20230415 Question and Answer Session

The following is a Question & Answer Session given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 15th, 2023 in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Question: As a Bhakti-vṛkṣa host or servant leader what is a good way to cultivate devotees to become servant leaders?

Jayapatākā Swami: The system is that we want new people, to send them with some old people to do some preaching. The old people you send out to do some preaching for cultivation. And then gradually we make someone an intern, then the trainee leader is made, then a leader. Like that. So, the normal way is that each saṅga divides into two. But now some of the saṅgas, they have a system where they divide into two or three or four. And we want people to train up to do some cultivation and thus they can see how they can preach. Vaiśeṣika Prabhu, he has congregational devotees, once a month, distribute books. He has them set up a table by some shop, where they have permission from the shop and once a month, they distribute books. That is one way they can use for preaching. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Question: I thought the question had to be from the class, but since the other devotee asked a question outside of class, I will also ask one. Thank you Guru Mahārāja for everything, for blessing us! We know your mood is to bless everybody unconditionally, even a difficult person who is troubling you. We serve see devotees and when we see devotees troubling other devotees or being rude, are we doing vaiṣṇava-aparādhā to that other devotee? At the same time, we have to make sure he is not troubling others. So how do we handle these delicate situations?

Jayapatākā Swami: What trouble they gave you?

Devotee: There are many examples, Guru Mahārāja. Like we gave to one Mātājī here she was given ironing service, but she was giving a tough time to everyone else, we wanted her to give up that service and engage her, but because she was giving a tough time to everybody now, we want to take some decision, and this is a delicate situation. So should we continue to give her service, and how do we say politely that they can do another service?

Jayapatākā Swami: I mean, one thing is that you don’t talk to the person in front of other people. Then it gets their ego offended. Take them aside and talk to them. But I mean, ladies, they are, you know, sometimes it is better to have the husbands talk to them. But we like to, there is a saying in India, where you train your daughter-in-law by chastising your daughter.

Devotee: I tried that but my daughter got angry with me.

Jayapatākā Swami: You don’t have any daughter-in-law yet!

Devotee: But he has girlfriends!

Jayapatākā Swami: You have to tell them that I am just using you as an example. Because I love you and you love me. But daughter-in-law is a different relationship. Anyway, one thing is that you have to develop these people skills, it is not something, just there is saying one time a horse, he swallowed a watermelon or something. The doctor hit the horse on the neck, to break up the melon, and then one student said, “I know how to cure a thousand horses.” He hit every horse on the neck and then they died! The doctor, teacher told him, “You are a fool, this horse had swallowed a melon which was in his neck, not every swollen neck is a melon!” . Each person is an individual, If I did the same thing and hit them on the neck it won’t work. But you have to be sensitive to their feelings, and sometimes like we are told to use the sandwich system. So, glorify and give the message.

Devotee: You are the best in people skill, you know how to manage everybody. You are taking good care of everybody. No matter what problems are given to you, you give good solutions. Please bless us that all of us can get a small percentage of your mercy, your talent so that we can also serve all the devotees nicely!