Question: You have faced so many obstacles in your life right from doing construction in Mayapur in the early days, and so many till today. How did you take on such obstacles and please tell us how to remain enthusiastic performing devotional service?

Jayapataka Swami: If I have any good quality, it is simply by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and I also want to serve him. He took so much trouble to bring Krsna consciousness to the west. So he sent me to India and he told me to become an Indian citizen and to develop Mayapur Dhama and preach and many other things. So I asked Srila Prabhupada, you are asking me to do something that I like to do. You are saying stay in India, become an Indian citizen; I like the Indians I like to stay here. So you are asking me to do something I like to do! I thought that a disciple should carry out the order of the guru even if he doesn’t like it. Srila Prabhupad wrote back, you are very fortunate You like to do what the guru has asked you to do. But whether you like it or not, you should still do it. So it is not that if guru asks you to do something and you like it, so you shouldn’t do it.Whether you like it or you don’t like it, you should carry out the order of the guru. So there were many different challenges that I had to face. But Srila Prabhupadais very merciful, Krsna is very merciful. Somehow He gives the strength to pass over different tests. So whatever test comes up, I try to pass that. And if I pass it, I take it as Srila Prabhupada and Krsna’s mercy, and if I fail it, I take it as my own weakness. I try to pass in the next test.
29-JULY-2019 CHENNAI, INDIA