Question: Recently got to see some of your magazines from Mayapur when you were very young brahmacari and then a sannyasi. I was observing that in your career as a devotee, you went on increasing your determination and surrender to Srila Prabhupada. My question was that we find brahmacaris staying for ten years or twelve years and then moving out. We find that maya’s influence is more and more. So my question is how can the new preachers and the brahmacaris stay stable and determined in Krsna consciousness for many years, standing out. Do you have some pointers to tell us?

Jayapataka Swami:  You know, a lot depends on where you are. Since I was in Mayapur it was very easy to be very strict as a sannyasi, but in some of the modern situations it maybe more difficult. Also I saw that in some of the Indian universities now they are imitating the west. Girls and boys freely mix. So it is more difficult preaching now. But I think we have to plan that certain percent of people would become grihastas and how to imbibe in them the preaching mood. But maximum, like the brahmacari life is called brihad vrata, it is a special sacrifice that one does to fully focus on preaching and practicing. So people can be encouraged in that way that how the advantages of preaching. But if one decides to want to get married, they should marry a devotee and they should continue to engage in preaching. They may not have as much time as a brahmacari.  They have to maintain a family as well, but at least they should help in any way they can, and they can be active preachers. But we would like to promote that if people become brahmacaris we should encourage them. I stayed fully engaged all the time and the principle was man, karya and vakya, engage mind, words and deed always in Krsna’s service that way we get the spiritual taste and we can feel very satisfied in our brahmacari ashrama or in sannyasa asrama So the point is that we should be fully engaged in preaching and studying and this way helping devotees to advance in Krsna consciousness.
12-NOVEMBER-2019 ISKCON INDIA YOUTH PREACHERS CAMP, UK