How Can We Help?

Table of Contents

Question: Now because of the people increasingly getting corona virus, I have been telling some people to stop having meat, and chant the Harinam, But they have reacted so badly at me. How can we preach to them.

You are here:
< All Topics

Jayapataka Swami: The question is how can we promote vegetarianism in this corona virus outbreak or pandemic? Right? So, the scientists have studied and they say that in the outbreak beginning earlier in Wuhan, China, people ate bats, snakes, raw animals, and that this virus came from the animals to the human beings especially by eating such creatures. It is interesting that some thousand of years ago, a pandit in South India had predicted that one day people would eat animals, creatures, with poison, like snakes and they will have some respiratory problems and some will die. So, the corona virus COVID-19 is basically a respiratory illness. And you could see how it started by eating different kinds of meat. So, it is good practice to not eat meat in this time! Ha! Ha! Maybe Chinese devotees can use this opportunity to also preach to their fellow Chinese and all over the world that being a vegetarian, the corona virus will become karuna virus! Ha! Ha!
So, one thing is that, if people get sick they don’t know what to do. In case they die, the recommendation of the Bhagavatam is that at the time of death, we should remember the name of Krsna, example Ajamila was chanting his son’s name, Narayana! Narayana! And also in the Padma Purana, there is a lady who had a parrot who would chant the name of Rama –  RA MA, RA MA, RAA MA RAA MA! RA MA! RA MA! RAA MA! RAA MA! She would always chant the name of Rama with her parrot and therefore, she actually became very advanced and developed attachment for chanting the name of Rama. So at the time of death, she was delivered by the Visnudutas. So generally we want to recommend to the people that they should chant the name of God. But if they don’t, if they have another name, you can ask them – Srila Prabhupada said, do you know the name of God? Do you know His address? Most people don’t know, they don’t know the address of God! And Srila Prabhupada said, I know the address! I know His name! His name is Krsna! He lives in Goloka Vrndavana! 108! Goloka Vrndavana! Ha! Ha! But if they don’t want to chant the name of Krsna, then chant some other name of God, as mentioned in some authorized sastra. In that way, you will go back to Godhead. So get the people somehow to get chanting. I had one lady in South America, she was a nun. And she started chanting Jesu Kristo, Jesu Kristo, Kristo Kristo Jesu Jesu! That is like Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Christ Christ, Jesus Jesus! So, one day she thought well, it is very much like Hare Krsna! Why don’t I just try it, no one is watching! So she started chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE! HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE! HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE! So she became my disciple! She started chanting 16 rounds a day. But she remained as a Catholic nun. So we want people to chant the name of Krsna. But any name of God is also the name of Krsna. So, that is how we can go forward. Get the people to prepare for the time of death. But if they don’t want to chant Hare Krsna, what name they want to chant. If it is a bona fide name of Krsna, that is alright!
15-MARCH-2020 SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA