Jayapataka Swami: Well, that is why when we gather together for programs, we bow down to all the vaisnavas. We say vanca kalapataru bhyas ca, kripa sindu bhya eva ca, patitanam pavenbhyo, vaisnavebhyo namo namaha. We try to forgive everyone for any knowing or unknowing offences. Because if we don’t know about it, we don’t know! Ha! So we may have inadvertently offended someone. So we want to be forgiven for that. Srila Prabhupada said that generally if we ask questions, that is not an offence. Like if we ask an advanced vaisnava some question, even if it is a personal question. Prabhu, actually you are a very senior devotee and I have been following you. But I see that sometimes you just do this, so I was wondering if I should follow that or not? Ha! So in that way you are asking a question, it is not offensive. But if you say, PRABHU! YOU ARE AN OFFENDER, YOU ARE SMOKING BEHIND THE CAR! Maybe it is not true, or maybe it is true but not something we should present in that way. So, we try to ask questions rather than accuse anyone unless you are in a very senior position and you are advising some disciple who is junior. I was made a temple president two weeks after my initiation. So everyone in the temple, many were more senior than me! Ha! So if I told them, PRABHU, GO TO THE STORE! They would look at me and say, who are you to tell me? So I would go to people and say, Prabhu, how would you like to go to the store? The deities need apples or something! Ha! So if they said no, I would keep asking them! Ha! But I wouldn’t tell them, I would ask them. So somehow that became the thing that I learnt since I was a young president. And it is hard for me to stop that even now!!
24-APRIL-2020 SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA
