service mood of the devotees to Srila Prabhupada and for us, your disciples, to also please you and help you in your personal service to His Divine Grace?
Jayapataka...
Question: What if a vaisnava hurts us repeatedly? How do we react in a vaisnava manner, without losing our temper?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I increase my loving service attitude towards you?
Jayapataka...
Question: Śrīla Prabhupāda says that his purport are his ecstasies. Where to find the best of Jayapatākā Swami?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What happens to one who leaves his body thinking of the spiritual master?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we have a proper attitude like Vāsudeva Datta?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the significant meaning of holding a straw or grass between one’s teeth?
Jayapatākā...
Question: If we are trying to follow the regulations and practicing devotion, does that mean all our sinful reactions already vanished by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, or as I am not perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness I have to suffer for my past sinful actions? If I have to suffer then will it affect my devotional service?
Jayapatākā...
Question: This universe is liberated by Vāsudeva Datta’s desire, so we are in that same universe. After that it is refilled again with jīvas?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I have become very disturbed in provoking or negative situation. How to remain undisturbed and to be firm in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in spite of these? Please help.
Jayapatākā...
Question: During the online Bhagavad-gītā class a question was raised about Śrī Paramātmā entering and exiting the body. When does He enter the heart of a living entity and when does He quit? Are there any scriptural references available?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we develop so much attachment to the holy name as Murāri Gupta has? Is it possible to achieve in this very life or is it a result of many years of devotional service?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Define Kṛṣṇa consciousness in one word.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Which is more superior – having exclusive faith in our spiritual master or having exclusive faith on Lord Sri Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I make Srimati Radharani happy?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we serve you and what are the responsibilities of shelter disciples and how do we execute them? ?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we sustain our enthusiasm in preaching?
Jayapataka...
Question: How if I plan something big for Prabhupada’s mission, how will I know that my thoughts are going in the right direction?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you please say how to keep ourselves inspired to wake up early and attend mangala arati?
Jayapataka...
Question: Between hearing class on line and hearing class in the temple, which one is better?
Jaypataka...
Question: How can we inspire new people who took Bhagavatam sets to read them as they say it is overwhelming? Can you share about your reading of the Bhagavatam?
Jayapataka...
Question: When I went to Mayapur I met a Gaudiya vaisnava. They were asking me abhishekam is a part of Sri Vaisnava culture, why does ISKCON allow that in their parampara?
Jayapataka...
Question: When you are here, you are here but unfortunately many devotees cannot meet you and hear you because of already pre planned yatras. So how to take it?
Jayapataka...
Question: You kindly give mercy to everyone to do more and more devotional service. But only some devotees are able to render significant services and able to give uninterrupted services. Can you kindly give us tips how we can rise up to your expectations and become empowered?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I understand what influences my current situation in Krsna consciousness, advancement or effect? Is it due to sukriti or karma or fate? Can you please explain with an example.
Jayapataka...
Question: If one of our parents is passing away or dying and he or she is not Krsna conscious, what is that one thing we can do to ensure good birth for him or her?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am a student mixing in school with all types of children. How can I keep my Krsna consciousness with all?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am a youth with association of my age, we like to go to movies and eat outside, but want to take Krsna consciousness seriously, how to do it?
Jayapataka...
Question: In family life what is the best Krsna conscious service?
Jayapataka...
Question: We have heard of the evolving process in Bhagavatam of Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. Is attaining devotional service to the Lord also an evolving process or is it a direct process?
Jayapataka...
Question: In my family others are non-devotees. How can I bring them to Krsna consciousness?
Jayapataka...
Question: When you are present, we feel so energetic and blissful moments. How can we maintain that throughout our lives, in your absence?
Jayapataka...
Question: Chapter 11 of Bhagavad-gita, sloka 55. I am after this sloka for the past six months and trying to gain the depth of the meaning but still am confused. I wish that you kindly elaborate the meaning of this sloka which is specially told by Lord Krsna for the grihasta ashrama.
Jayapataka...
Question: You said that we have not done anything in Magh month? Yes, I think in Damodardesh we have been doing in the Marghasirsha month, almost every year, so we do a lot of mangala aratis. Visit everybody’s house, do mangala arati, for the last twenty odd years. So it is a program that we can help you and reach out all over the world.
Jayapataka...
Question: You had inspired us to do Damodara arati program. In Damodardesh or full UAE we are following that. We are doing almost 6000 every year for the past twelve years. We would like to know how you got inspired to let us do this wonderful program?
Jayapataka...
Question: As youths we, a lot of times, get sucked into materialistic studies, so we usually keep devotional reading as secondary. So how do we balance devotional reading and college life?
Jayapataka...
Question: In this school we teach children values, human values of truth, love, peace, right conduct, non-violence and different other character strengths. We have children from 87 countries here and many of them have different religions. However, when we teach value here we don’t necessarily talk about God. It is not something that we could do in the school here. So children do exhibit their value in school and they show their good character in school but they directly or indirectly sometimes wonder why do I need to do it when nobody is watching? If nobody is watching and we cannot tell children who is watching, how do we teach them to practice these values anyway?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I manage my schooling, education and material friends and activities to better focus on my spiritual life?
Jayapataka...
Question: On behalf of the Damodardesh Yatra and the UAE Yatra, we want to hear from you Guru Maharaj – you are one of the pioneers here, you are one of the first sannyasis and GBC sannyasis to come here to begin the preaching and plant the seed, as you said, Guru Maharaj, in the Middle East. We wanted to hear from you, few experiences, the first time you came to Damodardesh or anywhere in the UAE or Middle East, and your challenges, your experience then Guru Maharaj.
Jayapataka...
Question: One time one devotee told me that someone was looking for a senior member was searching for a guru and said, I want that swami. Then finally it was understood that who they were looking for was you! What was surprising to know was they said that this person has spread Krsna consciousness in every nook and corner of West Bengal, every town, every village, every street, that the conversion in Bengal was the lowest they had noticed in any part of India. The question is I think now you are aiming to reach beyond Bengal. I heard that Bangladesh, had 108 ratha yatra on the day of Ratha yatra, one day in every nook and corner of Bangladesh there was ratha yatra this year. Srila Prabhupada did not visit Bangladesh but he sent Srila Jayapataka Swami Guru Maharaj to go there and preach! Now you have covered the Middle East. But now we hear that through His Holiness Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaj you are also reaching to every nook and corner of the tribal states. Because that is where the major conversion is happening. So I would quickly want to ask you what are your strategies, how do you feel? How do we reach out to them? We don’t have to convert people from other religions, we have to strengthen our Hindus to understand their scriptures and chant. we as good Hindus can inspire others to become vaisnavas too. I want your comment on that Guru Maharaj
Jayapataka...
Question: How can people who are here, there are people from different levels who achieved a lot in life, good families, how can they work to serve you? How can they work through you to serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission? What can they do for Mayapur?
Jayapataka...
Question: 49 years of sannyas, you have created Mayapur in a huge, huge, way. You are known to be one of the most intelligent persons ever met by many of us here. Whether it is spirituality where you are a giant, information technology, you know well ahead of time. Whether it is architecture or whether it is languages, in everything you seem to have scored almost 99 or 100 or more than 100 also! I want to ask you this. Sitting in Mayapur, sitting in Krsna’s dhama, sitting in the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada, is that the only thing that has made you this? In every field, how do you manage it? There was no internet then, there were no books available, you didn’t have the time because you were working 24/7, 365 days, all the time. Where did you acquire this window to acquire so much spiritual plus vast material knowledge? You are a spiritual giant. You are law of knowledge. I know where I am, I know where you are. My base is minus yours is infinity. But more than this you know architecture, you know material, IT, you know geography, you know routing of airlines, you know finance, you know budgeting, in everything, when you talk to us, I get the feeling that 24/7 you are working in some multinational company. How do you manage to do this, sitting in Mayapur? That is the question. You are multi-tasking. You are working with people who are not from the same background. You are working with some who have not finished school, some of them are PhDs who have seen the spark of life and invested their lives at your feet to grow. But you are the same person but in the same background you are a giant in everything. How do you do this? Where do you get the time? Where does it come from?
Jayapataka...
Question: Though I chant 16 rounds every day, it is difficult to chant. Why is it so some days to chant?
Jayapataka...
Question: I met you once, you were in the Apollo Hospital in Kolkata for testing. There I got a chance to meet you and you gave me shelter. But still I have one question which disturbs me. We have our Kula Devi, Durgaji, we call her Dadiji. I keep on chanting 16 rounds, maybe 24 rounds but still I am not able to give 100% to Krsna consciousness. How do I do that?
Jayapataka...
Question: Maharaj, you have taken the trouble of coming right to Damodardesh, you are coming to our homes, what is it that you want the people in this room to do? What do you think is the best thing that can happen for all the people seated in this room? This is a chance of a lifetime. So please give us that message.
Jayapataka...
Question: Just before I post my question a little background. Guru Maharaj, as Mayapur was being built, he was also been the GBC, the highest body which makes the rules, he is also empowered to go and preach and get devotees to come join, make sure the devotees progress in their spiritual life. Well, meeting people or marketing, sales people, we all do. We sell a product for a price. But the problems that you faced, your market was one in South America, one in Middle East, where you cannot even enter or preach openly. Or it was in Bangladesh where it was all Bengalis, so you had a language barrier, or a distance barrier or you had everything where it was not straightforward marketing, it was very difficult marketing of Srila Prabhupada’s vision, of Mahaprabhu’s blessing and getting Krsna enshrined in every heart. I am going to ask you this, you paid a big price. Not even personal hardship but you were attacked once in Europe in an airport by a madcap who was a radical who do this. You have faced bandits coming and attacking Mayapur. You have been facing multiple floods in the Ganges every time in the rainy season in Mayapur. You have gone through all this Guru Maharaj. You have always said. What is this difference in you – as a person I could sell throughout the world, I did not go to Iraq and sell, I have always employed people to do my hard work. What is it that drives you, what is that one significant thing that makes you who you are?
Jayapataka...
Question: At the end of our life should we live in the holy dhama and practice our sadhana or live wherever we are and practice our sadhana?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we manage spiritual and material life simultaneously?
Jayapataka...
Question: Devotees sometimes remain stuck to ex authority, and are not fully enthusiastic to cooperate with local authorities. What to do?
Jayapataka...
Question: Srila Prabhupada gave you the name Jayapataka Swami, the Victory Flag. And then he took you to India, he made you in charge of Mayapur dhama, which was when you went there, just a hut in the middle of paddy fields, a typical Indian village and he said, I am giving you the kingdom of the Lord, develop it. I don’t think you were more than 22 or 23 then. And you came all the way from the USA to the so called kingdom of the Lord, and to see paddy fields, mosquitoes, snakes. As a youngster looking for a guru, looking for Krsna, you see this. What were your first feelings in your mind?
Jayapataka...
Question: We wanted to hear from you, at your young age, you are an American, born Christian, you had no idea who Rama who Krsna was, but at such a young age, what so eagerly attracted you to Srila Prabhupada? What so eagerly attracted you to Krsna consciousness, and how come you have given your whole life to join this movement?
Jayapataka...
Question: The Lord’s body is transcendental. Then how is it that Lord Nityananda was bleeding? Was it for the purpose of lila?
Jayapataka...
Question: Please kindly tell me being a grihastha, how can we do abhishek of Radharani on Radhastami and what prasadam should we take after breaking of the fast?
Jayapataka...
Question: As a student in the middle school, how can my daughter continue her study in the school and at the same time in Krsna consciousness? How should she perform her service of studying in the school?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can a devotee verify whether his love for Guru and Krsna is genuine or on the sentimental platform?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I make my family members favorable toward bhakti yoga? Their only concern is, how much money you can make! They are laughing at me and think I have a brain problem! They ask me if bhakti yoga can solve my financial problem? I don’t know how to explain to them so that they can support my practicing bhakti yoga?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to keep the same, high enthusiasm to serve Guru Maharaj in separation, just as he is physically present and how to overcome laziness and the mood of enjoyment in the service, when alone?
Jayapataka...
Question: How will one be delivered from the level of the false ego and bodily identification?
Jayapataka...
Question: During the worship of the Deity in the temple what should be our mood? Can we express our personal problems to the Deities?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We should always depend on Kṛṣṇa’s mercy and go as per His will. But it is said that we should try ourselves than depend on Kṛṣṇa. When should we know to help ourselves and when should we know to completely depend on the Lord?
Jayapatākā...
Question: We serve, worship Rādhā Śyāmasundara, Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā Gopīnātha. Does the Lord accept all these worship as Lakṣmī Nārāyaṇa or as Rādhā Śyāmasundara, Rādhā Gopīnātha?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What should be the mood as a woman with regard to following the spiritual master’s order on the spiritual path?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Guru Mahārāja, you said that for seeing Kṛṣṇa we need to anoint our eyes with love of Kṛṣṇa. But a neophyte in the primary stage may not be able to have love for Kṛṣṇa awakened in their heart. What should he do to come to the stage that he can see the Lord?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How do we observe Radhastami and what should our prayer be to Radharani?
Jayapataka...
Question: If after keeping Ekadasi, one is not able to breakfast at parana time then what should we do?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we try to preach to the Bhakti Vrksa members and help them, sometimes they don’t help themselves. So sometimes we tend to give up. In the class you mentioned that Nityananda Prabhu desired to deliver Madhai, is it only when the Lord desires that a conditioned soul is delivered? How can we not give up on a member and continue to help them?
Jayapataka...
Question: Last year I made a special vow that I will not be qualified to go to the holy dhama and touch gurudev’s lotus feet any more if I cannot spread the holy name in every town and village in China. That time tears were constantly pouring from my eyes. Now can I go to the holy dhama again?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes unavoidably, I have to discuss the philosophy with some Indians because of work. I found they were misguided so much from what Srila Prabhupada taught us. They have different misunderstanding and ISKCON. I tried to debate with them but they did not accept it. They even told me that you shouldn’t listen to only what your guru told you. The true guru shouldn’t limit you in the box of his own teachings. You should open your minds to listen to opinions of other sages or gurus. So what should I do in these situations. I badly need your mercy and begging your blessings upon this fallen soul.
Jayapataka...
Question: How and in what way we can increase the love for the chanting of the holy name when we try to chant our japas? How can we feel that love you feel for Lord Krsna and Radharani, for Gaura Nitai and Their associates and for our dear and beloved grandfather, Srila Prabhupada?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it possible that one can start experiencing some taste or desire for more chanting before anarta nivritti stage, or does one have to wait until ruchi stage for that to happen?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can I get your permission to live in Mayapur? I have worked in Security Department. Can I do the same service again?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we develop a sweet, natural, but respectful relationship with devotees?
Jayapataka...
Question: Why the two door keepers took birth in three different yugas? The condition is three births as demons. The more easy is to take three births continuously in one yuga.
Jayapataka...
Question: I love hearing Caitanya lila from your lotus mouth. But because I have an infant kid and also not having internet not being ok, I am not able to hear regularly. This is very difficult for me. What should I do?
Jayapataka...
Question: In our Bhaktivedanta National School, we are trying to preach to the students. Since there are a mix of our community devotee children and others, sometimes I feel that we are going two steps forward and three steps backward. Kindly advise how to address this situation?
Jayapataka...
Question: Yesterday during your class you mentioned that Nityananda and Haridas Thakur are punished because they instructed unqualified offenders. They gave proper suggestions to the two drunkards. They almost lost their lives. How can we understand this? When we encounter similar situation, what should we do?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we keep away from dhama aparadha and remember the glories of the dhama?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we become so determined and tolerant in bhakti like you?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it the Lord’s arrangement that the two doorkeepers are cursed? The Lord gave them two choices – either seven births as devotees or three births as demons. So it seems that Krsna consciousness can be prearranged. Either leave or stay in Krsna consciousness. This is our choice. Is it correct to think like this?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we enhance our sense of mission of preaching the message of Caitanya Mahaprabhu?
Jayapataka...
Question: From one mataji, she has two children, one studying in 6th and another in 12th standard. They were practicing Krsna consciousness in their early childhood. And they also tried to cultivate their father who was not so Krsna conscious. But the mother and children preached to father and their father became favorable. But then the children they dropped their interest in Krsna consciousness after father became interested. So then they started saying there is no God, there is no bhakti. Now mother is initiated devotee and father is also practicing. But the children are not taking up Krsna consciousness. So why does this happen? And what is the remedy, how to make the children Krsna conscious? If Guru Maharaj can give blessings to them?
Jayapataka...
Question: You talked about Bhisma Pancaka observance in Mayapur. So can devotees residing outside of Mayapur, can they do Bhisma Pancaka vrata and if they can do, how will they observe it?
Jayapataka...
Question: The Lord said the different qualities of the living entities both good or bad are created by the Lord Himself. So like Jagai and Madhai so many are behaving in the same crooked way, when everything is sanctioned by the Lord, how is the living entity responsible for that? Earlier it was said, not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Lord.
Jayapataka...
Question: Yesterday at the begin of the class one term was mentioned “Krsna guna sankirtan” I have never heard of this term. Please explain.
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the most pleasing way in which to commemorate Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day tomorrow?
Jayapataka...
Question: You told me for accidental offences ask forgiveness from devotees. So I am asking kindly to devotees and Krsna forgiveness, is it ok?
Jayapataka...
Question: While I am more inclined to hear, read and discuss about the sweet pastimes of Nitai Gauracandra and visit their pastime places in Gaura Mandala Bhumi, on the contrary I don’t feel much attraction for worshiping the deities. Of course, I am not disrespectful to the Lord in His deity form, but I feel more blissful in Gaura Nitai katha, than going to altars to serve Them. However, sometimes by thinking that Srila Prabhupada had given us both, Pancaratrika vidhi and Bhagavat vidhi, I feel bad that I am going wrong. I feel puzzled. Would you please guide me to the proper understanding?
Jayapataka...
Question: If we are attached to some educational institute where wearing tilaka is not allowed, what do we do?
Jayapataka...
Question: Today is Govardhan puja. As Navadvip dham is non-different form Vrndavana, and we have Govardhan here also in Koladvip, can you please tell some glories of that place and Mahaprabhu.
Jayapataka...
Question: Few days before you mentioned that we should not think bad about devotees, but if we see devotees doing wrong like going opposite to Srila Prabhupada’s teachings or spreading some ideas, not in line with our philosophy, then what to do in that case? If we are not their authority, how to deal with it? As in the mind it is not very positive thoughts that come about them.
Jayapataka...
Question: Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Mahārāja: Nice class with Śrīvāsa and Mahāprabhu. Then Gopāla Bhārṅ, pastime also very good. In Mahāprabhu’s time it was very easy to get initiated. Mahāprabhu begged Īśvara Purī and Īśvara Purī initiated him. But nowadays our initiation program is very strong and so many processes we go through, courses, viva, so many. The verse said compassion to other poor men. So how does it get balanced? If we allow in ISKCON a little easier for initiation, maybe a bit easy to preach? It is so difficult nowadays to preach.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Can the captain of our ship be our mentor or guide or only the dīkṣā-guru? Need clarification.
Jayapatākā...
Question: What should be the mood to serve deities and how to achieve that mood?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: What mood should a disciple have particularly on Vyāsa-pūjā day?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can one become guru conscious like you are to Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the duty of a guru and what is the duty of a disciple? How are the guru and disciple related in Goloka, spiritual world?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the one thing that Guru Mahārāja never tolerates?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Every personality we see in Bhagavatam and all demigods are there with Lord Gauranga and dancing for kirtan and Lord Caitanya is delivering everyone. Is there a possibility that a whole universe shines in Prema and liberated to Goloka prematurely, before Brahma’s lifetime?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can we offer lamps on behalf of our known devotees, relatives and friends?
Jayapataka...
Question: I will be returning back to London, UK on Wednesday after having been in Mayapur for two months. I feel very fortunate to have taken aspiring from you in October. My time in Mayapur has been a huge turning point in my spiritual life. Please tell me how I can best serve you and Srila Prabhupada, when I return to London.
Jayapataka...
Question: In the prayers glorification of Lord Caitanya by Jagai and Madhai you mentioned about a spiritual and material Saraswati. Are these Saraswati in any way related to Brahma’s wife Saraswati and the river Saraswati?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is meant by dancing in ecstasy? How is it different from conscious dancing in kirtan.
Jayapataka...
Question: Few days back you mentioned in your lecture that devotees should not blaspheme other devotees or even they should not find fault in others. But a madhyama adhikari also judges others and according to his understanding, he avoids envious persons and makes good relationship with devotees, show compassion to the conditioned souls. If a kanista adhikari and madhyama adhikari is judging others, then what makes the difference between kanista and madhyama adhikari.
Jayapataka...
Question: Is there any specific yagna to be done here, if a relative leaves their body. Today I got the information that my father passed away. He was not a devotee, unfortunately. But is there some specific thing that can benefit him?
Jayapataka...
Question: We see that the demigods got so much confused with Lord Krsna’s pastimes but in Mahaprabhu’s pastimes we do not see them bewildered. Why is that so?
Jayapataka...
Question: In a letter to Hayagriva, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “if one is a poor man, he can go to some friend’s home and accept food and then come back. But one should never accept residence in another’s house.” What is the reason one can accept food but should not accept residence in another’s house?
Jayapataka...
Question: He asked why Gaudiya matt’s panjika, calendar and our calendar sometimes different?
Jayapataka...
Question: Even though we are chanting, dancing and offering to Krsna, there is more and more vaisnava aparadha these days. Is this just a symptom of kali yuga or are we missing a bigger lesson?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am very much eager to hear from your divine grace, the proper understanding of Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.7. “ Yasyam vai sruyamanayam, krsne parama puruse, bhaktir upadyate pumsah, soka moha bhaypaha. Translation: Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness.” What should be the attitude of a devotee to earn that bhakti which can remove lamentation, illusion and fear?
Jayapataka...
Question: You told gurudev that “Lord Caitanya delivers all but vaisnava blasphemers.” While talking in usual talk, we become critical toward a devotee. How to avoid these instances?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Navadvip Mandal we are hearing that in each Dvipa Lord Gauranga gave darshan to some devotee even before His manifest pastime. Is there any incident outside Navadvip in which Lord Caitanya appeared to some devotee before or after manifest pastime?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is there any offence if we even think wrong about a devotee but don’t speak out. There are times when we think wrong about devotees.
Jayapataka...
Question: If a devotee commits an offence towards a vaisnava but is unable to atone for it in this lifetime, does the reaction get carried to the next life?
Jayapataka...
Question: In spite of hearing the pastimes of Jagai and Madhai, sometimes even devotees take time to forgive each other. Also, devotees are known to be more merciful than the Lord Himself. Please explain.
Jayapataka...
Question: How does one deal with devotees who are easily offended?
Jayapataka...
Question: When I hear Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, I feel very unqualified. I am unable to relate to these deep sentiments. How can I attempt to understand these pastimes?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the gṛhastha āśrama. How will I properly and gradually become detached from family at the right time and take vanaprasta or go to some ISKCON temple and completely surrender my life for Kṛṣṇa?
Jayapatākā...
Question: When we visit dhāma should we go to the Sakti-piṭhā and offer respects to any Devī considering them as Vaiṣṇavī Mātā?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can I in devotional service, avoid being envious to other Vaiṣṇavas? Please advise.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to focus mind on chanting, there are too many distractions?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What will happen to a devotee if he or she fails to wake up early in the morning and attend maṅgala-ārati every day?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to pacify a new Bhakti-vṛkṣa member if he considers Lord Śiva to be supreme, however wants to learn Bhagavad-gītā?
Jayapatākā...
Question: In ISKCON we have a Vaiṣṇavī ministry, which has many stalwart Vaiṣṇavīs. I am not qualified to ask this question but for sheltering my bhakti, I am humbly asking you Gurudeva your view on female Vaiṣṇavī gurus of ISKCON. I have heard some devotees being against female gurus. I beg your forgiveness if I have made any offences at your lotus feet.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Many times we have to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness outside of the devotee association. In this situation what kind of good practice we should take shelter in order to remain aloof from the material snares and we can advance spiritually.
Jayapatākā...
Question:, I am sincerely trying to take initiation but there are a lot of obstacles. How will this desire be fulfilled?
Jayapataka...
Question: If someone affects our service in some way and we develop some offensive thoughts, how can we avoid it?
Jayapataka...
Question: During Damodara month some devotees locally offer a candle and some offer LED candle, some offer a ghee lamp. Is it ok to adjust according to time, place and circumstance, to offer a LED lamp versus offering a ghee lamp
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we change our vision of the devotees and their place of birth? Is it ever acceptable to designate a devotee as “ Bengali bhakta” “Videshi bhakta”.
Jayapataka...
Question: Advaita says to Nityananda that he ate from the house of people from the west. Is he predicting or blessing the preaching in the west?
Jayapataka...
Question: In one of your classes you mentioned that preaching pleases you the most. One of my principle assignments is clashing with the Mayapur Institute classes. I am in a dilemma. Please clarify Guru Maharaj.
Jayapataka...
Question: Jagai and Madhai are two doorkeepers in Vaikuntha. In Srimad Bhagavatam 7.1.47 last sentence in the purport it says, through Lord Krsna’s body they returned to Vaikuntha. Although they seem to have attained sayujya mukti, in Krsna’s body, and they are cursed to take birth as demons for three births, why they became Jagai and Madhai since three births are completed and they are already back to Vaikuntha?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is there any way we can relieve the suffering we have created for you by our bad karmas and irresponsible behaviour?
Jayapataka...
Question: Even when I desire not to do mental offences, it still pops up in my mind. So how to get rid of this?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is there anything that we can do to diminish the disinterest of devotees with ISKCON around the world? The devotees are being interested with the facilities in Iskcon and they are in other matts or other Gaudiyas. Is there any way we can collaborate with them in a way that we can favor their advance in devotional service?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can a person motivate his son, non- devotee wife to devotional service and chanting?
Jayapataka...
Question: In your personal life as a guru and a god brother, how have you handled relationships, if you found out someone was envious of you?
Jayapataka...
Question: Madhudvisa. Is Krsna’s name which means envious of Madhu? If enviousness cannot be purified like the other five vices, how can Krsna be envious of someone?
Jayapataka...
Question: What one should do if he knows the devotee is very offensive to devotees? What to do if one hears these offences?
Jayapataka...
Question: If a disciple is not able to fulfill the instruction of the spiritual master due to some circumstances and the nature of that service being time based, is it considered offence of disobeying the spiritual master?
Jayapataka...
Question: If the Lord cannot forgive vaisnava aparadh, does this mean that vaisnava mercy is greater than the power of the holy name?
Jayapataka...
Question: How may I serve you for your satisfaction?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to know whether a situation that we are facing is Krsna’s plan, or due to misuse of our minute independence given to us by Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: Yesterday you mentioned in the class about Sakti Tattva, Visnu Tattva and Jiva Tattva. You said that Radharani and Asta Sakis are Sakti Tattvas. Are the Manjaris also Sakti Tattvas as they are potencies of Radharani? We learn that many spiritual masters like Bhakti Vinod Thakur, Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur were Manjaris. But we say that Guru is Jiva Tattva. So are great devotees who are Manjaris actually Sakti Tattva or Jiva Tattva? Can you please help in understanding this Guru Maharaj?
Jayapataka...
Question: During this pandemic we preached online. But there is no way we could engage them in some service. Can you help us in some way to do that?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes our spiritual desires are not fulfilled. It seems to have an opposite result. I know with patience it may happen. How to be patient and hopeful for our spiritual desire?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is there any difference between staying in Goloka Vṛndāvana or staying in the material world in the pure service of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I distribute Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books to a hospital doctor or nurse or clerk?
Jayapataka...
Question: How was it that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya attracted to the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Was it Gopīnātha Ācārya’s desire?
Jayapataka...
Question: Here we see that Lord Caitanya was forced to eat opulent prasādam. Is it okay to serve even if a person doesn’t want to eat, even breaking his order or will?
Jayapataka...
Question: What will happen in a home altar if Kṛṣṇa and demigods along with the guru-paramparā is kept?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I have heard from a devotee that until we get kṛṣṇa-prema we have to come back to this material world. Or until we take birth in a dhāma, we will be back to this material world. But I have heard earlier that if we leave our body in dhāma we don’t come back to this material world. Please kindly enlighten gurudeva.
Jayapatākā...
Question: What should I do? I am always getting failure in reading books. I just start and read for few days and break comes. How can I overcome this problem? But I read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam every day.
Jayapatākā...
Question: I am unable to become absorbed and serious in various devotional practices. I chant, try to read daily, but everything seems to be at a superficial material level. It is frustrating at times, there is an intense desire to only serve you and other times mind is plaguing me with material thoughts. How to become steady, serious, mature and take up chanting and spreading as our life and soul? I want to preach and help others but if I am not at that level how can I inspire others?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I read the scriptures Śrīla Prabhupāda books, am fond of reading his books, but I also read my textbooks. Sometimes I get so immersed in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books that I lose taste for reading my text books. But I know that I require both. How can I maintain a balance between the two? Please advise.
Jayapatākā...
Question: What is the right mood to study Śrīla Prabhupāda books? I am very fond of reading Śrīla Prabhupāda books, so I am very happy by reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Srila Prabhupada during distribution of books or in the month of Damodara … (how do we tell people the greatness, in the month of Damodara from Srila Prabhupada’s books)
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the relationship of living entities with Lord Caitanya, like living entities have four types of relationship with Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: So fortunate Jagai Madhai to receive such mercy. Can we also receive such mercy?
Jayapataka...
Question: Bahulastami is considered to be the appearance of Radha Kunda. And thousands of devotees take a dip on this day. But those devotees were not able to be there on that day, how can they get the benefit of taking a holy dip?
Jayapataka...
Question: Many devotees they want to live in Radha kunda and do their bhajan, considering that it is the supreme abode the supremely holy place. But we see that all our acaryas left Vrndavana and came to Navadvip to perform their bhajan. How to understand?
Jayapataka...
Question: You have said previously that when the disciples are not following the regulative principles, they are the killer of one’s guru and guru gets the karma. I have also heard that if the disciple breaks the principles, they are not considered disciple and guru does not get karma?
Jayapataka...
Question: Even though Madhai was harming Nitai, still he got His mercy. How do we get Lord Nitai’s mercy?
Jayapataka...
Question: Radha Kunda and Syama Kunda appeared for Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur. Is it the same place where they are in Navadvip dhama? Or is there any other place they were as well in Navadvip?
Jayapataka...
Question: During initiation, new spiritual name is given. Does the name have any important message to the disciple.
Jayapataka...
Question: During Kartik, on Ekadasi day, can we distribute non-ekadasi prasadam to non-devotees?
Jayapataka...
Question: We see how importance Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives to devotees having loving exchanges. Sometimes we take devotees relationships for granted or we may not give due attention and we take it easily, junior or senior, and not to take it to heart. What is the root cause for this and how can we deepen our relationship with vaisnavas?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to attract youth to Krsna consciousness and preach to them? Methods of preaching?
Jayapataka...
Question: How a person chooses guru? How is connection made with guru? Is there any connection from past life?
Jayapataka...
Question: What are the parameters we should check before choosing our ashrama?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the present society, youth are getting addicted to bad habits. How to preach to them, they are not interested in Krsna consciousness, not chanting and not taking interest. How to give them Krsna consciousness?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Krsna consciousness we see that every process has got benefits, for example when we circumambulate Tulasi maharani, all sinful reactions are eradicated, or just by chanting one holy name, shuddha nama, we get the highest perfection. But somehow or other in our lives, we are not able to get those results. What is lacking in myself that I am not able to see that result in my life? What should I improve?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to maintain consistency in devotional life?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the real equality, real equilibrium? According to devotees what is the major equality between us and non-devotees, what we need to do and what they need to do?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get Lord Nityananda’s mercy in our life?
Jayapataka...
Question: I understand Draupadī’s compassion to a person who has killed her children, but when we see people who are not thinking good for us, we are perturbed. How to overcome this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How do we make a newcomer understand about Lord Caitanya?
Jayapatākā...
Question: The heart wants to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and does not want to go for enjoyment of material objects, but at the same time sometimes we are attracted to enjoy and the mind pulls up to that direction, but we want to refrain from that enjoyment and devote our consciousness at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, but that does not happen. So what should we do to get this? Please say something so that we are inspired to go for devotional service.
Jayapatākā...
Question: You say when we get that higher taste nothing is comparable, but we have no idea of that taste, so it is hard for us to be steady and we keep falling down. What can we do to be fixed up and not be allured by lower tastes?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to subdue the demoniac tendencies in us?
Jayapatākā...
Question: When a devotee accepts initiation, just like when a person is born materially and he or she is a baby and gradually grows. What is the situation of the person when he is spiritually initiated, what is the situation like in terms of material growth, is he a baby in spiritual life or is he an adult in spiritual life?
Jayapatākā...
Question: More than Gauranga, I love Nityananda (Guru Maharaj said: Nitaiiiii NItaiiiii!). I always like to be Nityananda conscious. So will it be considered as Krsna conscious?
Jayapataka...
Question: Which is more important? Vani seva or vapu seva?
Jayapataka...
Question: If we commit offence to dhama how can we get forgiveness for that?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes I am losing my faith and interest in chanting. How to get rid of this?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I know who is my spiritual master?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it an offence that after taking initiation not to chant on our initiated beads and can we chant on clicker? Guru Maharaj, due to rotational shifts I am mostly doing my rounds on the clicker. I feel very guilty for that but mostly I try to do it on my beads.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to be always Gauranga conscious? How to deal with maya’s allurements?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am distracted so much by my impressions which makes me distracted in chanting. How can I dive deep into the ocean of the holy names?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I increase my faith in the holy name more and more?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to develop determination? Sometimes I take vows like in Damodara month or Ekadasi, but I am not able to follow it completely.
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we understand that our intentions are pure while participating in devotional service?
Jayapataka...
Question: We have started online to preach for your pleasure. Will you please kindly tell us your vision about internet preaching and how can we contribute to achieve it?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to do best devotional service in Krsna consciousness – in preaching, nagar sankirtan and house programs?
Jayapataka...
Question: I have a problem with my chanting Guru Maharaj. The problem is I cannot utter the holy name clearly and I am getting throat pain, so that I am not able to complete my 16 rounds, I could only do 4 rounds from 5.30 am to 7 am. Please give me any solution.
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the difference between jiva atma and Paramatma?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get aasakti on Srila Prabhupada’s book reading?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to control our mind during chanting time and also during day time?
Jayapataka...
Question: Damodara arati in the morning time if we do it, is it ok? Or is there any difference in result if you do in the morning instead of evening?
Jayapataka...
Question: As Damodara month is approaching from authorities’ side we are encouraged to go out and hold public programs but many of the times we don’t get permission to do so by the local authorities there, the society people or whoever. So can you give us some tips, how do we approach them and how do we get them to do some Damodara month outreach programs?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to control envious nature of other devotees?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get free from material attachments?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get good association from devotees inside and outside the temple?
Jayapataka...
Question: What mood should we have when we have any normal ceremonies held in dhama, like marriage, anna prasana, etc.?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it possible to give results of our Damodara month services to some devotee for their devotional empowerment? If so, what is the particular process to give our results to Guru Maharaj or simply by praying our results will be gone to them.
Jayapataka...
Question: In NOD we read about how devotional service gives klesagni and removes all material distress. But we see that devotees practicing devotional service face all kinds of distress. How do we understand this?
Jayapataka...
Question: Currently, GBC devotees hosting department, I am hosting all the GBC delegates who are coming here. I heard in sastras that athithi, someone who comes as a guest without prior intimation, we should host them very nicely in such a way that they get pleased. But currently even after intimating in advance what time they are coming, we are unable to meet their expectations. So in ancient days how did they please all the guests? And how can I carry that mood in my life and please all the vaisnavas?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes being in Krsna consciousness devotees are facing so many problems day by day. Why is it so?
Jayapataka...
Question: We see everybody as devotees but we whom we have to take good association, who is strong? How to find?
Jayapataka...
Question: We heard that if we sow the seed, the seed turns into a tree and then gives fruit and flowers. We should only return back home with the ripened fruits. So while we preach to students, they step back from Krsna consciousness. So what do we need to do to get them to practice to enthuse them again back to Krsna consciousness?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes during Kartik masa the devotees chant 64 rounds, but there are so many other activities which they don’t do as well then just concentration on their sadhana, their 64 rounds, going on extremes. How to balance it?
Jayapataka...
Question: How a person who has believed in the Lord, but impersonal form, like his father is 61 years old, how can he become a devotee?
Jayapataka...
Question: My kids are 8 and 6 years old. My husband is an occasional chanter. I have my in-laws with me. My mother-in-law and sister also stay with us. Please guide me how I can be instrumental in their spiritual life?
Jayapataka...
Question: Some devotees are doing service only for name and fame, if I associate with them, my mind also changes and I also cannot avoid their association. What to do gurudev?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can we use Tulasi twigs to make lamp to offer to Lord Damodara
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the best vow to do in this month of Kartik?
Jayapataka...
Question: If one has taken initiation with Gayatri mantra from another bona fide vaisnava sampradaya, like Sri Vaisnava sampradaya and now is inspired by Iskcon and Srila Prabhupada, can they take initiation from an Iskcon guru too? If he is chanting 16 rounds of Maha mantra, following the regulative principles, doing service in the temple?
Jayapataka...
Question: Talking about Damodara month, we try to organize home programs as well as public programs. Out of the two, which would you be more pleased with? Which one would you like us to focus upon? House program or public program?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the best way we should observe this Ekadasi? What should we do?
Jayapataka...
Question: When one enters the temple room and the curtains are open, is it proper to offer obeisances to Srila Prabhupada first and then to the deities? Which order is the best?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we take Lord Damodara door to door for facilitating people to offer lamp and they haven’t taken bath, especially westerners, is it okay for them to offer lamps? What is the minimum cleanliness for new people required to offer lamps?
Jayapataka...
Question: I heard Srila Prabhupada telling that it is a good mistake for a young person to eat a lot. But when we eat more, we need to spend more time on our body maintenance like sleeping. Also, on another side Rupa Goswami says, vaco vegam manaso krodha vegam, jihva vegam udaropasta vegam. So how do we reconcile these two ideas?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it good to be attached to the service we are doing in the temple, let it be preaching or deity related service. We being girls, we will get married in the future and go to different temples. And we may not be doing the same service there. We tend to lament that we are not able to get that service there. So how to understand this attachment to the service, and what should be our attachment?
Jayapataka...
Question: I heard that Srila Prabhupada has made a home in which the whole world can be accommodated. I also heard that people need to add Krsna to their life and can live their life. But allowing do or doing so, they may create a legacy, they may follow their own lifestyle and culture and also will chant Hare Krsna. So that may create a legacy in ISKCON or our culture, that this also can be done. So what is your opinion on that?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes we know the answer to a question in theory but it is hard to apply that answer in our life. What is the remedy for this?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it good for young girls in ISKCON to follow elderly senior exemplary brahmacaris, taking them as siksa guru, utilizing that association only for spiritual upliftment? Because some devotees oppose this.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to try and establish our teenage children in Krsna consciousness even when their rounds are not regular?
Jayapataka...
Question: if someone fails to finish 16 rounds of chanting, can they do it next day? Is that acceptable?
Jayapataka...
Question: How should we worship mother Ganga and Lord Siva to please them?
Jayapataka...
Question: Most of the times we are not in the association of devotees. which gives us inspiration in our devotional service. How to be in touch with great souls so that we can practice bhakti enthusiastically?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the right age to start teaching Bhagavad-gita to children? Also, if we are to gift a Bhagavad-gita as a gift to a child, is there a minimum age for a child to receive?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the best way to reach Godhead?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to control the mind while chanting?
Jayapataka...
Question: You said, kevala ananda kanda. Sometimes we feel happy sometimes sad in bhakti. Why is that?
Jayapataka...
Question: Could you please explain Bhagavad Gita 18.61. Translation: The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.
Jayapataka...
Question: In the early days of Iskcon, young devotees were given opportunity to become leaders. Why are there so few opportunities for younger devotees to take leadership roles today?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is more important in developing one’s taste and understanding – preaching or association of devotees – when living in a place where we cannot have both?
Jayapataka...
Question: Beyond the TOVP, what are future projects needed in Mayapur? How can we help you develop Mayapur in the future?
Jayapataka...
Question: Should parents who are initiated check astrology of their kids?
Jayapataka...
Question: How much does astrology chart come true for an initiated devotee?
Jayapataka...
Question: We know that only by the mercy of guru and Gauranga we can be a significant instrument in the hands of guru and Gauranga. So what is the right mood we should have to be in their service? Could you please help me?
Jayapataka...
Question: We have heard many times that God is unlimited or Krsna is unlimited, but a general person asks, you say God has 64 qualities and how can you say He is unlimited?
Jayapataka...
Question: I have this question about when we want to do preaching, the question is when is the time to start thinking big? As soon as we start chanting 16 rounds is that the expectation that we start thinking big or when is the right time? How to think big? How to implement those ideas which are in your mind and expand them so that it has a bigger impact?
Jayapataka...
Question: I have a question from my step mother. Jamie, you call her Yamuna. Her question, She said she read in the Bhagavad-gita, I should endeavor without expectation of any results. And so she has devoted her life to helping people in different ways in her professional life and spiritual life. But sometimes she feels lonely. So how to give up this loneliness, how can she continue when the work feels lonely? She doesn’t want to feel sorry for herself or to feel alone. So she wants to give all efforts to guard and not feel any loneliness. How can she do that?
Jayapataka...
Question: If someone is practicing Krsna consciousness and they are also hurting other devotees, but they continue to practice Krsna consciousness, it is better that, even though they are hurting devotees, isn’t it better that, good though that they are doing it and chanting Hare Krsna and taking the association of devotees? How does that balance out?
Jayapataka...
Question: Every time we hear, we are not this body, we are the eternal soul. But when it comes to the family life, especially the child and mother relationship, even though we try to bring them up as a devotee, still that attachment is very hard to come out of it. So how can we practice?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is that Arjuna? Devotional service, if it is non-different from Krsna, do you think you need a different crowd to talk about devotional service?
Jayapataka...
Question: If you could please elaborate the journey of the soul when we leave this material body and we attain our spiritual body. I remember reading somewhere Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur saying the holy name carries the soul to the spiritual world and there is very descriptive details of how the soul is finally engaged in the service of Lord Krsna eventually. Of course there are a lot of stages of training and so on and so forth. I always wondered where does the spiritual master, where does he fit in, when we depart this world and we are on our journey to Goloka Vrndavana?
Jayapataka...
Question: I was wondering about the mood that when worshiping Caitanya Mahparabhu, we worship Mahaprabhu as Krsna and we put a peacock feather also when we dress Him, but sometimes I have heard this instruction that this disturbs the mood of Lord Caitanya. In what mood should we approach?
Jayapataka...
Question: Who are Sridevi and Bhudevi because you mentioned about Laksmi. You didn’t call them Laksmi, you called them Sridevi and Bhudevi – why?
Jayapataka...
Question: You mentioned in the lecture that we are all like floating straws in the river, sometimes we come together as a family, sometimes we take birth elsewhere. What is the relationship between guru and disciple, if the disciple has not attained perfection and has to take birth again, will they be together?
Jayapataka...
Question: A week or two ago you were mentioning in your class that ISKCON has various holy places, the birthplaces of the Panca Tattva. But you said that Gadadhara’s either has still not been located or we don’t have it. Can you explain a little bit about that?
Jayapataka...
Question: We know that Lord Caitanya was known as Nimai because He was born under the neem tree. Is there any other significance or meaning to the name Nimai?
Jayapataka...
Question: I was trying to preach to a gentleman in New York very recently and it happened before also. The gentleman was asking me that where in Bhagavad-gita it mentions you cannot eat fish, meat and all. So I told him that it is patrampuspam.. that sloka. But he was not happy. So both the times they were not happy. So I want to know if you have got any suggestion, so next time people ask me I can give a better answer.
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes some congregation devotees are asking a question that they are working outside very hard. So every day they cannot complete their rounds, next day they try but they have difficulty that day as well. So what will happen? How to deal?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I maintain consistency in my sādhana and not get setback in change from circumstances?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can we develop a good relationship with devotees?
Jayapatākā...
Question: If someone gets some opportunity to preaching but she has very little knowledge of scriptures and preaching, what should be her duty?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Some new people who are interested to become devotees engage in chanting of the holy name and other services, but they worship demigods also. How can we help them to focus just on Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not perform demigod worship?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to avoid laziness and be active in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Kṛṣṇa saved Pāṇḍavas from brahmāstra, why did Kṛṣṇa not save their five children?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Do the Vedas talk about any sankirtan yagna or bhakti-yoga and if they do not, why Vedas are written in such a way that they do not even mention about this blissful process?
Jayapataka...
Question: In yoga practice we feel immediate relief and stress free situation and to develop bhakti-yoga, or chanting, Krsna consciousness or Maha-Mantra and everything, it takes little time to develop our bhakti. So what should we do that we get immediate relief and faster process of having Krsna conscious bhakti?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am reading the Bhagavatam, second volume and it talks about, second canto, and it talks about ahankaras Will that be considered the same as karma? Because it is the knot of material and spiritual together?
Jayapataka...
Question: Could you speak a little about the second verse of the Guruvastakam? Especially manaso rasena.
Jayapataka...
Question: Krsna incarnates all different animals of all different species?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the context of this whole conversation between Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Murari Gupta?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to explain the difference between Krsna and Visnu to a karmi? We as devotees know there are 64 qualities and there some qualities that only Krsna has. But how do you explain that to the non-devotee?
Jayapataka...
Question: The species Srila Prabhupada says, again and again from the scriptures that no species become extinct, but our modern science tells us that dinosaurs were here and now they are extinct. And all kinds of other animals are becoming extinct. So how do we accept that? We don’t see dinosaurs walking around. We don’t see any of these animals that are said to be extinct.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to increase the reading practice?
Jayapataka...
Question: I have a question about Krsna consciousness and other religions in the world. In Islam and Christianity, they talk about going to the spiritual world but at the same time they are eating meat. Will they go to the spiritual world or not?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we keep up the strong determination in Krsna consciousness in favorable and unfavorable situation, especially the family members who are not in Krsna consciousness?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to deal with the world where there is so much prejudice, so much fighting going on. It seems that there is so much animosity going on?
Jayapataka...
Question: If we don’t want to go through the eight stages? Is there another easier process?
Jayapataka...
Question: These nine processes are very difficult for me. Is there an easy one for me?
Jayapataka...
Question: According to the Caitanya Caritamrita, I have always heard that Lord Caitanya was the Supreme Lord but He was in the guise of a devotee. Is there any evidence that He Himself knew He was Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart oh Arjuna, and is directing all the wandering living entities, who are seated as on a machine made of material energy. “ He just wants me to read.
Jayapataka...
Question: There are three types of God, Brahman, Supreme Personality of Godhead and Paramatma. What I am trying to do and I think is wrong, or maybe it is correct, that is why I am asking, is it okay to do, of course I love Krsna, you know I am here but at the same time we are connected with Paramatma, which is inside me, and Brahman which is outside, is that okay?
Jayapataka...
Question: Right now we are reading the second canto in Srimad Bhagavatam and of course there are so many questions about all the Maha Visnu and Visnu expansions. I have a question that I was wondering, was one, they are talking about, Mahavisnu lying down in the causal ocean, I was wondering what is the causal ocean? What is that? And also they talk about the ocean of milk, which Visnu is laying in the ocean of milk and where is the ocean of milk?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you say something about your current health?
Jayapataka...
Question: You were talking about the mindset of mother Saci when she was raising Nimai, Lord Caitanya. And Jagannath Misra said that how it changed, they wanted Him not to take sannyasa because then they didn’t want Him to leave and didn’t educate Him. So what is the mindset we should have when we are raising children?
Jayapataka...
Question: Many years ago I was telling you about how when we first installed Gaura Nitai, we dressed Them like sannyasis. Then I said to you, maharaj, it will be so nice if we can see Lord Caitanya again as a sannyasi! You said, why do you want to see Him in that condition? It was a suffering condition. Could you please elaborate on that instruction you gave.
Jayapataka...
Question: Saci mata thought negative about Viswarupa taking sannyasa and thought offensively about Advaita Acarya. She is a very great soul and I am very low. But sometimes negative thought, in Krsna conscious practice, we don’t want to commit any offences but sometimes some negative thoughts come in our mind of devotees. So it is because of our karma or out of habit? If it is so, how to stop erasing those negative thoughts and be saved from vaisnava aparada? Will you please help me to understand?
Jayapataka...
Question: This morning you said, when you asked me how I feel and how my body feels? It is two different ways. You said, I feel thankful for Srila Prabhupada, I am always thankful for Srila Prabhupada. But then when I said, how are you? When I asked about your body, you said, don’t ask! So it is a very powerful thing to do that differentiation. How do you do it? How do you strengthen the differentiation? How do you continuously gain power from your spiritual body?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we get spiritual master’s blessings to understand sastras or scriptures?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can we do Damodara arati after Kartik?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we encourage children to chant?
Jayapataka...
Question: If in devotional service we are faced with family problems what should we do?
Jayapatākā...
