Question: I want to do my services in a humble state of mind. [Jayapataka Swami: Good idea.] But if any devotees find fault in my service, I become angry and quarrel with him. [Jayapataka Swami: That is false ego.] My nature is little aggressive, How to deal with this type of situation?

Jayapataka Swami: One of my god brothers he got a name from Srila Prabhupada something like, this kind of quality. Very aggressive. You know, it says that if someone finds fault with us we shouldn’t get upset. Rather in the third verse of Siksastakam, it says we should be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, offer respect to all others and don’t expect any respect for ourselves. In this way we can always chant Hare Krsna. So if someone finds fault with you and you get angry it is not a good sign. You are not being humble and tolerant and you are expecting that people will praise you, probably you didn’t offer any respect to that person. Everything you did was against the advice of Lord Caitanya. And then you are asking me how to deal with this type of situation?  Completely change your attitude. Don’t expect anyone to appreciate you. Rather if they point out your faults, he is being a real friend. If they say you are nice, you are wonderful, that is where they cheat. When I came to India, I was staying in the Gaudiya Math with Acyutananda, and he told me that someone came to see him and said, you are so wonderful, you are really wonderful, and he was praising him like anything Acyutananda was feeling wow! Nice! Then he went upstairs to his room. The person said, oh, I want one thing from you, the deity you have a flower prasad, if I can have that I will be very happy. He was on the 4^th floor. He had to go down four floors and come up. So on the way up, he said, oh, I lost track of time, being with you time flies! You are so wonderful! Do you have the flower for me? Thank you so much! I will never forget you! And he left. And Acyutananda went upstairs, what a nice person! And when he went up to his room, everything was upside down! And his money was all stolen! And so there is a saying in Bengali, ati bhakti chorer lakhan. Ha! If someone is finding fault with you, be happy! If someone tells you, oh you are so wonderful, you are great! Maybe he is a thief! Ha! Ha! Maybe he is trying to cheat you somehow! In America they call that as con artists! They can sell you the Brooklyn Bridge! Like the Howrah bridge. Nobody can buy the Howrah Bridge! It is the Government’s. But somebody goes and tells you, you are so great, I will give you a special deal and want to sell you the Howrah bridge! Just give me two lacs of rupees I will give it to you! Ha! Ha! It is all cheating! 420! (Char sow bees in Hindi)
10-MARCH-2020 SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA