Sarva gattah

Maharaja’s external condition has been pretty much unchanged for the last 15 days. Latest update (07 Nov - report) By gopijana on Fri, 2008-10-24 18:29. Bhaktisiddhanta Swami visited Jayapataka Maharaja and wrote the following note: When I saw Maharaja in the morning around 11am and again at 7:00pm he was sleeping, some coughing clearing of mucus etc, and I was a little sad to not see so much of a continuation from the previous day, however in leaving the hospital one doctor alleviated my lamentations about the fact that Maharaja’s external condition has been pretty much unchanged for the last 15 days. » read more | Email this page | 15971 reads

Maharaja’s external condition has been pretty much unchanged for the last 15 days. Latest update (07 Nov - report) By gopijana on Fri, 2008-10-24 18:29. Bhaktisiddhanta Swami visited Jayapataka Maharaja and wrote the following note: When I saw Maharaja in the morning around 11am and again at 7:00pm he was sleeping, some coughing clearing of mucus etc, and I was a little sad to not see so much of a continuation from the previous day, however in leaving the hospital one doctor alleviated my lamentations about the fact that Maharaja’s external condition has been pretty much unchanged for the last 15 days. » read more | Email this page | 15971 reads

Patita Pavana Gaura Hari!! Everyone please keep praying for H.H. Jayapataka Maharaj

Patita Pavana Gaura Hari!! Everyone please keep praying for H.H. Jayapataka Maharaj

Yes, Spiritually we are very primitive, I remember one sannyasy who refused to giva a class if the Travelling Sankirtan Bus was parked early in a shopping mall in Canberra. All because 'Maharaj' didn't want his class disturbed by going in to set up to preach in some Mall for a whole day!! We had to be set up by 7am or we could not go in to the Mall at all. In other words, 'Maharaj' would rather preach to a handful of devotees than a thousands of people all through the day, all because he didn't want HIS regular schedule disturbed Great quote, so how many devotees of Krishna are on this advanced selfless level? -

Maharaj’s consciousness level is the same Latest update (07 Nov - report) By gopijana on Fri, 2008-10-24 18:29. By Dr Madhavananda das, Director of Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai. Maharaj’s consciousness level is the same. The different parameters are stable.The doctors are saying there is more or less no active management except nursing care which is being well taken care of.From our side, we have suggested to integrate acupuncture and acupressure along with the ongoing treatment which is to be discussed with the intensivist and acupuncturist tomorrow. ‘Get Well’ letter By gopijana on Fri, 2008-11-07 15:37. This is a ‘Get Well’ letter received from Bir Krishna das Goswami. Bhakti Siddhanta Maharaja read out this letter along with letters from Sivarama Swami and Radhanatha Swami to Jayapataka Maharaja. My dear Jayapataka Maharaja, Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I have been praying intensely to my Deities every day for your health. It is essential that you get well as quickly as possible. I am saying » read more | Email this page | 224 reads All glories to the merciful Lotus Feet of Srimati Radharani-( Video Added) By Shyamagopika dd on Thu, 2008-11-06 13:07. Today is Gopastami. Gopastami is a special day in Mayapur as we get lotus feet(s) darshan of Srimati Radharani and Astasakhis. During Gopastami, darshan arotika is ecstatic as devotees eagerly await the opening of curtains to have this once in a year ‘Charan Darsana’. ‘May my heart chant the glories of Sri Radha's very beautiful lotus feet, which are golden above their reddish soles, and which steal away the heart of Lord Hari with their sweet transcendental splendor’. » read more | Email this page | 505 reads Srila Prabhupada Disappearance day festival Video By gopijana on Wed, 2008-11-05 13:24. Srila Prabhupada’s disciples mercifully shared sweet memories of their spiritual master Srila Prabhupada at the Tirobhav festival held in Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. HH Bhakti Charu Swami, HH Umapati Swami, HH Hanumat presaka swami, HG Jananivas pr, HG Pankajanghri pr, Hari Sauri pr, Bhavananda pr, Sree Raga pr, Suresvara pr, Madhusudana pr, Kanchanbala mataji, Ragatmika mataji and others offered glorifications. Please log on to audio lectures downloads to listen to these wonderful memories. Gauragopala pr was there in the background at Mayapur seeking the mercy of the devotees, after 15 years not even Hari Sauri prabhu new who he was. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Maharaj’s consciousness level is the same Latest update (07 Nov - report) By gopijana on Fri, 2008-10-24 18:29. By Dr Madhavananda das, Director of Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai. Maharaj’s consciousness level is the same. The different parameters are stable.The doctors are saying there is more or less no active management except nursing care which is being well taken care of.From our side, we have suggested to integrate acupuncture and acupressure along with the ongoing treatment which is to be discussed with the intensivist and acupuncturist tomorrow. ‘Get Well’ letter By gopijana on Fri, 2008-11-07 15:37. This is a ‘Get Well’ letter received from Bir Krishna das Goswami. Bhakti Siddhanta Maharaja read out this letter along with letters from Sivarama Swami and Radhanatha Swami to Jayapataka Maharaja. My dear Jayapataka Maharaja, Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I have been praying intensely to my Deities every day for your health. It is essential that you get well as quickly as possible. I am saying » read more | Email this page | 224 reads All glories to the merciful Lotus Feet of Srimati Radharani-( Video Added) By Shyamagopika dd on Thu, 2008-11-06 13:07. Today is Gopastami. Gopastami is a special day in Mayapur as we get lotus feet(s) darshan of Srimati Radharani and Astasakhis. During Gopastami, darshan arotika is ecstatic as devotees eagerly await the opening of curtains to have this once in a year ‘Charan Darsana’. ‘May my heart chant the glories of Sri Radha's very beautiful lotus feet, which are golden above their reddish soles, and which steal away the heart of Lord Hari with their sweet transcendental splendor’. » read more | Email this page | 505 reads Srila Prabhupada Disappearance day festival Video By gopijana on Wed, 2008-11-05 13:24. Srila Prabhupada’s disciples mercifully shared sweet memories of their spiritual master Srila Prabhupada at the Tirobhav festival held in Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. HH Bhakti Charu Swami, HH Umapati Swami, HH Hanumat presaka swami, HG Jananivas pr, HG Pankajanghri pr, Hari Sauri pr, Bhavananda pr, Sree Raga pr, Suresvara pr, Madhusudana pr, Kanchanbala mataji, Ragatmika mataji and others offered glorifications. Please log on to audio lectures downloads to listen to these wonderful memories. Gauragopala pr was there in the background at Mayapur seeking the mercy of the devotees, after 15 years not even Hari Sauri prabhu new who he was.

<TABLE class=storycontent cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2> Moon probe set for lunar arrival. Is it a hoax? http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vX7cnzvD8OM </TD></TR><TR><TD class=storybody><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --> The probe has looped out to the Moon; now it must circle in on the lunar body <!-- E IIMA --><!-- S SF --> India's Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft has moved itself into a position ready to enter into orbit around the Moon. Since its launch on 22 October, the satellite has been gradually extending its distance from Earth. The latest engine firing put the probe on a looping trajectory that sweeps out to some 380,000km from home. A further firing on Saturday will allow Chandrayaan to tuck in around the lunar body from where it can begin its two-year surface-mapping mission. <!-- E SF --> <!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=226 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Chandrayaan pictures home </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->Tuesday's orbit-raising manoeuvre was the fifth such event overseen by the Indian space agency's (ISRO) Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bangalore; with support from Indian Deep Space Network antennas at Byalalu. Ground controllers instructed the spacecraft's 440-Newton liquid engine to fire for about two-and-a-half minutes to get Chandrayaan on to the Lunar Transfer Trajectory. The probe's orbit now sweeps out to the lunar distance (apogee) before coming back around the Earth (perigee). A braking manoeuvre on 8 November will allow Chandrayaan to be captured by the Moon's gravity. Further brakings will bring the Indian Moon mapper down to a near-circular, 100km orbit. The robotic probe will compile a 3D atlas of the lunar surface and map the distribution of elements and minerals. Earlier this week, ISRO released pictures Chandrayaan had taken of Earth. Its Terrain Mapping Camera grabbed spectacular views of Australia. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> COMMENT as the 'devils advocate' - ISKCON's policy that the 1969 moon landing was a hoax is clearly exposed in todays 2008 technological world as complete nonsense. So why didn't they go to the moon? As far as many devotees today are concerned, they believe man went to the moon but never entered the ethereal sub-space moon that is there. However, in todays world, the evidence is far too strong for ISKCON leaders to keep denying man walked on the moon which is wrong, they should be saying man never entered the heavenly moon dimension that exists there. It's like telling us when we get on a jumbo jet, it doesn't really fly, they just make us believe it flys!! Next time you go to a ISKCON Temple ask them about this and without a doubt devotees will say the moon landing was a hoax and then abruptly change the subjected. Why? Because they really don't know Could this blind faith infact, be similar to the same kind of ignorant religious 'faith' that kept Europe Christians believeing the world was flat 600 years ago?? Some yogis believe there are 10,000 mile high mountains in the European Alps (well, such tall Mountains, that would reach into space, are certainly not is our dimension) Why would Prahupada also tell us such things if we can't see them? Because what we see is only a very small portion of what the material universe ACTUALLY looks like. Not only are there other dimensions within our biological realm, but there in an underlinning ethereal world or sub-space reality that we cannot percieve with our biological senses and their technological enhancements like the Hubble Telescope or the Electron Microscope. Our biological senses cannot perceive sub-space Ethereal material matter with the Hubble Telescope Also our biological senses cannot perceive sub-space Ethereal material matter with the Electron Microscopy Facility. This is because the gross biological senses cannot detect sub-space ethereal material matter that includes ghostly vessels that contain the baddha-jiva (soul)

Quote: <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 3ex; BORDER-TOP: #666666 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 3ex; BORDER-LEFT: #666666 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #666666 1px solid" bgColor=#e0e0e0>Today - We have consulted other neurologists and surgeons in India, from Delhi, Bhubanesvara, Tirupati, Mumbai, Bangalore, etc. Everyone is of the same opinion: the situation is very critical <!-- / message -->Tomorrow - who knows, he might be sitting up eating Prasadam It changes every hour but frankly, its in Krsna's hands and the prayers of the great advanced humble selfless devotees like you <!-- sig --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

THE PERFECT DEVOTEE "Perfect means as you have heard from your spiritual master. We are not perfect, none of us, but if you perfectly follow the orders of the perfect, then you are perfect" - Srila Prabhupada. HARIKESA ONCE SAID TO SRILA PRABHUPADA HESIDENTLY: There is a question which I've always been afraid to ask, because I don't know if it's proper, but you being the external manifestation of Supersoul, if we are having questions, doubts, when, in your absence, if we are receiving indications, is there any possible way that someone who is so conditioned can have any understanding of proper action in your absence? HARIKESA CONTINUES: In other words, if I am in your absence and I am in great doubt, and I am praying to Supersoul to please save me somehow, if I receive some action which I must do or some course of action becomes obvious, should I trust that, considering that you're communicating with me, or...? PRABHUPADA: That depends on purity. If one has become pure, without any material desire, then that is possible. But if there is some material desire, we cannot expect direct communication. HARIKESA: So I have much material desire. PRABHUPADA: I do not say you or he. This is the process. This is the process. HARIKESA: But in the meantime... PRABHUPADA: Huh? HARIKESA: ...until we have reached the pure state... PRABHUPADA: In the meantime it is not possible... HARIKESA: Not possible. PRABHUPADA: ...directly. HARIKESA: So we must communicate with you verbally or through letters. PRABHUPADA: Not with spiritual master here. You cannot concoct, "Now I am getting directly." No. HARIKESA: So the nature of the communication with the spiritual master in our state is only through... PRABHUPADA: Spiritual master... Krishna is also spiritual master. HARIKESA: Oh. PRABHUPADA: But Krishna sends spiritual master, His representative, as you can appreciate, externally, directly. Otherwise, Krishna is already spiritual master. He could give you instruction from the very beginning. But why He is sending His representative? What is the use? HARIKESA: We're not able to... PRABHUPADA: Ah, because unless we are completely purified, Krishna will, does not talk directly. Therefore you have to understand Krishna through the spiritual master. HARIKESA: So when we are having doubts, the only possible way, no matter what the indications are, are simply follow your instructions in all circumstances. PRABHUPADA: Yes. HARIKESA: Right. [break] PRABHUPADA: Krishna wanted instruction of guru, not directly. HARIKESA: Krishna's... PRABHUPADA: That, that I was explaining in the morning. HARIKESA: Yes. PRABHUPADA: Yes. Chaitya-guru. One has to take the order of Krishna through the media, via media of spiritual master. HARIKESA: So all of my activities, unless they are directly following your order, are more or less a concoction of my mind. PRABHUPADA: Yes. [break] ...office, you cannot contact the proprietor directly. There are subordinate officers. Through them you have to take the proprietor's help. PRABHUPADA: The office master is there. You have to satisfy the office master. You cannot directly approach the proprietor. If you satisfy the office master, then your promotion and other things is all right. But if you want to... I have got practical experience. PRABHUPADA: One of my friend, he was working in office. So the proprietor was there and many other employees were there. So that my friend, he suggested something to the proprietor, and the proprietor immediately dismissed him: "Oh, this man want to suggest me. PRABHUPADA: Dismiss immediately. Give him his pay he will require.'' In that I have got practical experience. He later on became so sorry. Now it is the process. So this is practical. PRABHUPADA: We should not try to approach directly Krishna. That is not the right way. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasah: [Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 13.80] "I am the servant of the servant of.'' So you have to serve your immediate master, dasa-dasanudasah, servant of the Supreme Lord. If you want to jump over the original master, that is not good. Then you will be dismissed like, like my friend. HARIKESA: Associating with you is so wonderful, and yet... PRABHUPADA: Just like here in Vrindavana, I was here, as I am sitting here. I was sitting here in this very place. That was [indistinct]. And when I was hungry I could take my food there, same place. So that is one thing. Just like there are many persons, but because my spiritual master wanted, so I, at seventy years old, when I thought, "Now I shall go," I went, to serve the order of my spiritual master. Otherwise I am sitting here in Vrindavana. I am old man, I was chanting. Therefore, because that is my first business. HARIKESA: Were you just waiting to finish your books? PRABHUPADA: Yes. I was just creating the situation how I shall serve my spiritual master. HARIKESA: Oh. PRABHUPADA: Not that I was trying to directly contact Krishna. That was not my business. This is required. If anyone wants to contact directly Krishna, that is not possible. [break] GURU DAS: If there is a devotees who are not yet purified, if the devotee is not yet purified, why is the temple president a representative of you? If we are not at the purified stage, then why is the temple president a representative of yourself? PRABHUPADA: To carry his order. That is purification. If you create your own atmosphere, then you become impure. If you simply carry out the order of your spiritual master, then you will be benefited. If you do your own business, that is not good. PRABHUPADA: You can not do anything which is not ordered by your spiritual master. Of course, everyone should have sense. It is not that we are dull, stone. Unless it is moved, it cannot... You have got moving power. But the basic issue should be to carry out the orders of his spiritual master. That is your president. Otherwise you are not. HARIKESA: Sometimes we have the experience of someone in authority who is obviously not following your instructions. PRABHUPADA: Hm? HARIKESA: Sometimes we have the experience, someone in authority who is obviously not following your instructions. PRABHUPADA: That you have not to judge. HARIKESA: Ah. PRABHUPADA: You are not to judge. You should be, you should know that this man is appointed, and he gets here by spiritual process. I must follow. You cannot judge him. HARIKESA: Oh. PRABHUPADA: That is not your business, judging. HARIKESA: Then we simply wait for further instructions from you and keep.... PRABHUPADA: No further instructions. HARIKESA: Ah. PRABHUPADA: So long he is president you must follow him. If he is wrong, that will be corrected by the spiritual master. HARIKESA: Right. PRABHUPADA: You cannot correct him. Otherwise obedience is the first discipline. If you do not obey the representative, authority, then there cannot be any discipline. Then everything will be topsy-turvy. HARIKESA: You would rather have us follow the temple president... PRABHUPADA: Huh? Yes. HARIKESA: ...than to... PRABHUPADA: If he is wrong, that cannot... He will come out. HARIKESA: Ah. PRABHUPADA: So the steps will be taken by the spiritual master. You cannot, do not try to rectify. HARIKESA: Our advancement is the same? PRABHUPADA: Huh? HARIKESA: Our advancement... PRABHUPADA: Yes. HARIKESA: ...is going on. PRABHUPADA: You follow, evam parampara-praptam [bhagavad-gita 4.2], gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80], servant of the servants of the servant of, then this is our. GURU DAS: That's the consideration. Advancement is [indistinct]. [break] HARIKESA: I know I am making mistakes. PRABHUPADA: Why do you preach? HARIKESA: That's my question. PRABHUPADA: Stop preaching. HARIKESA: Ah. PRABHUPADA: If you know your mistakes and you're preaching, why this nonsense preaching? HARIKESA: Preaching must be perfect. PRABHUPADA: Yes. Perfect means as you have heard from your spiritual master. [indistinct] We are not perfect, none of us, but if you perfectly follow the orders of the perfect, then you are perfect. PRABHUPADA: You should not think that "I have become perfect." Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also said, guru more murkha dekhi [Cc. Adi 7.71]. He presented Himself as fool number one. So we should always keep ourself as fool number one, that "I am not perfect. I am fool number one." But whatever I am doing I am carrying the orders of the perfect. That is my credit. I am not perfect. Suppose I give you ... five thousand dollars. That is not my money. I am not rich man. But the money is paid by somebody else and I deliver, that's all. That is my perfection. If I don't touch it, I do not take from five hundred dollars a paise even, and I deliver it, that is my perfection. I may not be rich man, but if I deliver this amount to you, in perfect order, that is my perfection. HARIKESA: Sometimes, due to my conditioning, I cannot exactly understand what you are saying. PRABHUPADA: Yes. If you cannot understand what I am saying, then you should ask repeat. Try to understand [indistinct], that "I cannot understand this, and explain." Put it to the immediate president or any Godbrother. If he still, if he cannot explain, if he feels unable, he can inquire to me. In this way. HARIKESA: What if I don't know, I haven't understood? What if I think I have understood but I have actually not? PRABHUPADA: There are many things like that. So you should try to understand it fully. Why should you understand it haphazardly? You must try to understand fully. [break] HARIKESA: ...position to criticize his Godbrothers, no matter what? PRABHUPADA: You can criticize, if you are right. You cannot criticize wrongly. conversation with Srila Prabhupada, March 16, 1974, Vrindaban, 740316RC.VRN

No surgery can be performed on Maharaj, and there is no medicine that can be given for this kind of brain stem hemorrhage to dissolve the blood clot still there. It can only dissolve on its own over time Latest Nov 6th 2008 The brain stem hemorrhage was very serious, and if the bleeding had continued there would have been no chance of survival. Fortunately Maharaja’s bleeding has stopped, which is why there is hope of recovery. But there is no treatment for it: it has to heal on its own. That means it is completely in the hands of Sri Krishna. Intense prayer to the Lord is the only hope. The doctors are simply trying to maintain Maharaja’s health so he remains stable, so he may recover on his own. Nothing more can be done at this point. The current problem is the blood clot in the brain stem. It cannot be dissolved by medicine, nor operated upon. It has to dissolve on it’s own. At this point we have to simply wait, depending upon the mercy of the Lord. According to the doctors, even if everything goes OK it will be a long period of healing. The hospital has now allowed for a devotee to be with Maharaja always, reading Srila Prabhupada’s book and chanting. According to the doctors, only when Maharaja is free from danger and the ventilaion is removed will he be transferred to a separate room. Then more devotees can visit. After some time I will try to give some more details of how things are to be handled here in Mumbai in regards to the health treatment of Maharaja. Your servant, Bhakti Purusottama Swami

No surgery can be performed on Maharaj, and there is no medicine that can be given for this kind of brain stem hemorrhage to dissolve the blood clot still there. It can only dissolve on its own over time Latest Nov 6th 2008 The brain stem hemorrhage was very serious, and if the bleeding had continued there would have been no chance of survival. Fortunately Maharaja’s bleeding has stopped, which is why there is hope of recovery. But there is no treatment for it: it has to heal on its own. That means it is completely in the hands of Sri Krishna. Intense prayer to the Lord is the only hope. The doctors are simply trying to maintain Maharaja’s health so he remains stable, so he may recover on his own. Nothing more can be done at this point. The current problem is the blood clot in the brain stem. It cannot be dissolved by medicine, nor operated upon. It has to dissolve on it’s own. At this point we have to simply wait, depending upon the mercy of the Lord. According to the doctors, even if everything goes OK it will be a long period of healing. The hospital has now allowed for a devotee to be with Maharaja always, reading Srila Prabhupada’s book and chanting. According to the doctors, only when Maharaja is free from danger and the ventilaion is removed will he be transferred to a separate room. Then more devotees can visit. After some time I will try to give some more details of how things are to be handled here in Mumbai in regards to the health treatment of Maharaja. Your servant, Bhakti Purusottama Swami

Time magazine’s photo of President Baraka Obama holding Hanuman <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Time magazine’s photo Time magazine’s photo blog has a very interesting picture where Barack Obama is displaying the things he carries in his pocket to bring him luck. One of them is a tiny metal statue of the Hindu demigod Hanuman, the great servant of Lord Ramachandra. What caught my eye that tiny icon (or Murti) did not look like one of demigod Hanuman as it has 4 hands, one holding a chakra, the other a trishul or a gada, the other two hands have a lotus and a conch, presumably. These 4 things are associated with Lord Vishnu (Lord Vishnu is an expansion of Lord Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead). However, the tiny statue has a tail (it also looks like that while showing this to the reporters, the face of the statue was touching the palm). Sending this image to a professor at Delhi University for further analysis. Anyone out there please explain

Thats not correct, infact the sixties were the beginning of exposing so much sexual, pschological and emotional abuse of children that had been going on for hundreds of years but covered up and never talked about. ISKCON began in the middle of these changes and many devotees were polluted by there upbringing. In Australia the greatest influence to stop abusive punishment in schools was inspired by John Lennons working class hero song. The counter culture brought it all to the surface but unfortunately many in ISKCON were shut off from the major changes going on outside ISKCON This utter arrogence of we know better than everyone else, id still there with many and keeps many aspiring devotees, that includes some sanyasis and modern day gurus, blind to what was going on right under their arrogent big noses. In the end, the changes never came from within ISKCON, but came from outside the organization, forced on us. But still many are so arrogent and proud and STILL deny any responsibility for their mismanagement during the pioneering years, especially in Australia. As far as being a glorious movement, one day it will be, but not now at this pioneering beginning. We have to learn to actually be a real devotee instead of immitating Prabhupada and that will take generation, that is, as long as the 'Hindu' influence doesn't water down the teachings of Prabhupada. Many should understand Prabhupada forbid the worship and selling of all demigod dieties and photos (without the presents of Krishna) at his Radha Krishna Temples Prabhupada (the real ISKCON) is in your heart and found with many of the excellent writers of Dandavats. At present in 2008/9 Australian ISKCON is very imature and is still in an ignorant self rightious arrogent judgemental 1980s time warp stage of juvenile growth however, in time with mature devotees, it will improve over the nect 50 years. If not, then it will dwindle until revived by a new intelligent spiritually educated generation of Lord Caitanya's movement The immaturity found in Australia is not all over ISKCON, there are many devotees in other parts of the world who DO understand Prabhupada's selfless compassionate teachings and are Spiritual advanced

SPIRITUAL Prayers requested from all seekers of truth for His Grace Ravindra Svarupa <!-- the main section of the post goes here --> Dear Devotees, We are humbly requesting you to submit your sincere prayers for His Holiness Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, GBC, Initiating Guru, and ISKCON Philadelphia Temple President, who has just returned from Mumbai, India and has been diagnosed with pneumonia. His physician is also testing him for Malaria. Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu is a wonderful, senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada who performs so much service for our Krsna consciousness movement around the world. Please pray for his quick recovery from this disease. He has been a great inspiration to devotees worldwide and continues to inspire us all in his exemplary devotional service to our beloved Srila Prabhupada. Kindly post your prayer here: www.vaisnavascare.com Your servants at Vaisnavas C. A. R. E.

Prayers requested for Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu <!-- the main section of the post goes here --> Dear Devotees, We are humbly requesting you to submit your sincere prayers for His Holiness Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, GBC, Initiating Guru, and ISKCON Philadelphia Temple President, who has just returned from Mumbai, India and has been diagnosed with pneumonia. His physician is also testing him for Malaria. Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu is a wonderful, senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada who performs so much service for our Krsna consciousness movement around the world. Please pray for his quick recovery from this disease. He has been a great inspiration to devotees worldwide and continues to inspire us all in his exemplary devotional service to our beloved Srila Prabhupada. Kindly post your prayer here: www.vaisnavascare.com Your servants at Vaisnavas C. A. R. E. <!-- the bottom of the post, the background graphic gets applied here -->

THE PERFECT DEVOTEE "Perfect means as you have heard from your spiritual master. We are not perfect, none of us, but if you perfectly follow the orders of the perfect, then you are perfect" - Srila Prabhupada. HARIKESA ONCE SAID TO SRILA PRABHUPADA HESIDENTLY: There is a question which I've always been afraid to ask, because I don't know if it's proper, but you being the external manifestation of Supersoul, if we are having questions, doubts, when, in your absence, if we are receiving indications, is there any possible way that someone who is so conditioned can have any understanding of proper action in your absence? HARIKESA CONTINUES: In other words, if I am in your absence and I am in great doubt, and I am praying to Supersoul to please save me somehow, if I receive some action which I must do or some course of action becomes obvious, should I trust that, considering that you're communicating with me, or...? PRABHUPADA: That depends on purity. If one has become pure, without any material desire, then that is possible. But if there is some material desire, we cannot expect direct communication. HARIKESA: So I have much material desire. PRABHUPADA: I do not say you or he. This is the process. This is the process. HARIKESA: But in the meantime... PRABHUPADA: Huh? HARIKESA: ...until we have reached the pure state... PRABHUPADA: In the meantime it is not possible... HARIKESA: Not possible. PRABHUPADA: ...directly. HARIKESA: So we must communicate with you verbally or through letters. PRABHUPADA: Not with spiritual master here. You cannot concoct, "Now I am getting directly." No. HARIKESA: So the nature of the communication with the spiritual master in our state is only through... PRABHUPADA: Spiritual master... Krishna is also spiritual master. HARIKESA: Oh. PRABHUPADA: But Krishna sends spiritual master, His representative, as you can appreciate, externally, directly. Otherwise, Krishna is already spiritual master. He could give you instruction from the very beginning. But why He is sending His representative? What is the use? HARIKESA: We're not able to... PRABHUPADA: Ah, because unless we are completely purified, Krishna will, does not talk directly. Therefore you have to understand Krishna through the spiritual master. HARIKESA: So when we are having doubts, the only possible way, no matter what the indications are, are simply follow your instructions in all circumstances. PRABHUPADA: Yes. HARIKESA: Right. [break] PRABHUPADA: Krishna wanted instruction of guru, not directly. HARIKESA: Krishna's... PRABHUPADA: That, that I was explaining in the morning. HARIKESA: Yes. PRABHUPADA: Yes. Chaitya-guru. One has to take the order of Krishna through the media, via media of spiritual master. HARIKESA: So all of my activities, unless they are directly following your order, are more or less a concoction of my mind. PRABHUPADA: Yes. [break] ...office, you cannot contact the proprietor directly. There are subordinate officers. Through them you have to take the proprietor's help. PRABHUPADA: The office master is there. You have to satisfy the office master. You cannot directly approach the proprietor. If you satisfy the office master, then your promotion and other things is all right. But if you want to... I have got practical experience. PRABHUPADA: One of my friend, he was working in office. So the proprietor was there and many other employees were there. So that my friend, he suggested something to the proprietor, and the proprietor immediately dismissed him: "Oh, this man want to suggest me. PRABHUPADA: Dismiss immediately. Give him his pay he will require.'' In that I have got practical experience. He later on became so sorry. Now it is the process. So this is practical. PRABHUPADA: We should not try to approach directly Krishna. That is not the right way. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasah: [Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 13.80] "I am the servant of the servant of.'' So you have to serve your immediate master, dasa-dasanudasah, servant of the Supreme Lord. If you want to jump over the original master, that is not good. Then you will be dismissed like, like my friend. HARIKESA: Associating with you is so wonderful, and yet... PRABHUPADA: Just like here in Vrindavana, I was here, as I am sitting here. I was sitting here in this very place. That was [indistinct]. And when I was hungry I could take my food there, same place. So that is one thing. Just like there are many persons, but because my spiritual master wanted, so I, at seventy years old, when I thought, "Now I shall go," I went, to serve the order of my spiritual master. Otherwise I am sitting here in Vrindavana. I am old man, I was chanting. Therefore, because that is my first business. HARIKESA: Were you just waiting to finish your books? PRABHUPADA: Yes. I was just creating the situation how I shall serve my spiritual master. HARIKESA: Oh. PRABHUPADA: Not that I was trying to directly contact Krishna. That was not my business. This is required. If anyone wants to contact directly Krishna, that is not possible. [break] GURU DAS: If there is a devotees who are not yet purified, if the devotee is not yet purified, why is the temple president a representative of you? If we are not at the purified stage, then why is the temple president a representative of yourself? PRABHUPADA: To carry his order. That is purification. If you create your own atmosphere, then you become impure. If you simply carry out the order of your spiritual master, then you will be benefited. If you do your own business, that is not good. PRABHUPADA: You can not do anything which is not ordered by your spiritual master. Of course, everyone should have sense. It is not that we are dull, stone. Unless it is moved, it cannot... You have got moving power. But the basic issue should be to carry out the orders of his spiritual master. That is your president. Otherwise you are not. HARIKESA: Sometimes we have the experience of someone in authority who is obviously not following your instructions. PRABHUPADA: Hm? HARIKESA: Sometimes we have the experience, someone in authority who is obviously not following your instructions. PRABHUPADA: That you have not to judge. HARIKESA: Ah. PRABHUPADA: You are not to judge. You should be, you should know that this man is appointed, and he gets here by spiritual process. I must follow. You cannot judge him. HARIKESA: Oh. PRABHUPADA: That is not your business, judging. HARIKESA: Then we simply wait for further instructions from you and keep.... PRABHUPADA: No further instructions. HARIKESA: Ah. PRABHUPADA: So long he is president you must follow him. If he is wrong, that will be corrected by the spiritual master. HARIKESA: Right. PRABHUPADA: You cannot correct him. Otherwise obedience is the first discipline. If you do not obey the representative, authority, then there cannot be any discipline. Then everything will be topsy-turvy. HARIKESA: You would rather have us follow the temple president... PRABHUPADA: Huh? Yes. HARIKESA: ...than to... PRABHUPADA: If he is wrong, that cannot... He will come out. HARIKESA: Ah. PRABHUPADA: So the steps will be taken by the spiritual master. You cannot, do not try to rectify. HARIKESA: Our advancement is the same? PRABHUPADA: Huh? HARIKESA: Our advancement... PRABHUPADA: Yes. HARIKESA: ...is going on. PRABHUPADA: You follow, evam parampara-praptam [bhagavad-gita 4.2], gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80], servant of the servants of the servant of, then this is our. GURU DAS: That's the consideration. Advancement is [indistinct]. [break] HARIKESA: I know I am making mistakes. PRABHUPADA: Why do you preach? HARIKESA: That's my question. PRABHUPADA: Stop preaching. HARIKESA: Ah. PRABHUPADA: If you know your mistakes and you're preaching, why this nonsense preaching? HARIKESA: Preaching must be perfect. PRABHUPADA: Yes. Perfect means as you have heard from your spiritual master. [indistinct] We are not perfect, none of us, but if you perfectly follow the orders of the perfect, then you are perfect. PRABHUPADA: You should not think that "I have become perfect." Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also said, guru more murkha dekhi [Cc. Adi 7.71]. He presented Himself as fool number one. So we should always keep ourself as fool number one, that "I am not perfect. I am fool number one." But whatever I am doing I am carrying the orders of the perfect. That is my credit. I am not perfect. Suppose I give you ... five thousand dollars. That is not my money. I am not rich man. But the money is paid by somebody else and I deliver, that's all. That is my perfection. If I don't touch it, I do not take from five hundred dollars a paise even, and I deliver it, that is my perfection. I may not be rich man, but if I deliver this amount to you, in perfect order, that is my perfection. HARIKESA: Sometimes, due to my conditioning, I cannot exactly understand what you are saying. PRABHUPADA: Yes. If you cannot understand what I am saying, then you should ask repeat. Try to understand [indistinct], that "I cannot understand this, and explain." Put it to the immediate president or any Godbrother. If he still, if he cannot explain, if he feels unable, he can inquire to me. In this way. HARIKESA: What if I don't know, I haven't understood? What if I think I have understood but I have actually not? PRABHUPADA: There are many things like that. So you should try to understand it fully. Why should you understand it haphazardly? You must try to understand fully. [break] HARIKESA: ...position to criticize his Godbrothers, no matter what? PRABHUPADA: You can criticize, if you are right. You cannot criticize wrongly. conversation with Srila Prabhupada, March 16, 1974, Vrindaban, 740316RC.VRN

If the spiritual master becomes angry with a particular disciple, that is the loving mercy of the Spiritual Master on that person and is actually a great blessing "Srila Prabhupada," Nava-yogendra asked, "how should we feel if you are angry with one of us?" Srila Prabhupada replied, "If the spiritual master is angry, you should be pleased. It means that he's paying attention to you." Prabhupada went on to say that there are so many hundreds and housands of people in the streets, but no one is looking after them. But if the spiritual master becomes angry with a particular disciple, that is his loving mercy on that person - From the Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa dasa Goswami Maharaj

It's already in ISKCON internal. So why is this in Spiritual discussions? Silly question. What is more important Spiritually than the Spiritual Welfare of a Great Spiritual teacher like H.H. Jayapataka Maharaj - just look at the amount of views this thread has had! I think that speaks for itself. Hare Krsna. All glorious to Jayapataka Swami Maharaj

Excellent understanding. Also I agree with you that Obama is good for the world, I am reminded of the 1960 elections that was the beginning of major changes within America and the world, from the Civil rights movement to Ken Kesey, Tim Leary, Bob Dyln, Greatful Dead, Alan Ginsburg, Beatles, etc and of course Srila Prabhupada The headlines today in all Australian Papers covering front and back pages is 'The beginning of a new dawn' Baraka Obama. This is BIG and is going to go down in History as one of the great moments in time of American and World History Unfortunately, so many devotees are so closed off from this world, they cannot see your mature understaning above.

Things can change so fast Maharaj is stable today. His consciousness is better. Dr PP Ashok, the neurologist was happy with Maharaj’s alertness Last update: 05-Nov-08, afternoon, HH Jayapataka Maharaj’s status report by Dr Madhavananda das, Director of Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai Maharaj is stable, even today. His consciousness is better. Dr PP Ashok, the neurologist was happy with Maharaj’s alertness. His blood pressure, blood sugar and other parameters are stable. Today onwards, they are gradually taking him off the ventilator. This process is gradual. Maharaj remains stable but critical. The prayers should continue intensely. It is the most helpful thing that can be done. PS: Madhavananda Prabhu mentioned that the report would be sent around 3pm everyday after the main doctors come and check Maharaja.

Things can change so fast Maharaj is stable today. His consciousness is better. Dr PP Ashok, the neurologist was happy with Maharaj’s alertness Last update: 05-Nov-08, afternoon, HH Jayapataka Maharaj’s status report by Dr Madhavananda das, Director of Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai Maharaj is stable, even today. His consciousness is better. Dr PP Ashok, the neurologist was happy with Maharaj’s alertness. His blood pressure, blood sugar and other parameters are stable. Today onwards, they are gradually taking him off the ventilator. This process is gradual. Maharaj remains stable but critical. The prayers should continue intensely. It is the most helpful thing that can be done. PS: Madhavananda Prabhu mentioned that the report would be sent around 3pm everyday after the main doctors come and check Maharaja. —————————–

Interesting intelligent points you make. Prabhupada wanted us to be part of society to influence society, not ignore society and hide in our Temples, farms and homes When we met two Prime Ministers, we gave them Bhagavad Gita and I realized to change society, we must somehow get to the leaders by trying to get them to read Bhagavad Gita as it is and Srimad Bhagavatam When Prabhupada left India in 1965, most of his Godbrothers thought his trip would fail because the meat eating, drinking, gambling sexually adicted Americans would never take to Vedic Spiritual Culture. Martin Luther King also was a meat eater like everyone else in America at that time however, it's what he did that was important that indirectly helped Prabhupada. You have to see the bigger picture outside our pioneering immature fanaticism. If Prabhupada came to America in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, no-one would of taken him seriously. Prabhupada came at the right time when America was going through big changes and they INDIRECTLY helped bring attention to his ISKCON Movement and further, even assisting to expand his ISKCON movement due to the new tolerance created by the Civil Rights Movement. Everyone involved in the Civil rights movement new that Ghandhi inspired Martin Luther King in America and that he was Hindhu, this indirectly helped Prabhupada Similarly, we are again experiences great changes. It's NOT the meat eating pro-obortionist Obama I'm on about, but rather the implications of cultural barriers coming futher down because he is now President of the U.S. And in all fairness, why not educate him as well with Vedic texts. Spiritually we are on the brink of an ISKCON Lord Caitanya revolution, I feel this and have known for years it is coming If devotees want to change the world, then they must get out there among the people and preach, this is why world wide book distribution is so important. We (in my case and what I believe in, Prabhupada's ISKCON) could be at the beginning of a mid-sixties style economic and cultural revolution again that leads to more openness, acceptance and ultimately more devotees from ALL nationalities. Again, it's NOT the meat eating pro-obortionist Obama I'm on about, nor his hero Martin Luther King, or his hero Mahatma Gandhi, but rather the implications of cultural barriers coming futher down.

The wonderful Biography of Jayapataka Swami Maharaja "I went to your country with a mission & you all good souls were sent by Krishna to me." Srila Prabhupada One of the good souls sent by Krishna to Srila Prabhupada is His Holiness Tridandi Biksu Jayapataka Swami Maharaja who has been serving Srila Prabhupada as a "selfless worker" over the last 33 years. Birth, Childhood and Education Jayapataka Swami was born John Gordan Erdman on April 9, 1949 (the ekadasi after ramanavami) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA to John Hubert and Lorraine Erdman. He was born into opulent surroundings, his father's father being the founder of a large paint factory, which was a multi-million dollar concern at the time of his birth. Later HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was glad to see that his name - Gordan John (Gour Dhan Jan) - already suggested what Srila Prabhuapda confirmed, that he and two other devotees were formerly associates of Lord Caitanya and that they had taken their birth in the west to facilitate spreading Krishna consciousness around the world. When Jayapataka Maharaja was eleven years old, at the suggestion of his grandfather he cured himself of a skin disease by calling on the name of God. At 14, he graduated almost effortlessly in the very top of his class from St.John's academy, a college preparatory school. He was offered full scholarships including tuition, books, fooding, lodging plus incidental expenses by several major universities around America. He accepted admission into Brown University. There, as a fresh enrollee, he was so much moved by a guest lecture on the life of Buddha that he lost all interest in his studies and began searching for a spiritual teacher. After some time of searching and austerity he concluded he would have to got o India to find his teacher. As he was preparing to leave for India, he met the devotees of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, founder acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, doing kirtan and distributing BTGs at the park. When one devotee approached him to take a copy of the BTG, he was stunned to see the tilak on his face and experiencing some strange feelings he began to run. After running a few minutes, he stopped to contemplate on what he had seen and how he had been so much affected. It was the experience of seeing something after a long time, a re-awakening of something that had been dormant and hidden from his memory. He walked back to the park but by then the devotees were gone! There began his search for the Hare Krishna devotees. Since ISKCON was not very well known, he could not find them for a long time. It was finally during the Ratha-yatra preparations in San Francisco that he found the location of the ISKCON center. He came to the temple where HG Jayananda prabhu was making the ratha cart for Jagannatha. HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was drawn into service of the Ratha by Jayananda prabhu. Later he met Srila Prabhupada who encouraged him by inviting him to take prasadam with him and making sure he got more than just generous servings. In just two months after visiting ISKCON, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja decided to commit himself to the principles of ISKCON. Jayananda prabhu shaved his head and everyone was surprised to see that within two months of coming in contact with ISKCON, he had shaved up and joined in. In 1968, Gordan John took first initiation in Montreal, Canada and was given the name Jayapataka dasa brahmachari and he was very soon awarded 2nd initiation in New York. Several years later, while discussing a difficult situation in Mayapur, Srila Prabhupada remarked upon the name 'Jayapataka' as follows: Jayapataka Maharaja: You gave me the name Jayapataka. I hope that name comes true, that there will be victory. Prabhupada: It has already become so. Jayaptaka Maharaja, (then Jayapataka dasa) began to render a number of services for ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada. The first most important was the service as the president of ISKCON Montreal. Srila Prabhupada wrote him in a letter, "For the present I think you cannot leave Montreal… Your service is much too valuable there." While in Montreal, His Holiness was was engaged in the service of printing books and dispatching them to other ISKCON Centres around the world. In a letter dated 6th October 1968, Srila Prabhupada wrote him, "I am interested in starting the press, so if you can manage it will be very nice." His service to the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust continued in India and continues until today as he is one of the trustees of the BBT. Later, on the instruction of Srila Prabhupada, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja went to Toronto to open a center there. When Jagadish took over the Toronto center as president he wrote to Srila Prabhupada enquiring about his service and Srila Prabhupada told him to go to India on a long visa as "we have a great deal of work to do there". Jayapataka Maharaja's flight to India gives already the hint of his expertise in traveling with the most mileage and least expense possible. He flew for 48 hours in what was the "cheapest flight in history" flying Montreal - London - Brussels - Bombay - Calcutta. At Calcutta, Jayapataka Maharaja began to learn Bengali by going out to buy fruits and vegetables. Along with the other devotees, he conducted house programs, organized pandal programs, and personally went out on nagar sankirtan and book distribution though there was so much violence in the city. Soon the devotees found a new place in Mayapur and Srila Prabhupada arrived 29th August 1970 in India. When he arrived, it was known that Srila Prabhupada had already given sannyas initiation to 9 persons in the US. Srila Prabhupada one day called Jayaparaka das and asked him if he would take sannyasa and in response he said, "Yes, Prabhupada whatever you like". Thus on the day of the most auspicious Radhashtami in 1970, in Calcutta, Srila Prabhupada personally performed the fire yajna and Jayapataka dasa got his sannyas initiation. This 12th sannyasi disciple of Srila Prabhupada would be henceforth known as Tridandi Biksu Jayapataka Swami. Arriving in Mayapur and eternal service to the holy Dham When ISKCON got a land in Mayapur HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja went there on the instruction of Srila Prabhupada. When he first arrived in Mayapur, understanding that he was in the holy land, he offered his obeisances and then dipped his head into the cool Ganges mud to get the blessings, recollecting how Akrura, when he entered Vrndavana, saw the lotus footprints of Krsna in the holy mud of Vrndavana. There were 5 other devotees with HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja in Mayapur. As funds were short, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja began engaging in agriculture. He studied several books, learnt different methods and got the best crop. Local farmers were surprised and wanted to learn from him. This helped build a lasting relationship with the local people. Maharaja taught them modern techniques of agriculture and the farmers taught him Bengali. He began to give classes in Bengali where his few listeners would correct him in his language and soon he began to perfect his knowledge of the language. Jayapataka Maharaja had wanted to learn even in 1968 when he was in the West but it did not seem necessary there. His desire was fulfilled automatically when he was sent down to Bengal by Srila Prabhupada. Life in Mayapur in the initial days was very austere and full of different types of dangers. Devotees would sleep on the floor of a grass hut. Since they were living on their own crop, they would have to eat the same vegetable for three months. Once when Srila Prabhupada was there a large cobra was found in his toilet. Prabhupada called out to Jayapataka Maharaj and he very quickly managed to save Prabhupada. Eventually they got a three-room warehouse built by the main gate. Jayapataka Maharaja soon began to oversee construction work in Mayapur and the artistic lotus building was built. But envious circles began to give the devotees a lot of trouble. With permission from Srila Prabhupada and the police, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja kept a gun for protecting ISKCON devotees and property. As a devotee who was with him at that time remarked, "He (Jayapataka Maharaj) was a great shooter". Jayapataka Maharaja also formed different teams of devotees called "Krishna teamArjuna team" etc to keep guard at night. Jayapataka Maharaja was very meticulous with all his services at Mayapur. He was very careful that not an anna was unnecessarily spent. He worked hard day and night and would most often be at least two hours late for his prasadam. Devotees who worked for him always found that when they took some matter to him, he not only solved it but also added new dimensions of expansion to it. An early devotee who worked with him remarks, "There are very few people who care from the bottom of their heart about ISKCON Mayapur. Jayapataka Maharaja's experience, loyalty and capacity of Mayapur in-house are unparalleled." Preaching in India With the permission of Srila Prabhupada, Jayapataka maharaja applied for Indian citizenship. This meant that he could not leave the country. He utilized this time for traveling within Bengal into the villages preaching and distributing books. Srila Prabhupada told Jayapataka Maharaja to distribute 10,000 big books and 100,000 small books every month. He found unique ways of distributing books such as market-place distribution, pandal programs, festival programs and nama hatta. Maharaja made it a point to preach not only in the cities but also in the interiors of India, in the villages. Kingdom of God Srila Prabhupada had the vision of a Temple of the Vedic Planetarium to be built in Mayapur. He was talking to the scientists and telling them to figure out the 5th canto and build the planetarium and he also told Jayapataka Maharaja to figure it out. One time when Jayapataka Maharaja came into the room to see Srila Prabhupada, he said, "I have given you the kingdom of God. Now develop it". Jayapataka Maharaja found it as a serious and at the same time humorous statement. During the period of the initial development of Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir, the presiding deitis of the mandira, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, were brought to Mayapur and Jayapataka Maharaja recognised Them from a dream he once had years ago while preaching in the West. In 1977 ISKCON Mayapur was attacked by the local villagers. They tried to take away everything and devotees were arrested. At that time HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja got the locals mobilized and organized a big procession from Mayapur to the Chand Kazi samadhi and then to the Jagannatha temple. About 25,000 people participated in the march, which consisted of 168 kirtan groups. Namahatta In Los Angeles in 1970 before Jayapataka Maharaja had come to India, Prabhupada had stopped in front of a church and said that in the future there'd just be a few devotees in the temples but so many would be practicing in their homes. At that time it was hard for Jayapataka Maharaja to understand this as most devotees were living in the temple and there was no congregation. However, the protest march and the discovery of the 168 kirtan groups, and his services of book distribution, pandal programs, house programs and enrolling Life Members helped him understand that there were so many people who were interested in Krishna and that they needed to be given more care. To engage all these devotees and give them training, first HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja considered making an ISKCON Sankirtan Organization or ISO. Srila Prabhupada not only gave his blessings for this project but also told him that the villagers could come to the temple, stay for a few days, get the idea about Krishna Consciousness, and go back to their villages and establish the same thing in their own village. After Srila Prabhupada's disappearance HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja got the Gaudiya Patrika from Bhakti Caru Maharaja, which explains in detail the system of Namahatta preaching. This inspired Jayapataka Maharaja to establish, expand and develop this method of preaching. In the recent times, Jayapataka Maharaja has also developed the system of Bhakti Vrksa preaching which assists namahatta preaching by enabling wider preaching and giving intensive and personal training to devotees so that everyone gets the chance to train to be a pure devotee while engaging in preaching activities. Nitai . Kamala Boat One devotee in Mayapur was touring down on the Ganga taking a boat from Padma down and this gave Jayapataka Maharaja the idea of a boat party. He got the permission of the devotees concerned and was sent enough money from New York to buy a boat. Jayapataka Maharaja personally went and bought a boat from Diamond Harbour, Habrah, to Mayapur. Here is an interesting conversation which shows Srila Prabhupada's interest in this preaching mode: Jayapataka: Would you like to see the goshala or the boat today, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: Which side is boat? Straight? Bhavananda: Boat is at Hulor Ghat. Prabhupada: Boat is worth seeing. (laughter) [break] Morning walk, January 17, 1976, Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada named the boat "Nitai . Kamala". Soon a set of Gour Nitai deities appeared in Mayapur and Srila Prabhupada personally installed Them in the boat. Food For Life Srila Prabhupada wrote to the devotees in Mayapur, "I want that you shall distribute prasadam at least to hundreds of persons daily, and advertise very widely all over Nadia Province for people to come there and take prasadam daily without charge." BY 1973 Srila Prabhupada wrote to them that he was glad with the prasdam distribution reports. In 1974 Prabhupada wanted a prasadam distribution pavilion built in Mayapur where one thousand people could take prasadam at the same time. In 1978, when floods ravaged West Bengal, Jayapataka Maharaja risked his life several times, braving flood waters in inadequate boats, to deliver emergency flood relief supplies to villagers stranded on tree-tops and roof-tops. This and countless other selfless services for the masses of India caused tens of thousands of villagers to petition the Central Government to grant Jayapataka Maharaja Indian citizenship. This was granted by the Union Government Home Ministry in 1978. Jayapataka Maharaja is the world chairman for 'Food for Life' and ISKCON's Food Relief Programs. The descendant of Advaita Acharya himself, selected HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja to be in charge of the annual Santipur mass prasdam distribution program. Mayapur Mandala Parikrama and Pilgrimages Srila Prabhupada Mayapur to be a center where devotees from all over the world could conglomerate and be strengthened spiritually to continue their preaching. In March 1974, the first Gour Pournima festival was held. Four hundred devotees from America, England, Europe, South America, Australia, India, and other parts of the world joined in the festival. So, for the first time in 1974, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja led groups of devotees on parikrama (pilgrimage) to local holy places. This visit to Mayapur would constitute the first half of the devotees' Indian pilgrimage; after ten days they were scheduled to go to Vrndavana. The Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama has been continuing ever since with the number of devotees participating increasing each year in the thousands. During these parikramas, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja takes care of not only the spiritual earnestness of all the devotees but as a perfect host, he also sees to it that they are comfortably situated. Jayapataka Maharaja also has recently introduced the 'Ganga Safari' to visit those holy places connected to Lord Caitanya which are approachable only along the river flow. Similarly he conducts a tour of holy places in India and neighbouring countries to give the natives a chance to see how 'foreigners' are happy by following Krsna consciousness and to give the devotes more exposure to the places of pilgrimage. All these are organized very nicely and effectively. Life Chairman of Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust On November 5 1977, Jayapataka Maharaja went to Vrndavana to meet Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada told him, "I am making Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust" and added, "you are the life chairman." Jayapataka Maharaja at thist ime also got the mandate from Prabhupada to unite the Sarasvat family, preserving the holy dham of Lord Caitanya and serving the pilgrims. The beginning of the endless travels and GBC Responsibilities Nine years after coming to India, finally in 1979, Jayapataka Maharaja got his Indian citizenship. Syamananda prabhu gave His Holiness an 'around the world ticket',encouraging him to travel. Then around 1980 Hridayananda Maharaja invited him to visit South America. That started his visits to South America, Chile, Peru, Bolivia. Later Ecuador came and other places in South America. In 1982, on the requests of Hridayananda Maharaja, Balavanta prabhu and Rupanuga prabhu, Jayapataka Maharaja made a base in South-East USA. What just started as a visit soon led to becoming a GBC in that area. In this he got established. In 1984, Hamsadutta left ISKCON and at that time there was a danger that Malaysia would be taken out of ISKCON. Then Jayapataka Maharaja was sent to Malaysia to save it and he spent 21 days there at one stretch, which was a record. Together with hari Sauri prabhu they were able to save the situation. Since then His Holiness has been looking after the preaching in Malaysia. Later on, Singapore was added. HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja is also a GBC for Assam. The large size karatalas (whompers) that adds greatly to the ecstasy of his kirtans, are a traditional type of karatal in Assam. This was presented to His Holiness in Assam. Though it is played differently in Assam than the way Jayapataka Maharaja is used to, he developed this way of playing the karatals. Jayapataka Maharaja started as GBC in East India which includes Bihar, Orissa and Bengal. From 1980 to 1999 he was the GBC for South-East USA, as well as South America. He is also the GBC for Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Jayapataka Maharaja serves as Co-GBC in the far east. He is also the Minister of Congregational Preaching and Minister of Congregational Development, the Vice-chairman of the World Hindu Federation and Convenor of the Sarasvat Family. While stationed in India, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja traveled all along Bengal, and Bangladesh visiting villages performing sankirtana and book distribution. Later on, once he got his Indian citizenship and was invited from several eladers to visit their countries, he began what seems his endless traveling. Traveling agents are amazed at the extent of his traveling which are also done with very careful calculations and planning to get the most mileage at the least expense. As much as HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja loves to undertake traveling to all parts of the world and accepts any harship for the purpose of preaching, it is a great austerity for him to have to hide the symbols of a vaisnava from his body when he is invited to preach in certain foreign countries. Festivals and Celebrations Jayapataka Maharaja personally loves attending ratha-yatras simply because he likes Lord Jagannatha. It was during the ratha-yatra in San Francisco that he first came into ISKCON and his first service was to build Jagannatha's rath cart. Thus he believes that it is by the mercy of Lord Jagannatha that he is a devotee. His Holiness visited Puri during the ratha-yatra in the first year of his visit to India and Srila Prabhupada also told him to build a temple for Jagannatha in Puri for which he is endeavouring. Wherever, there is ratha-yatra devotees are eager to invite HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja to attend and inspire the devotees with his ecstatic kirtan, and tireless dancing. Jayapataka Maharaja also in turn attends as many as ratha-yatras as possible and dances and sings for Lord Jagannatha forgetting his tiredness from traveling or other services. Uniting the Sarasvat Gaudiya family Initially Jayapataka Maharaja stayed in Gaudiya Matha for a few months in Calcutta and Mayapur, and earned their lifelong respect. That short period of stay in the gaudiya Math ws perhaps Lord Krishna's arangement as it has made it easier for HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja to relate with some of the Gaudiya Maths. While Srila Prabhupada was in Mayapur, since he knew Bengali, Prabhupada would send him to deliver messages to Sridhara Maharaja, Givinda maharaja and others. Thus when Prabhupada told Jayapataka Maharaja to unite the Gaudiya Matha he made an effort to connect the spiritual family. After endeavouring for more than five years finally the Sarasvat Gaudiya Vaisnava Association was formed with the blessings of Prabhupada and blessings of all the senior Vaisnavas like Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaja and other acaryas and His Holiness is the convenor for this association. Accepting disciples On two occasions HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja recollects Srila Prabhupada telling him, "You are authorized to take disciples but actually the etiquette is in the presence of guru you shouldn't do, otherwise you are authorized." And "you are a sannyasi so sannyasi is authorized to take disciples. That's what sannyasa means but you don't take in the presence of your guru." In 1977, as Srila Prabhupada's health was getting worse, he once asked Jayapataka Maharaja "What does your astrologer say?" and Jayapataka Maharaja mentioned "that there was an astrologer in Mayapur who had read Prabhupada's horoscope to Bhavananda along with all of our Society's leaders about two weeks ago. This man said that Prabhupada was a kind of avatara especially empowered by God so that he was free to choose whether to come or go. As far as his future predictions went, he said that Prabhupada's present illness would go by November 28 when Venus entered another house, that he would take another month to recuperate, and that there would be no further illness for seven years.(from TKG's Diary) Though all the devotees were hopeful that Srila Prabhupada would recover, His Divine Grace left the planet on November 14, 1977. Earlier, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was one among the eleven named by Srila Prabhupada to give initiation on his behalf when he was seriously ill. Based on Srila Prabhupada's personal instructions about how sannyasis are authorized to accept disciples when their spiritual master is no more present, following in the teachings in Srila Prabhupada's books that initiation is given by one in the current link of the disciplic succession; Brahma is the original spiritual master for the universe, and since he was initiated by the Lord Himself, the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam is coming down by disciplic succession, and in order to receive the real message of Srimad-Bhagavatam one should approach the current link, or spiritual master, in the chain of disciplic succession. And the confirmation in his letters that: Generally the spiritual master comes from the group of such eternal associates of the Lord; but anyone who follows the principles of such ever liberated persons is as good as one in the above mentioned group. (Letter to Janardana New York 26 April 1968) HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja began to accept disciples as a spiritual master in the Srila Prabhupada branch of the Goudiya Vaisnava sampradaya. Several devotees who were inspired by his dedication and sincerity to ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada accepted initiation from him. Many more continue to be inspired by His Holiness and aspire to take initiation from him. His Holiness being a senior sannyasi disciple of Srila Prabhupada has also awarded sannyas initiation to 14 devotees so far: Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaja, Bhanu Maharaja, Prabhavisnu Maharaja, Bhakti Vikas Maharaja, Mahavisnu Maharaja, Gopal Krishna Maharaja, Mukunda Maharaja, Bhakti Vrajendranandana Maharaja, Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja, Bhakti Vaidurya Madhava Maharaja, Bhakti Raghava Maharaja.

The wonderful Biography of Jayapataka Swami Maharaja "I went to your country with a mission & you all good souls were sent by Krishna to me." Srila Prabhupada One of the good souls sent by Krishna to Srila Prabhupada is His Holiness Tridandi Biksu Jayapataka Swami Maharaja who has been serving Srila Prabhupada as a "selfless worker" over the last 33 years. Birth, Childhood and Education Jayapataka Swami was born John Gordan Erdman on April 9, 1949 (the ekadasi after ramanavami) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA to John Hubert and Lorraine Erdman. He was born into opulent surroundings, his father's father being the founder of a large paint factory, which was a multi-million dollar concern at the time of his birth. Later HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was glad to see that his name - Gordan John (Gour Dhan Jan) - already suggested what Srila Prabhuapda confirmed, that he and two other devotees were formerly associates of Lord Caitanya and that they had taken their birth in the west to facilitate spreading Krishna consciousness around the world. When Jayapataka Maharaja was eleven years old, at the suggestion of his grandfather he cured himself of a skin disease by calling on the name of God. At 14, he graduated almost effortlessly in the very top of his class from St.John's academy, a college preparatory school. He was offered full scholarships including tuition, books, fooding, lodging plus incidental expenses by several major universities around America. He accepted admission into Brown University. There, as a fresh enrollee, he was so much moved by a guest lecture on the life of Buddha that he lost all interest in his studies and began searching for a spiritual teacher. After some time of searching and austerity he concluded he would have to got o India to find his teacher. As he was preparing to leave for India, he met the devotees of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, founder acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, doing kirtan and distributing BTGs at the park. When one devotee approached him to take a copy of the BTG, he was stunned to see the tilak on his face and experiencing some strange feelings he began to run. After running a few minutes, he stopped to contemplate on what he had seen and how he had been so much affected. It was the experience of seeing something after a long time, a re-awakening of something that had been dormant and hidden from his memory. He walked back to the park but by then the devotees were gone! There began his search for the Hare Krishna devotees. Since ISKCON was not very well known, he could not find them for a long time. It was finally during the Ratha-yatra preparations in San Francisco that he found the location of the ISKCON center. He came to the temple where HG Jayananda prabhu was making the ratha cart for Jagannatha. HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was drawn into service of the Ratha by Jayananda prabhu. Later he met Srila Prabhupada who encouraged him by inviting him to take prasadam with him and making sure he got more than just generous servings. In just two months after visiting ISKCON, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja decided to commit himself to the principles of ISKCON. Jayananda prabhu shaved his head and everyone was surprised to see that within two months of coming in contact with ISKCON, he had shaved up and joined in. In 1968, Gordan John took first initiation in Montreal, Canada and was given the name Jayapataka dasa brahmachari and he was very soon awarded 2nd initiation in New York. Several years later, while discussing a difficult situation in Mayapur, Srila Prabhupada remarked upon the name 'Jayapataka' as follows: Jayapataka Maharaja: You gave me the name Jayapataka. I hope that name comes true, that there will be victory. Prabhupada: It has already become so. Jayaptaka Maharaja, (then Jayapataka dasa) began to render a number of services for ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada. The first most important was the service as the president of ISKCON Montreal. Srila Prabhupada wrote him in a letter, "For the present I think you cannot leave Montreal… Your service is much too valuable there." While in Montreal, His Holiness was was engaged in the service of printing books and dispatching them to other ISKCON Centres around the world. In a letter dated 6th October 1968, Srila Prabhupada wrote him, "I am interested in starting the press, so if you can manage it will be very nice." His service to the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust continued in India and continues until today as he is one of the trustees of the BBT. Later, on the instruction of Srila Prabhupada, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja went to Toronto to open a center there. When Jagadish took over the Toronto center as president he wrote to Srila Prabhupada enquiring about his service and Srila Prabhupada told him to go to India on a long visa as "we have a great deal of work to do there". Jayapataka Maharaja's flight to India gives already the hint of his expertise in traveling with the most mileage and least expense possible. He flew for 48 hours in what was the "cheapest flight in history" flying Montreal - London - Brussels - Bombay - Calcutta. At Calcutta, Jayapataka Maharaja began to learn Bengali by going out to buy fruits and vegetables. Along with the other devotees, he conducted house programs, organized pandal programs, and personally went out on nagar sankirtan and book distribution though there was so much violence in the city. Soon the devotees found a new place in Mayapur and Srila Prabhupada arrived 29th August 1970 in India. When he arrived, it was known that Srila Prabhupada had already given sannyas initiation to 9 persons in the US. Srila Prabhupada one day called Jayaparaka das and asked him if he would take sannyasa and in response he said, "Yes, Prabhupada whatever you like". Thus on the day of the most auspicious Radhashtami in 1970, in Calcutta, Srila Prabhupada personally performed the fire yajna and Jayapataka dasa got his sannyas initiation. This 12th sannyasi disciple of Srila Prabhupada would be henceforth known as Tridandi Biksu Jayapataka Swami. Arriving in Mayapur and eternal service to the holy Dham When ISKCON got a land in Mayapur HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja went there on the instruction of Srila Prabhupada. When he first arrived in Mayapur, understanding that he was in the holy land, he offered his obeisances and then dipped his head into the cool Ganges mud to get the blessings, recollecting how Akrura, when he entered Vrndavana, saw the lotus footprints of Krsna in the holy mud of Vrndavana. There were 5 other devotees with HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja in Mayapur. As funds were short, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja began engaging in agriculture. He studied several books, learnt different methods and got the best crop. Local farmers were surprised and wanted to learn from him. This helped build a lasting relationship with the local people. Maharaja taught them modern techniques of agriculture and the farmers taught him Bengali. He began to give classes in Bengali where his few listeners would correct him in his language and soon he began to perfect his knowledge of the language. Jayapataka Maharaja had wanted to learn even in 1968 when he was in the West but it did not seem necessary there. His desire was fulfilled automatically when he was sent down to Bengal by Srila Prabhupada. Life in Mayapur in the initial days was very austere and full of different types of dangers. Devotees would sleep on the floor of a grass hut. Since they were living on their own crop, they would have to eat the same vegetable for three months. Once when Srila Prabhupada was there a large cobra was found in his toilet. Prabhupada called out to Jayapataka Maharaj and he very quickly managed to save Prabhupada. Eventually they got a three-room warehouse built by the main gate. Jayapataka Maharaja soon began to oversee construction work in Mayapur and the artistic lotus building was built. But envious circles began to give the devotees a lot of trouble. With permission from Srila Prabhupada and the police, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja kept a gun for protecting ISKCON devotees and property. As a devotee who was with him at that time remarked, "He (Jayapataka Maharaj) was a great shooter". Jayapataka Maharaja also formed different teams of devotees called "Krishna teamArjuna team" etc to keep guard at night. Jayapataka Maharaja was very meticulous with all his services at Mayapur. He was very careful that not an anna was unnecessarily spent. He worked hard day and night and would most often be at least two hours late for his prasadam. Devotees who worked for him always found that when they took some matter to him, he not only solved it but also added new dimensions of expansion to it. An early devotee who worked with him remarks, "There are very few people who care from the bottom of their heart about ISKCON Mayapur. Jayapataka Maharaja's experience, loyalty and capacity of Mayapur in-house are unparalleled." Preaching in India With the permission of Srila Prabhupada, Jayapataka maharaja applied for Indian citizenship. This meant that he could not leave the country. He utilized this time for traveling within Bengal into the villages preaching and distributing books. Srila Prabhupada told Jayapataka Maharaja to distribute 10,000 big books and 100,000 small books every month. He found unique ways of distributing books such as market-place distribution, pandal programs, festival programs and nama hatta. Maharaja made it a point to preach not only in the cities but also in the interiors of India, in the villages. Kingdom of God Srila Prabhupada had the vision of a Temple of the Vedic Planetarium to be built in Mayapur. He was talking to the scientists and telling them to figure out the 5th canto and build the planetarium and he also told Jayapataka Maharaja to figure it out. One time when Jayapataka Maharaja came into the room to see Srila Prabhupada, he said, "I have given you the kingdom of God. Now develop it". Jayapataka Maharaja found it as a serious and at the same time humorous statement. During the period of the initial development of Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir, the presiding deitis of the mandira, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, were brought to Mayapur and Jayapataka Maharaja recognised Them from a dream he once had years ago while preaching in the West. In 1977 ISKCON Mayapur was attacked by the local villagers. They tried to take away everything and devotees were arrested. At that time HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja got the locals mobilized and organized a big procession from Mayapur to the Chand Kazi samadhi and then to the Jagannatha temple. About 25,000 people participated in the march, which consisted of 168 kirtan groups. Namahatta In Los Angeles in 1970 before Jayapataka Maharaja had come to India, Prabhupada had stopped in front of a church and said that in the future there'd just be a few devotees in the temples but so many would be practicing in their homes. At that time it was hard for Jayapataka Maharaja to understand this as most devotees were living in the temple and there was no congregation. However, the protest march and the discovery of the 168 kirtan groups, and his services of book distribution, pandal programs, house programs and enrolling Life Members helped him understand that there were so many people who were interested in Krishna and that they needed to be given more care. To engage all these devotees and give them training, first HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja considered making an ISKCON Sankirtan Organization or ISO. Srila Prabhupada not only gave his blessings for this project but also told him that the villagers could come to the temple, stay for a few days, get the idea about Krishna Consciousness, and go back to their villages and establish the same thing in their own village. After Srila Prabhupada's disappearance HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja got the Gaudiya Patrika from Bhakti Caru Maharaja, which explains in detail the system of Namahatta preaching. This inspired Jayapataka Maharaja to establish, expand and