My dear dīkṣā, sheltered, aspiring, śikṣā, grand disciples, and well-wishers,
Please accept my blessings and best wishes.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Written from my Home base: Sri Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir
Wish you a very happy Gaura Pūrṇimā Festival and Gaurabda New Year 538.
This month has been a month of festivals. The Annual Gaura Pūrṇimā festival which we dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmi Prabhupāda started on 7th March with the Garuda flag hoisting. In 1971, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote to me that we should hold a grand festival in Māyāpur and he wanted his followers to come for the festival leading up to Gaura Pūrṇimā. So it is very nice to see devotees from all over the world in Śrīdham Māyāpur in a festive mood. And every year the number of devotees is increasing. When I see Māyāpur flooded with devotees, I become overwhelmed to see how Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s prediction is manifesting. And we are very fortunate to assist Srila Prabhupāda in his mission to serve Lord Caitanya.
This year, we had the Pañca-tattva Maha-Abhisheka, which happens only once in five years, the long-awaited TOVP Narasimha wing opening, the 150th Appearance Day of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhākura, Śravaṇa-utsava, Kīrtana-melā, GBC meetings and the SGGS (Saṅga of Gurus GBCs and Sannyāsīs), Parikramā, Book distribution awards, and various other festivals. Once again, Māyāpur got first place in book distribution this year. Since 2018, Māyāpur has been getting the first place every year. All glories to the sankirtan devotees! They also gave me a certificate of appreciation for Book distribution. I am number one in Māyāpur for book distribution.
For the Navadwip Mandala Parikramā, we had 6 groups, and around 13,000 devotees participated. I was watching the parikramā on Mayapur.tv daily. From the beginning, I walked every year for the parikramā until I had a stroke in 2008. Since then, during parikramā, I have visited the parikramā parties and addressed them in various locations. Although I wanted to attend the parikramā physically this year too, my health was not good, so I tried to send my recorded messages every day. This is a very good opportunity to hear from so many advanced devotees of the Lord, dedicated servitors of Śrīla Prabhupāda, about devotional service, about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa so that we can develop the taste to hear more, to chant and to preach. I was thinking how in parikramā, although the devotees are walking to and from the places, they feel the heat, they feel difficulties, but they have a smile on their faces because they have tasted some happiness from the transcendental realm. Since I had some bad symptoms of chronic kidney disease, in between the parikramā, my health team suggested that I go to Kolkata for further treatment. But when I went to the doctor in Kolkata, he did a thorough check and told me that I was rejected and that I was not sick enough to be admitted. So, I took one day’s rest in Kolkata and came back to Māyāpur on 18 March evening. On the way back from Kolkata, I went straight to Rājāpur, hoping that I would get the opportunity to hear the realizations from various devotees about the parikramā, but I was told that due to the rains and heavy winds the previous day, the realizations were scheduled early and most of the devotees left to their respective camps. Anyway, I gave a small talk to the devotees who were present there after taking the darshan of Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra, and Sudarshan.
Since I am in Māyāpur, I continued giving Śrī Caitanya-Śikṣāmṛta classes, and one of the days we were reading the importance of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, how it is accepted as the essence of all Vedic literature and Vedānta philosophy. And Lord Caitanya recommended that people read Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Srila Prabhupāda wanted his followers to study the books and get their degrees. By Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy, I completed the Bhakti-vedānta degree, and now I am waiting for the Bhakti Sarvabhauma course which Māyāpur Institute is designing. This year 10 devotees have received their Bhakti-vedānta degree from Māyāpur Institute. They have Bhakti-vedānta course only once in 4 years. It takes 4 years to complete a regular Bhakti-vedānta study. So, this year, in October, they are starting the next batch of Bhakti-vedānta.
I used to travel five or six times around the world every year. I travelled so much around the world that I got a million miles on United Airlines, a lifetime Gold on Star Alliance, and a lifetime Emerald on British Airways. But I don’t travel that much now. Only one or two times around the world these days. So, I want my senior disciples to travel to my zones and give their association to the devotees, guide them, and care for them. I was happy to receive a report from my dear disciples Samba das and Nitai Sevini devi dasi about their preaching tour to Australia. I appreciate my senior disciples helping me this way.
I heard that the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi, had a campaign in India called “har ghar triranga” representing India’s national integrity. So, I thought we should have a campaign called “har ghar Gaurāṅga” (every house should have Gauranga). Generally, people know who the Bollywood star is, who the politician is, who the rich man is, etc. But people don’t know the real star, the crest jewel of all incarnations, the most merciful Lord Gaurāṅga. So you have to take the initiative to tell them about Lord Caitanya. His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhagavata Swami has started the Caitanya Caritāmṛta marathon on Nityānanda Trayodaśī, which will be until 31 March 2024. You can get a copy of the set at your door!! Contact +91 94347 60402 to book your Caitanya Caritāmṛta set.
For New Year, people make various resolutions. So, in this Gaurabda, think about how you can advance in your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Srila Prabhupāda said we should go step by step. Not jumping. We should also not jump back into the fire of māyā. If you have already come up to a certain level of devotional service, then maintain it. And somebody who is not at all in devotional service can come up one step higher to give something to Kṛṣṇa and start their devotional life. Think how we can go out and fulfil Lord Caitanya’s desire to have the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in every town and village of the world.
I wish you the best in your Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Your well-wisher always,
Jayapataka Swami
JPS/ssd