Question: At difficult times it happens that we lose certain services or we don’t have certain facilities for devotional service, which we were doing before. How can we show our surrender and dependence on Kṛṣṇa at such situations?
Jayapatākā...
Question: How Aśvattāmā released a second brahmāstra to kill Parīkṣit Mahārāja, when his first brahmāstra was fouled by Arjuna. As per my understanding from Mahābhārata, Aśvattāmā was only allowed to release brahmāstra only once since he did not know how to retract it after releasing.
Jayapatākā...
Question: Whenever we are in difficulty, we pray to Lord Narasiṁhadeva for protection. If this happens at the time of death, do we go to Narasiṁha Vaikuṇṭha or attain Goloka Vṛndāvana, as He is none other than Kṛṣṇa. Please enlighten me Guru Mahārāja
Jayapatākā...
Question: Sometimes we see politics in the movement. How to be enthusiastic in preaching and deal effectively with the issues?
Jayapataka...
Question: Recently got to see some of your magazines from Mayapur when you were very young brahmacari and then a sannyasi. I was observing that in your career as a devotee, you went on increasing your determination and surrender to Srila Prabhupada. My question was that we find brahmacaris staying for ten years or twelve years and then moving out. We find that maya’s influence is more and more. So my question is how can the new preachers and the brahmacaris stay stable and determined in Krsna consciousness for many years, standing out. Do you have some pointers to tell us?
Jayapataka...
Question: What will make you most happy that we can get your blessings for success in our spiritual life.
Jayapataka...
Question: Yesterday you told us the pastime of Keshava Kashmiri. How the Lord was thinking how to bring his pride down and not hurt his self-esteem. So how does one do that?
Jayapataka...
Question: What happens to life before birth and after death?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get Krsna mercy and guru’s mercy? When we are chanting we have disturbance and so how to get over it and material consciousness and suffering?
Jayapataka...
Question: Why do Krsna and Balarama seem to have different opinions? Does this mean that there is always a right thing to do and that depends on the person?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the fastest way to get rid of anarthas? By what service does purification happen faster?
Jayapataka...
Question: In your book Vrndavane Bhajana, you mention that sankirtan does not only mean kirtan with kohl and kartal, it also means to spread the glories of the Holy Name through other means. So for us what is the way we do sankirtan, with the actual kirtan same and other parts of sankirtan?
Jayapataka...
Question: What keeps you motivated to carry on preaching Krsna consciousness, even during your poor health condition and numerous operations?
Jayapataka...
Question: We see that in previous years, in Prabhupada’s times, there were so many Srila Prabhupada disciples and we distributed books in millions all over the world. During the last few years although the book distribution is on the rise once again, why was there such a drop in Srila Prabhupada’s books distribution?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is your strongest memory of Srila Prabhupada?
Jayapataka...
Question: My question is about book distribution. One time when I was doing book distribution, I met someone from another religion, they said, I like the word Krsna. So I thought I will give him a book and he took the book. And I was a little surprised because he was from the Middle East and he said, ‘I really like Krsna.’
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we know that an obstacle we face is Kṛṣṇa’s test or a reaction to my own offences?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Guru Mahārāja if like Arjuna where on one side I have my counsellors, my authorities, other side have my spiritual head, my spiritual master, and another side, students I have my students and others who I preach to, what would I do in a situation like this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Even if we know that Kṛṣṇa is our sole protector and biggest well-wisher, why do we not have complete faith in times of extreme difficulties?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Dear Guru Mahārāja we have heard that Lord Gaurāṅga gave more mercy in South India after His sannyāsa than when He was in Navadvīpa before sannyāsa. But in our temples we worship Lord Gaurāṅga’s form before sannyāsa. What is the reason we worship Lord Gaurāṅga’s form before sannyāsa, though His sannyāsa form is apparently more merciful?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What time of the day should we do the tarpana for Bhisma deva? Morning or noon?
Jayapataka...
Question: Did the associates of Lord Caitanya know they were incarnations? Did Haridas Thakuir know he was an incarnation of Brahma? Did Sarvabauma Bhattacarya did he know at some stage that he was an incarnation of Brihaspati?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we continue our devotional service with uninterrupted, unmotivated way when we have some material problems? When everything is going good, it is easy to go on with our service in an uninterrupted and unmotivated way but when we have problems, how do we do that?
Jayapataka...
Question: Though I don’t feel taste in material contamination or violation of regulative principles, but sometimes my mind throws the idea of contamination. What should I do to stop my mind throwing ideas of impure actions?
Jayapataka...
Question: If I get Srila Prabhupada’s used clothes as prasada what should I do?
Jayapataka...
Question: On Gopastami we dress Radharani as gopa. Is it okay to dress Krsna as gopi?
Jayapataka...
Question: How does one stay sane within Krsna consciousness?
Jayapataka...
Question: Someone mentioned in Facebook question and answer that Govardhana is in Koladvip? Kindly clarify.
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the correct time for Damodara arati? Is morning arati alright?
Jayapataka...
Question: What are the different types of souls? Lord Supreme Soul and Super Soul and Soul and Jiva atma.
Jayapataka...
Question: Can I offer Radharani a watch in Mayapur?
Jayapataka...
Question: If we have difference of opinion in philosophy with some devotee, or practical application details are different, then is it considered an offence?
Jayapataka...
Question: At the time of death, if we think only of Lord Krsna or His incarnation, then we will either be liberated or get a human birth again, but as a rich or brahmana family where we can execute Krsna consciousness better. What if one thinks of his or her spiritual master only at the time of death?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you enlighten us why do we fast half a day on the day before Lord Varahadeva’s appearance day and not on His appearance day?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is there any difference between criticism and complaint?
Jayapataka...
Question: We get to learn in bhakti that we should not look at any devotee on a materialistic platform, but when a devotee looks at us on a materialistic plane and criticizes us, in what way should we view that? How do we deal with this situation?
Jayapataka...
Question: What can we do to protect mother earth?
Jayapataka...
Question: So I am kind of a neophyte devotee myself and not having a great deal within my family. So I need to lie to them at times for example, simple Ekadasi fast, I need to lie to them. Till what degree it is better? And also, I have to step down from my principles sometimes, so what (audio break)
H.H.Jayapa...
Question: What should be the consciousness or mood in which we have to do deities related backup services like arranging jewelry of the Lord, boutique services, after decoration etc. At times we tend to commit offences unknowingly when we are doing this service. How do we ask forgiveness for such mistakes?
H.H.Jayapa...
Question: I am very eager to chant every day and go back to Krsna. I really regret that I left Him and came here. Guru maharaj I have this fear that teenage, or the planets or my karma will cause obstacles to my chanting and devotion How do I combat this fear? (Audio break)
H.H.Jayapa...
Question: How can we maintain the intense mood of praying? Also please bless me to have a deep intensity in my praying always.
H.H.Jayapa...
Question: As per the sastra, what is the best way to help them align to Krsna conscious way of life to attain perfection of the stage of life they are in?
H.H.Jayapa...
Question: When we preach to youths what are some of the effective ways we can employ so that we help them to become more Krsna conscious? How to follow them up? Effective ways?
H.H.Jayapa...
Question: Sometimes under work pressure we become irritable and quarrelsome by nature. Is there any sloka or pastime that we can think of to control our anger?
H.H.Jayapa...
Question: In what mood do we observe the appearance day of Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura?
Jayapatākā...
Question: Who is more merciful – Lord Caitanya or Lord Jagannātha?
Jayapatākā...
Question: As a student I have to study my course books. But I am not able to read Śrīla Prabhupāda books. But I read very little every day regularly. What should I do about this?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I am very eager to read the books, but I cannot concentrate fully. I feel sad.
Jayapatākā...
Question: I try to read Śrīla Prabhupāda books every day, but I don’t know how to manage the time. Maybe today I read one hour, then next day maybe it is half an hour. Then again maybe time increases or maybe I only get ten minutes. So how to maintain the timing for reading more? Please instruct me Guru Mahārāj.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How to overcome fear and lamentation?
Jayapatākā...
Question: What would be our mood during doing Damodar house programs and how to inspire bhakti vrksa members to do more service during this month?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we have to leave this body, will Sri guru be there for us? One devotee gave class and said that Srila Prabhupada’s expression “fly your own airship” means you cannot depend on anyone else at that time?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to overcome the snare of maya which comes in the form of maan, puja and pratista?
Jayapataka...
Question: When we go to the burial ground, even if we don’t touch the dead body, does one has to change his brahminical thread?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to develop the mood of selflessness towards devotees?
Jayapataka...
Question: Lord Caitanya is very merciful, still we know the story of Chota Haridas, the Lord was very strict with him, can you elaborate on that?
Jayapataka...
Question: What can we do to keep an atmosphere like this, remaining in Chile when you leave?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to increase faith in the chanting of the holy names and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu?
Jayapataka...
Question: Lord Caitanya and Nityananda gave mercy to unqualified people, what is the factor that makes the progress faster or slower?
Jayapataka...
Question: I heard that Lord Caitanya He would give Prema Bhakti when somebody touched Him. As soon as somebody touched Him, He would give Prema Bhakti. Now at this time, how Lord Caitanya is giving Prema Bhakti to everyone?
Jayapataka...
Question: I took initiation from Bhakti Abhaycaran Swami in 1989 in Lima. You know the history. At that time when my spiritual master fell down, like 18 or 19 years back. It was said at that moment that in 20 years he can come to the normal standard, good standard. 15 years. Somebody said in ISKCON that in 15 years he can come back to his normal standard. I would like to know your opinion that because now it is very required to have senior preachers in our movement.
Devotee:...
Question: Are there similar pastimes of Lord Nityananda during his childhood?
Jayapataka...
Question: When Nimai became Nimai Pandit?
Jayapataka...
Question: When someone has hard times, even trying to get better by reading and chanting, but it doesn’t work, what is missing?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is there a reaction? It’s bad if someone goes to the pujari room and takes the bhoga before it is offered to the Deities because that person is hungry?
Jayapataka...
Question: According to the books of Srila Ptabhupada what a practitioner of devotional life should do, what is correct to do and what is not?
Jayapataka...
Question: How come Lord Nityananda did not appear as Mahaprabhu’s brother?
Jayapataka...
Question: I heard that in Gaura Lila that Subadra Devi descends as Sita Devi, Advaita Acarya’s wife. I was wondering if you could expand on her relationship with Mahaprabhu?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the last two years we heard that we don’t have to follow Srila Prabhupada but we have to follow the sastra, since it is the ultimate authority. Can you give your opinion of those statements?
Jayapataka...
Question: I was reading the Nectar of Instruction that the guru sows the seed of bhakti within the heart. But it confuses me as I think there is dormant love of Krsna already within the heart, then how can it be planted?
Jayapataka...
Question: Yesterday in class you were explaining how Mahaprabhu when He was taking sannyasa, He whispered the vaisnava sannyasa mantra, why did Mahaprabhu take sannyasa in the mayawadi lineage as opposed to a vaisnava lineage?
Jayapataka...
Question: If you could speak a few words about what you said about being critical with ourselves and lenient with others?
Jayapataka...
Question: You had said that Lord Caitanya when He liberated Jagai and Madhai, He said that no one should criticize them for their past wrongdoings. So my question is 1. Did anyone criticize them after Lord Caitanya asked? And if so, how did He react?
Jayapataka...
Question: I was wondering if the Mayapur project and the new temple and everything that is happening there, is how you dreamed it would be?
Jayapataka...
Question: (Audio break) Why did Lord Caitanya establish the acintya beda abeda tattva?
Jayapataka...
Question: H.H. Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Nityānanda Trayodaśī is coming up. How should we celebrate it? What should be our mood? What should I beg from Nityānanda Prabhu? Please guide us Guru Mahārāj.
Jayapatākā...
Question: How can I in every sphere of life be completely free to execute devotional service?
Jayapatākā...
Question: You mentioned heavenly beings have subtle bodies. Does it mean their gross body is subtler than earthly body? Or does it mean they have only subtle body of mind, intelligence and false ego? Do they have yuga cycle in upper planetary system or it is applicable only to us?
Jayapatākā...
Question: I have a guilt that I am not able to serve your Holiness as I am very lazy in preaching services, so please guide me how can I be more proactive in preaching services and please you?
Jayapataka...
Question: Guru Maharaj my question is, it is recommended that by following instructions of spiritual master, we can serve him. Is there any other way of pleasing spiritual master by rendering service when he is not personally present with me or personally given an instruction?
Jayapataka...
Question: My body is diseased and I am not able to chant nicely. Even many times I am not able to serve your first instruction to chant 16 rounds and I am full of anarthas, my heart is not pure yet and I am not able to chant. I am very much worried that chanting is the only process from which I can clean my heart, but I am not able to do so. So Guru Maharaj, how will I purify myself and get out of my anarthas and get your mercy and get Krishna’s love?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we increase our determination and dedication because even after hearing so many lectures, our taste in bhakti is not increasing?
Jayapataka...
Question: One devotee’s family is suffering from corona. So she is in anxiety or a fearful situation. So, she was asking a question, she couldn’t join in, but she is asking.
Jayapataka...
Question: I have heard that Srila Prabhupada has said that we should simply hear while we chant, we should not think about anything, but it is very difficult to keep the mind focused only on the sound vibration. So, is it bona-fide to think of our favorite Krishna Deity or picture or even Gaur-Nitai Deity or picture and pray to them while chanting as actual picture it is not always possible to see. Also, is it bona-fide to think about Krishna’s pastimes, qualities, instructions, etc.,while chanting?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to avoid depressing thoughts of suicide?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it okay for the unmarried girls to get initiation, like before marriage, because sometimes, they end up marrying non-devotees, or their parents force them to marry a non-devotee or there is not Krishna conscious environment at their home, so they are not able to practice nicely so is it okay if they get initiation before marriage?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it mandatory for girls to enter grihastha ashram? Can a girl practice pure Krishna consciousness and serve spiritual master, ISKCON without marriages? Isn’t marriage an obstacle in advancement in her spiritual life?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to develop love for Krishna? In spite of all the knowledge, we end up doing things mechanically, like we know that we should chant attentively, we know that we should do all the devotional activities out of love for Krishna, but we do things mechanically. So how to develop this attitude so that we would be able to achieve the love for Krishna?
Jayapataka...
Question: There are so many spiritual masters, we are associated with directly or online, is there any guidelines to choose spiritual master? How to choose a guru and how can we know when we are eligible to take initiation?
Jayapataka...
Question: In nectar of devotion, it is said that devotional service is very rare. Lord easily offers liberation but He rarely agrees to offer a soul devotional service because by devotional service, the Lord is Himself purchased by the devotee. So how can we understand this? Is it the greatest fortune that we have got to do devotional service or we are still on the periphery of devotional service because we also know that we are not pure at this stage.
Jayapataka...
Question: Even after doing chanting, reading, and being into bhakti for many years, sometimes, it becomes a very doubtful situation whether really Krishna is there or if He is there, he is watching Me, He is bothered about me or not, or whether it is like this Krishna Conscious process is really true to be followed or not? What to do in such a doubtful situation?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I improve myself in engaging myself more in spiritual service? 16 rounds chanting, nirjala fasting on Ekadasi, attending the bhakti vrksa and association with devotees I am doing presently. What more can I do?
Jayapataka...
Question: Why do we worship the deities multiple times in a day and Tulasi arati twice a day? Why cannot we have it just one time?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the significance of holding mangala arati at 4.30 in the morning? Why cannot we do that whenever we get up?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can we match the sambanda, abhideya and prayojana with sandini, samvit and Hladini?
Jayapataka...
Question: Narasaraopet where Krsna ran from Kalayavana. Kalayavana was probably deploying his army in Mathura or Dwaraka and both places are far away from Narasaraopet, so how could he have run to that place?
Jayapataka...
Question: I got shelter on Sunday, please let me know what are your instructions Guru Maharaj?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we get that vision to see Krsna in every action, in practicality, in every step of our life, being a grihastha we are involved in so many things?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the message for future next generation of ISKCON?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do we understand whether we are progressing in devotional service or not?
Jayapataka...
Question: If the man is applying for brahminical, should the wife also apply and get the second initiation together?
Jayapataka...
Question: I do this transcription service. Generally, when we do some service and we satisfy the authority – the temple authority or the authority has given us that particular service, if we satisfy them, it is not possible for you to know what service each of us are doing. But when we serve our authority and satisfy them, does it mean that you are automatically satisfied with us Guru Maharaj?
Jayapataka...
Question: Should we take up a service that we are good in or, should we take up a service which is given to us, which we do as a matter of duty? So what kind of service we should take?
Jayapataka...
Question: The other night, when I came down to check how you were doing, it was 2 in the morning. I realized there is something that you were up and had some major realization, is that something you do, at 2 in the morning? You were very excited about this realization about Brahma at the beginning of day? Is this something you can explain to me or is it none of my business? I am sorry Guru Maharaj, I didn’t understand you at that time because your mask was on, but I think it was this story that you were telling at 2 in the morning. If I am overstepping, I sincerely apologize.
Jayapataka...
Question: There is an art, everyone says, Guru Maharaj makes everyone feel important. How can we learn this art?
Jayapataka...
Question: You said that Keshava Kashmiri was a devotee of Saraswati who told him that she was the wife of Lord Visnu, Lord Caitanya. But we think that Saraswati is the wife of Brahma.
Jayapataka...
Question: Please can you tell your first interaction, when did you see Srila Prabhupada for the first time?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna explains different kinds of yoga and at the end He says bhakti yoga is the greatest and you surrender unto Me. Why this is contradictory to what Lord Krsna has spoken in Bhagavad-gita where He talks about different yogas and He says leave everything and just surrender unto Me. So why He actually gave these processes and why at the end He is contradicting His own statement?
Jayapataka...
Question: When you said that Lord Caitanya delivers but does not kill the people. How to deal with the kind of people that say you should believe in my God or I will kill you?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am new to Krsna consciousness. My father and I have a distant, toxic relationship, What can I do from where I am, to help him find peace in his life, while still protecting my spiritual development?
Jayapataka...
Question: What does it mean to get initiated? How to get initiated? I am still new in Krsna consciousness.
Jayapataka...
Question: I work as a cashier at a grocery store. The store sells fruits, vegetables, and amongst other things, meat. Can I get brahminical initiation?
Jayapataka...
Question: What are souls who go to Brahma jyoti doing? Are they engaged in any activity?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do I inspire myself to wake up at Brahma muhurta time and chant?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the difference between power, misuse of power and the relation between power and devotional service?
Jayapataka...
Question: What was your last conversation about, with Srila Prabhupada?
Jayapataka...
Question: You went with Srila Prabhupada to Panihati, what was your experience?
Jayapataka...
Question: I have a question about milk products. Many devotees have different opinions about buying regular milk from the store or they are becoming vegans. I want to know what is your position?
Jayapataka...
Question: The consciousness of the cook goes into the food. Does it apply even to the bhoga made at the temple kitchen?
Jayapataka...
Question: Austerity is needed to grow in our bhakti, can you advise what type of austerities can make one hard hearted?
Jayapataka...
Question: Preaching is very dear to you. (Guru Maharaj said: yes). That means it is very dear to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna. Then why do we get obstacles in preaching?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to develop pure love for Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: How does one conquer fear of a subtle entity that is attacking and also deal with the bodily stress, anxiety caused by them?
Jayapataka...
Question: How do I know the Absolute Truth? Krsna says, learn the truth from someone who has seen the truth.
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes I feel like chanting becomes a burden. You always share how the bliss experienced from chanting is endless. When does chanting change from being a burden?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is wearing a black dress, shirt, jacket, not good and why?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can we bring our friends in Maya into Krsna consciousness, without losing their goodwill?
Jayapataka...
Question: Just by saying Gauranga, one will be delivered from more sins than one can commit. Please help us understand this.
Jayapataka...
Question: This process of bhakti yoga is a joyful process. My question guru maharaj says Locanadas Thakur says viṣaya chāḍiyā, se rase majiyā, mukhe bolo hari hari, so (inaudible)
Jayapataka...
Question: When you go to visit the homes of devotees in Mayapur, they become Sripat also right?
Jayapataka...
Question: What devotional services we can perform to attract Lord Nityananda’s mercy? Apart from preaching maybe!
Jayapataka...
Question: Is it good to have pride in saying, yes I follow Krsna consciousness in front of non-devotee or who does not follow Krsna consciousness? Because sometimes they kid us that you follow Krsna consciousness, you are from ISKCON, you don’t go to restaurants.
Jayapataka...
Question: In Caitanya Caritamrita it is mentioned that Caitanya Bhagavat is the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam. So what is the necessity of reading Srimad Bhagavatam?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you explain about building a two storey building in Panihati, I did not understand why?
Jayapataka...
Question: Can you explain how to understand the three confidential reasons?
Jayapataka...
Question: What has been the biggest challenge you faced in your career as a devotee?
Jayapataka...
Question: In grihasta life most of the time it is very challenging to balance the family life as well as spiritual life. So how do we handle the situation so we can make spiritual advancement?
Jayapataka...
Question: Lord Caitanya, He did not start from the beginning the preaching, and Srila Prabhupada, he also was waiting for a long time to preach. What is the lesson for us? What can we learn from this?
Jayapataka...
Question: How we can cultivate the servant attitude and get rid of our selfishness?
Jayapataka...
Question: So, Lord Caitanya said He will not accept us if we do not surrender to Lord Nityananda. But then, it is said that Lord Nityananda is non-different from Advaita Acarya. So how in practice, can we surrender to Advaita Acarya then?
Jayapataka...
Question: I always have a lot of questions which I want to ask you but I don’t know English, so I need someone to translate for me. My question is you mentioned earlier that going to Mayapur is same as going to Vrndavana. If I commit any offence in Vrndavana I will be punished 1000 times, I am really afraid. I never went to Vrndavana. Shall I go to Vrndavana for pilgrimage or not? And I want to know that every time I want to go to Vrndavana, I should get your blessings or not? Or after the first blessing, I don’t need to ask for more permissions or blessings if I want to go to Vrndavana from time to time?
Jayapataka...
Question: I have a question about what am I supposed to do? I finished my class 12 standard and I want to go to Indian Army but I am confused and my family wants me to serve and help in Srila Prabhupada’s mission. I am not so strong with my devotional service. Please, please, please, guide me, what should I do?
Jayapataka...
Question: Is the option better for grihastas working outside earning enough money to support the temple, or depending on the temple for maintenance, by serving the mission but would not be able to contribute much. We can see that devotees who have dedicated their lives is not valued and sometimes neglected. Rather, devotees who have contributed money for the mission are more likely to be of more importance.
Jayapataka...
Question: If a disciple does not have the opportunity for adequate personal association with the guru, what are the various ways by which he or she can understand the mood of his or her guru?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to get rid of familiarity if it arisen in a relationship with seniors?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Srimad Bhagavatam I found that grihastas should give 50% to temple. Srila Prabhupada mentioned about rich people. So, how serious is that? Because in our personal life, prabhu is working, but also not full time. And he is giving to our temple and also he gave TOVP. But if we give 50% then we will be unable to take care of our kids according to how we want. They are home schooling kids. American government has no facility for home school. We buy curriculum and test paper. I am doing this because I want to finish with them Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrita, before they step into the outside world. We are giving to the temple according to our capacity – not 50%. With that can we go back to Godhead?
Jayapataka...
Question: You said the glories of the holy name a while ago. Can an initiated devotee after his leaving the body, can any other devotee chant on his beads? If that is not allowed, then, what do we do with his beads?
Jayapataka...
Question: Srila Prabhupada and you and others say, chant and be happy! But you also said that we should cry and cry and cry because we are not crying and crying and crying while chanting the holy name.
Jayapataka...
Question: How to know the if the service a disciple is doing is pleasing to the guru? Or he/she has to always be trying to expand this service? This is in relation with the teaching of giving the guru milk, instead of water that the guru wants.
Jayapataka...
Question: Honestly speaking, I am getting disturbed by lusty desires opposite gender attracts me seriously. I don’t want this. Please give me a medicine and blessings.
Jayapataka...
Question: While chanting, if we see some picture of Krsna, Prabhupada, while the lips uttered the holy name, would that be considered as inattentive chanting?
Jayapataka...
Question: How are you Guru Maharaj today? How was your day? Praying to the deities and Srila Prabhupada for your health, so you can do what you enjoy doing during this period!
Jayapataka...
Question: What did Suklambara brahmacari feel when Lord Caitanya asked him to cook the rice? Was he afraid that he might go to hell? Why? He was scared that he would not be able to cook a really good feast for the Lord? Lord Caitanya’s spiritual practice would be spoiled if He eats his food?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the difference between Buddhism and Krsna’s philosophy?
Jayapataka...
Question: How you and other devotees established the pastime places of Lord Caitanya in Navadvip Mandal parikrama?
Jayapataka...
Question: What about those who don’t chant Hare Krsna, but other names of Krsna?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am always inspired by the disciples of Ramanujacarya. I also want to be dedicated in a similar way to you. But being a grihasta and a woman, sometimes I find it difficult to balance both material and spiritual. In which aspect can I please you? Please guide me.
Jayapataka...
Question: When will you be coming to ISKCON Kuching, Malaysia? Eagerly waiting for you.
Jayapataka...
Question: Does this mean that Lord Caitanya began the night club culture with the transcendental motivation? (Guru Maharaj: Ha! Ha! )He is also known to have started the first disobedience movement
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the actual meaning of carrying the lotus feet of the spiritual master in one’s heart? What does a disciple do to achieve this position and what are the symptoms of such a disciple?
Jayapataka...
Question: I saw a dream a month ago that you were giving me brahmana diksa. What should I do now?
Jayapataka...
Question: How can I put my full attention during rendering any seva?
Jayapataka...
Question: What should be one’s consciousness during Navadvip parikrama and what should one pray to Lord Gauracandra during the sankalpa?
Jayapataka...
Question: Antardvip in the center, all other eight dvipas are touching the border. So which are all the dvipas within our campus?
Jayapataka...
Question: How should one pray to all our previous acaryas for mercy and what is the way by which we can develop unflinching faith and love for all our parampara acaryas?
Jayapataka...
Question: Considering verse Caitanya Caritamrita Adi Lila 17.29, we set up an arrangement to maintain a constant supply of daily requirements. So we don’t live like this. So who is this for?
Jayapataka...
Question: In the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 4, Chapter 24, verse 15, Srila Prabhupada says that a disciple must meditate on the instruction of his guru. Why is it necessary to meditate on guru’s instruction and what is the method of meditation on his instruction?
Jayapataka...
Question: I have two questions, no. 1, what is the difference between sheltering to Guru Maharaj lotus feet and initiation. Only by sheltering to guru, one can go to Goloka Vrndavana? Question no. 2, after initiation, if somebody completes his chanting rounds by digital machine without chanting on beads, is it okay.
Jayapataka...
Question: How will I get forgiven of my previous and present anartas, unwanted habits?
Jayapataka...
Question: Please excuse me for not asking a question related to the class. Do devotees who are murdered, (Guru Maharaj exclaimed: AHHHH!) if somehow at the time of death they remember Krsna, go back to Godhead? Also, how to understand that devotees face such unfortunate situations?
Jayapataka...
Question: Sometimes because of our lack of surrender, we may be hesitant to beg for the full mercy of the Lord as Suklambara Brahmacari did, fearing some heavy purification. How to overcome this?
Jayapataka...
Question: If husband has sufficient Laksmi but does not use in Krsna’s service proportionately and wife uses his money in Krsna’s service without telling him, then is it considered stealing on wife’s part?
Jayapataka...
Question: Lord Nityananda told Madhai just because you hit Me, I will not give you love of Godhead? How to get this humble mentality? How to control the mind when it suggests that you have to speak up when you are hurt? How to not get hurt at the outset and see from other’s viewpoint?
Jayapataka...
Question: If a devotee feels someone hates her, in that case what should be our prayer? How to face that situation?
Jayapataka...
Question: As ISKCON grows 50 years old and more and devotees get old age, should we have separate old age homes? I have heard from other senior godbrothers that you said that senior people should not stay together. They should stay with devotees of other ages to keep their enthusiasm high. Can you please enlighten us?
Jayapataka...
Question: You said that Jagai Madhai are just offering the Tulasi to Lord Caitanya. They have cleared all sins. They not only did the sins, they offended the vaisnavas also. So how we can understand this maharaj?
Jayapataka...
Question: You mentioned that Keshava Kashmiri when he realized that Lord Caitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, later on he became an acarya in the Nimbarka sampradaya. So when he realized the position of the Supreme Lord, Lord Caitanya, why did he not become a direct disciple or follower of the Gaudiya sampradaya?
Jayapataka...
Question: One of the qualities we develop is humbleness and tolerance. Sometimes this results in others taking advantage of us. For example, at work. What should we do to avoid this?
Jayapataka...
Question: How to develop submissive mood, keeping aside false ego while carrying out services under authorities?
Jayapataka...
Question: In Mayapur, mostly devotees are very busy in their services. We don’t have close association with devotees. We feel alone in the crowd. How to fill up this vacuum?
Jayapataka...
Question: What is the proper mood to carry on bhakti even if we commit mistake unintentionally?
Jayapataka...
Question: How should a mother deal with a growing son who is in his teenage?
Jayapataka...
Question: What do we need to do for new people who come to ISKCON for them to stay and practice more seriously, Krsna consciousness?
Jayapataka...
Question: I am in Mayapur and we hear that some of our god sisters are leaving Iskcon, they are becoming babaji, going to Radha Kunda. Very painful to hear that. So how to understand this? Is this their free will, maya or ? Some devotees tried to stop them, preach to them.
Jayapataka...