Question: Can you please share the roles and responsibilities of a upadesaka, siksa guru? How do you expect us to help you?

Jayapataka Swami: There are two kinds of siksa gurus –one type is whoever gives relevant siksa on how to practice Krsna consciousness, the other is someone who is on a similar level like your diksa guru. So naturally of the two, we accept what the advanced siksa guru says like, if it doesn’t complete what the diksa guru tells us, then we accept what he says very seriously. But if there are any conflict with our diksa guru then we clarify with our diksa and siksa guru. Diksa guru is also our siksa guru and then if there is a conflict in what he told us and what the siksa guru tells us, then naturally we take his siksa to be superior. So we expect that the upadesakas, the counselors, know what the diksa guru wants and accordingly gives instructions. The problem with the counselor system is that sometimes the counselors, they act independently. So in some areas, the diksa gurus has retreats with the counselors and tells them what to say, so they have his personal association. In situation where there are multiple gurus, then the counselor should speak from the sastra, or he should know what the guru wants. And just say such things that he heard from the guru.
27-JULY-2019 CHENNAI, INDIA