develop this method of preaching. In the recent times, Jayapataka Maharaja has also developed the system of Bhakti Vrksa preaching which assists namahatta preaching by enabling wider preaching and giving intensive and personal training to devotees so that everyone gets the chance to train to be a pure devotee while engaging in preaching activities. Nitai . Kamala Boat One devotee in Mayapur was touring down on the Ganga taking a boat from Padma down and this gave Jayapataka Maharaja the idea of a boat party. He got the permission of the devotees concerned and was sent enough money from New York to buy a boat. Jayapataka Maharaja personally went and bought a boat from Diamond Harbour, Habrah, to Mayapur. Here is an interesting conversation which shows Srila Prabhupada's interest in this preaching mode: Jayapataka: Would you like to see the goshala or the boat today, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: Which side is boat? Straight? Bhavananda: Boat is at Hulor Ghat. Prabhupada: Boat is worth seeing. (laughter) [break] Morning walk, January 17, 1976, Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada named the boat "Nitai . Kamala". Soon a set of Gour Nitai deities appeared in Mayapur and Srila Prabhupada personally installed Them in the boat. Food For Life Srila Prabhupada wrote to the devotees in Mayapur, "I want that you shall distribute prasadam at least to hundreds of persons daily, and advertise very widely all over Nadia Province for people to come there and take prasadam daily without charge." BY 1973 Srila Prabhupada wrote to them that he was glad with the prasdam distribution reports. In 1974 Prabhupada wanted a prasadam distribution pavilion built in Mayapur where one thousand people could take prasadam at the same time. In 1978, when floods ravaged West Bengal, Jayapataka Maharaja risked his life several times, braving flood waters in inadequate boats, to deliver emergency flood relief supplies to villagers stranded on tree-tops and roof-tops. This and countless other selfless services for the masses of India caused tens of thousands of villagers to petition the Central Government to grant Jayapataka Maharaja Indian citizenship. This was granted by the Union Government Home Ministry in 1978. Jayapataka Maharaja is the world chairman for 'Food for Life' and ISKCON's Food Relief Programs. The descendant of Advaita Acharya himself, selected HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja to be in charge of the annual Santipur mass prasdam distribution program. Mayapur Mandala Parikrama and Pilgrimages Srila Prabhupada Mayapur to be a center where devotees from all over the world could conglomerate and be strengthened spiritually to continue their preaching. In March 1974, the first Gour Pournima festival was held. Four hundred devotees from America, England, Europe, South America, Australia, India, and other parts of the world joined in the festival. So, for the first time in 1974, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja led groups of devotees on parikrama (pilgrimage) to local holy places. This visit to Mayapur would constitute the first half of the devotees' Indian pilgrimage; after ten days they were scheduled to go to Vrndavana. The Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama has been continuing ever since with the number of devotees participating increasing each year in the thousands. During these parikramas, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja takes care of not only the spiritual earnestness of all the devotees but as a perfect host, he also sees to it that they are comfortably situated. Jayapataka Maharaja also has recently introduced the 'Ganga Safari' to visit those holy places connected to Lord Caitanya which are approachable only along the river flow. Similarly he conducts a tour of holy places in India and neighbouring countries to give the natives a chance to see how 'foreigners' are happy by following Krsna consciousness and to give the devotes more exposure to the places of pilgrimage. All these are organized very nicely and effectively. Life Chairman of Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust On November 5 1977, Jayapataka Maharaja went to Vrndavana to meet Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada told him, "I am making Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust" and added, "you are the life chairman." Jayapataka Maharaja at thist ime also got the mandate from Prabhupada to unite the Sarasvat family, preserving the holy dham of Lord Caitanya and serving the pilgrims. The beginning of the endless travels and GBC Responsibilities Nine years after coming to India, finally in 1979, Jayapataka Maharaja got his Indian citizenship. Syamananda prabhu gave His Holiness an 'around the world ticket',encouraging him to travel. Then around 1980 Hridayananda Maharaja invited him to visit South America. That started his visits to South America, Chile, Peru, Bolivia. Later Ecuador came and other places in South America. In 1982, on the requests of Hridayananda Maharaja, Balavanta prabhu and Rupanuga prabhu, Jayapataka Maharaja made a base in South-East USA. What just started as a visit soon led to becoming a GBC in that area. In this he got established. In 1984, Hamsadutta left ISKCON and at that time there was a danger that Malaysia would be taken out of ISKCON. Then Jayapataka Maharaja was sent to Malaysia to save it and he spent 21 days there at one stretch, which was a record. Together with hari Sauri prabhu they were able to save the situation. Since then His Holiness has been looking after the preaching in Malaysia. Later on, Singapore was added. HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja is also a GBC for Assam. The large size karatalas (whompers) that adds greatly to the ecstasy of his kirtans, are a traditional type of karatal in Assam. This was presented to His Holiness in Assam. Though it is played differently in Assam than the way Jayapataka Maharaja is used to, he developed this way of playing the karatals. Jayapataka Maharaja started as GBC in East India which includes Bihar, Orissa and Bengal. From 1980 to 1999 he was the GBC for South-East USA, as well as South America. He is also the GBC for Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Jayapataka Maharaja serves as Co-GBC in the far east. He is also the Minister of Congregational Preaching and Minister of Congregational Development, the Vice-chairman of the World Hindu Federation and Convenor of the Sarasvat Family. While stationed in India, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja traveled all along Bengal, and Bangladesh visiting villages performing sankirtana and book distribution. Later on, once he got his Indian citizenship and was invited from several eladers to visit their countries, he began what seems his endless traveling. Traveling agents are amazed at the extent of his traveling which are also done with very careful calculations and planning to get the most mileage at the least expense. As much as HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja loves to undertake traveling to all parts of the world and accepts any harship for the purpose of preaching, it is a great austerity for him to have to hide the symbols of a vaisnava from his body when he is invited to preach in certain foreign countries. Festivals and Celebrations Jayapataka Maharaja personally loves attending ratha-yatras simply because he likes Lord Jagannatha. It was during the ratha-yatra in San Francisco that he first came into ISKCON and his first service was to build Jagannatha's rath cart. Thus he believes that it is by the mercy of Lord Jagannatha that he is a devotee. His Holiness visited Puri during the ratha-yatra in the first year of his visit to India and Srila Prabhupada also told him to build a temple for Jagannatha in Puri for which he is endeavouring. Wherever, there is ratha-yatra devotees are eager to invite HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja to attend and inspire the devotees with his ecstatic kirtan, and tireless dancing. Jayapataka Maharaja also in turn attends as many as ratha-yatras as possible and dances and sings for Lord Jagannatha forgetting his tiredness from traveling or other services. Uniting the Sarasvat Gaudiya family Initially Jayapataka Maharaja stayed in Gaudiya Matha for a few months in Calcutta and Mayapur, and earned their lifelong respect. That short period of stay in the gaudiya Math ws perhaps Lord Krishna's arangement as it has made it easier for HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja to relate with some of the Gaudiya Maths. While Srila Prabhupada was in Mayapur, since he knew Bengali, Prabhupada would send him to deliver messages to Sridhara Maharaja, Givinda maharaja and others. Thus when Prabhupada told Jayapataka Maharaja to unite the Gaudiya Matha he made an effort to connect the spiritual family. After endeavouring for more than five years finally the Sarasvat Gaudiya Vaisnava Association was formed with the blessings of Prabhupada and blessings of all the senior Vaisnavas like Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaja and other acaryas and His Holiness is the convenor for this association. Accepting disciples On two occasions HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja recollects Srila Prabhupada telling him, "You are authorized to take disciples but actually the etiquette is in the presence of guru you shouldn't do, otherwise you are authorized." And "you are a sannyasi so sannyasi is authorized to take disciples. That's what sannyasa means but you don't take in the presence of your guru." In 1977, as Srila Prabhupada's health was getting worse, he once asked Jayapataka Maharaja "What does your astrologer say?" and Jayapataka Maharaja mentioned "that there was an astrologer in Mayapur who had read Prabhupada's horoscope to Bhavananda along with all of our Society's leaders about two weeks ago. This man said that Prabhupada was a kind of avatara especially empowered by God so that he was free to choose whether to come or go. As far as his future predictions went, he said that Prabhupada's present illness would go by November 28 when Venus entered another house, that he would take another month to recuperate, and that there would be no further illness for seven years.(from TKG's Diary) Though all the devotees were hopeful that Srila Prabhupada would recover, His Divine Grace left the planet on November 14, 1977. Earlier, HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was one among the eleven named by Srila Prabhupada to give initiation on his behalf when he was seriously ill. Based on Srila Prabhupada's personal instructions about how sannyasis are authorized to accept disciples when their spiritual master is no more present, following in the teachings in Srila Prabhupada's books that initiation is given by one in the current link of the disciplic succession; Brahma is the original spiritual master for the universe, and since he was initiated by the Lord Himself, the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam is coming down by disciplic succession, and in order to receive the real message of Srimad-Bhagavatam one should approach the current link, or spiritual master, in the chain of disciplic succession. And the confirmation in his letters that: Generally the spiritual master comes from the group of such eternal associates of the Lord; but anyone who follows the principles of such ever liberated persons is as good as one in the above mentioned group. (Letter to Janardana New York 26 April 1968) HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja began to accept disciples as a spiritual master in the Srila Prabhupada branch of the Goudiya Vaisnava sampradaya. Several devotees who were inspired by his dedication and sincerity to ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada accepted initiation from him. Many more continue to be inspired by His Holiness and aspire to take initiation from him. His Holiness being a senior sannyasi disciple of Srila Prabhupada has also awarded sannyas initiation to 14 devotees so far: Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaja, Bhanu Maharaja, Prabhavisnu Maharaja, Bhakti Vikas Maharaja, Mahavisnu Maharaja, Gopal Krishna Maharaja, Mukunda Maharaja, Bhakti Vrajendranandana Maharaja, Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja, Bhakti Vaidurya Madhava Maharaja, Bhakti Raghava Maharaja.