20240206 Evening Address | Question-and-Answer session

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurun dina tāriṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Bhagavad-gītā 8.3

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ
svabhāvo ’dhyātmam ucyate
bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo
visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ

Translation: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyātma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.

Purport: Brahman is indestructible and eternally existing, and its constitution is not changed at any time. But beyond Brahman there is Para-brahman. Brahman refers to the living entity, and Para-brahman refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The constitutional position of the living entity is different from the position he takes in the material world. In material consciousness his nature is to try to be the lord of matter, but in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his position is to serve the Supreme. When the living entity is in material consciousness, he has to take on various bodies in the material world. That is called karma, or varied creation by the force of material consciousness.

In Vedic literature the living entity is called jīvātmā and Brahman, but he is never called Para-brahman. The living entity (jīvātmā) takes different positions – sometimes he merges into the dark material nature and identifies himself with matter, and sometimes he identifies himself with the superior, spiritual nature. Therefore he is called the Supreme Lord’s marginal energy. According to his identification with material or spiritual nature, he receives a material or spiritual body. In material nature he may take a body from any of the 8,400,000 species of life, but in spiritual nature he has only one body. In material nature he is manifested sometimes as a man, demigod, animal, beast, bird, etc., according to his karma. To attain material heavenly planets and enjoy their facilities, he sometimes performs sacrifices (yajña), but when his merit is exhausted he returns to earth again in the form of a man. This process is called karma.

The Chāndogya Upaniṣad describes the Vedic sacrificial process. On the sacrificial altar, five kinds of offerings are made into five kinds of fire. The five kinds of fire are conceived of as the heavenly planets, clouds, the earth, man and woman, and the five kinds of sacrificial offerings are faith, the enjoyer on the moon, rain, grains and semen.

In the process of sacrifice, the living entity makes specific sacrifices to attain specific heavenly planets and consequently reaches them. When the merit of sacrifice is exhausted, the living entity descends to earth in the form of rain, then takes on the form of grains, and the grains are eaten by man and transformed into semen, which impregnates a woman, and thus the living entity once again attains the human form to perform sacrifice and so repeat the same cycle. In this way, the living entity perpetually comes and goes on the material path. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person, however, avoids such sacrifices. He takes directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thereby prepares himself to return to Godhead.

Impersonalist commentators on the Bhagavad-gītā unreasonably assume that Brahman takes the form of jīva in the material world, and to substantiate this they refer to Chapter Fifteen, verse 7, of the Gītā. But in this verse the Lord also speaks of the living entity as “an eternal fragment of Myself.” The fragment of God, the living entity, may fall down into the material world, but the Supreme Lord (Acyuta) never falls down. Therefore this assumption that the Supreme Brahman assumes the form of jīva is not acceptable. It is important to remember that in Vedic literature Brahman (the living entity) is distinguished from Para-brahman (the Supreme Lord).

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Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol! So thank you for being here tonight. I am very glad, on this Ekādaśī, Ṣaṭ-tilā Ekādaśī, you are staying present for the class. We heard the Bhagavad-gītā and heard the difference between Brahman and Para-Brahman How we are the fragmental part of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And we are in the spiritual world, or we fall into this material world. In the material world we may take birth in the 8,400,000 species. Once we reach the human form of life, we can produce karma. Some people do sacrifices for good karma. They want to go to the heavenly planets. And we see here in Juhu, there are many hotels. You can stay in the hotel, but you will have to pay the rent. And when your money is finished, you have to leave the hotel. So you stay in heavenly planets as long as you have the good karma. Once the karma runs out, you come down here.

I mentioned before that when Śacīmātā was garbhavatī, she was carrying a baby, she was carrying Lord Caitanya. So the devas, they could tell she was carrying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They wanted to come and offer Him prayers. So they said, Bhagavān, we heard in this avatāra You are freely giving love for Kṛṣṇa! So please give us also love of Kṛṣṇa. They desired kṛṣṇa-prema. They said in the heavenly planets we have enough material happiness. As a result, we don’t take seriously devotional service. So, we need Your mercy more! Occasionally we are attacked by the demons, and we fight. This danger is there. But besides this there is no problem in Svargaloka. Sachi Mata, she saw the devas’ shadows. Lord Caitanya revealed that to her. So she began to chant Namaste Narasiṁhāya! The devas realized, they were supposed to be invisible but somehow, they were seen by Mother Śacī and they quickly left.

So being born on earth is beneficial to go back to Godhead. In heavenly planets there is a lot of material happiness. In the hellish planets, suffering. In this earthly planet it is mixed. That is better for spiritual realization. Happiness, sadness, balanced. You see you may take birth as an animal. Śivānanda Sena, he was caring for one dog. Just as they were about to reach Jagannātha Purī, the dog disappeared. Śivānanda Sena looked everywhere, he sent out searchers, but could not find the dog. So he thought maybe he offended the dog! Later, when he got to Jagannātha Purī, he saw that Lord Caitanya was feeding coconut pieces to the dog! The dog then went back to the spiritual world. So, Lord Caitanya in His pastimes, He came down to deliver the fallen souls. Everyone, be they man or woman, should take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and get the mercy of Lord Caitanya. In the 9^th canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one apsara, Urvasī, she criticizes ladies. But in the purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, that when we talk of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, man, woman, śūdra, whatever, they are all equal. So we need to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Here like, everyone is planning, how they can enjoy material world. But in human life, we should try to develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we don’t have to take birth again.

Lord Caitanya, He would go and He would have chanting in the garden of Śrīvāsa. Because outside people did not understand the ecstasy of Lord Caitanya. So, He was invited by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura to have kīrtana in his garden. But one day, Lord Caitanya in the kīrtana, said, “I don’t feel any ecstasy. I DON’T FEEL ANY ECSTASY! Who is responsible?” Everybody was thinking, “It is me!” But Lord Caitanya said, “There is some outside person looking.” So Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura he looked around, who is it looking at the kīrtana? Then he saw a basket in the verandah. He picked up the basket and under that was a lady. Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura asked her, “Why are you disturbing Lord Caitanya’s kīrtana?” He took her by the neck and threw her out of the door. Lord Caitanya asked, “Who was that?” Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura said, “I don’t know.” Lord Caitanya said, “Wasn’t that your mother-in-law? Why did you disrespect your mother-in-law in such a way?” Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura said, “Whoever disturbs You, Lord Caitanya, we have to deal with them like a stranger.” So, Lord Caitanya said, “That is a bit too much! You should deal this way with your mother-in-law.” Lord Caitanya His kīrtana was disturbed, so Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura could not tolerate it.

Lord Caitanya when He was a small boy, at that time Murāri Gupta, he was teaching yoga. Lord Caitanya did not agree that His devotee should teach yoga instead of bhakti. He was a little toddler, He couldn’t really say. So, He told Murāri Gupta, you are obstructing your bhakti. Like that, I will obstruct your lunch and He left. He went into His room. He put a peacock feather in His hair, tied a belt to put His flute in His belt. So He looked just like Kṛṣṇa. Except He was golden color! But you could easily see He was Kṛṣṇa! So, Murāri Gupta was sitting down, taking his lunch. A deep voice came, Lord Caitanya said, “Murāri come here!” Murāri Gupta said, “Who is that?” He stood up and came to his door. Lord Caitanya told him you interrupted your bhakti class, teaching patañjali-yoga. So I have interrupted your lunch! And He walked out. Murāri Gupta looked around, He could hear the sound of His ankle bells as He left. And he was astonished how a one-year-old know all this? He looked just like Kṛṣṇa. Then he went to the house of Śacīmātā and Jagannātha Miśra. He entered the house and saw Jagannātha Miśra was smelling the head of Lord Caitanya. And Śacīmātā took the baby from Him and started smelling His head and holding Him close. This was happening back and forth. Then Jagannātha Miśra saw Murāri Gupta, the great physician entering his house. What brings you to this poor brāhmaṇa’s house he asked him. And Murāri Gupta he bowed down and saying praṇāmas to Kṛṣṇa.

namo brahmaṇya-devāya
go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya
govindāya namo namaḥ

Jagannātha Miśra, he was amazed! What was going on there! Why have you come to our house? Then Murāri Gupta he was looking at Lord Caitanya, and said, “You are the most fortunate parents in the whole world! Your son is…” he was about to say Bhagavān, Supreme Personality of Godhead, but since Lord Caitanya He was coming as a hidden avatāra, before anyone could hear what Murāri Gupta was going to say, Lord Caitanya started crying! “Haan… mummy, I need help! AAAnnnnnn!” So like that Lord Caitanya revealed Himself to some devotees, but generally He kept Himself hidden. And only when He came to Gayā after His initiation, His bhakti was fully manifest.

We read all these pastimes, and we see how the Lord creates His different līlās. Every man, every woman, whatever caste you are, if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious then that is the perfection of life. So questions?

Question: How can I be determined and faithful to the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava paramparā?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see in the Padma Purāṇa it says you have to receive your mantra from any of the four sampradāyas. Brahmā, Lakṣmī, Rudra and four Kumāras. So we come in the Brahma-sampradāya, in which Lord Brahman, Vyāsadeva, Nārada and Madhvācārya came. Mādhavendra Purī came and Īśvara Purī the disciple of Mādhavendra Purī came. So, the late Pejāvara Svāmī of Uḍupī accepted that Lord Caitanya is a part of their sampradāya.

Question: How do we get the mercy of Lord Nityānanda?

Jayapatākā Swami: Interesting question. Who wants the mercy of Lord Nityānanda? There are many ways, you can follow Lord Caitanya. You can also follow the spiritual master who is also the representative of Lord Nityānanda. By pleasing Gurudeva, we are also pleasing Lord Nityānanda.

Question: How can we accept that Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself and how do we develop love for Lord Caitanya like we have for Lord Kṛṣṇa?

Jayapatākā Swami: I am very happy that you have attachment for Lord Kṛṣṇa. You see Lord Caitanya, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself who has given out kṛṣṇa-bhakti freely. Have you read Caitanya-caritāmṛta? There are nice pastimes there, by reading these pastimes, one should be convinced who Lord Caitanya is.

Question: Lord Caitanya, why did He come secretly if he wanted to give out kṛṣṇa-prema freely to everyone openly?

Jayapatākā Swami: It is a very interesting question. Like I mentioned how Rukmiṇī Devī in Dvārakā, she told Kṛṣṇa, how You know everything. But she told Him there is one thing You don’t know. I know, Rādhārāṇī knows, but You don’t know. So He was amazed! How He was being told there is something He doesn’t know! So, He asked what is that? Then Rukmiṇī told Him, “You don’t know how much Your devotees love You. And in what way Your devotees love You!” Then Lord Kṛṣṇa He said three times, “I will come in the Kali-yuga as My devotee.” If He comes as His devotee, He has to do some disguise. If He comes as Bhagavān then people will respect Him as Bhagavān. So He came as His devotee to understand what the love of Rādhārāṇī, the love of Rukmiṇī, the love of the gopīs is for Him. And He also spread the Harināma saṅkīrtana. So, we should also participate in the nāma-saṅkīrtana. In this way, we can gradually awaken our devotion for Kṛṣṇa. And people who want to get married, should marry only a devotee. Because marrying a devotee they can be Kṛṣṇa conscious their whole life. So, it is very important. Also one other thing is that Kali-yuga, the Lord is called tri-yuga because He appears in Satya, Tretā and Dvāpara yugas in His avatāras. But in Kali-yuga He comes as a channa-avatāra, hidden avatāra.

Question: How can I fully surrender my whole life to Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the best way?

Jayapatākā Swami: By reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. By following his instructions. This is not too difficult. So getting the initiation from Śrīla Prabhupāda descendants, following the rules and regulations all your life.

Thank you all and today is Ekādaśī. And you get 100 times benefit by observing the Ekādaśī!