From work in progress, from Jayananda Thakur volume two,
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Jayananda Rescues the Lost Sheep
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by Vishoka Dasa
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Jayananda decides to implement his compassion for fallen souls into tangible and practical actions, something he does 24/7, and thus he goes to some hotel to rescue a wayward devotee. Jayananda knocks on the door, and a boy answers, and says "Hi Jayananda" and looks down to the floor, feeling ashamed. Jayananda says, "Don't worry about a thing, prabhu, we all miss you so much, I even got some cigs for you, look, it’s your brand of Camels… so come on back, we miss your association and we need your help with the carts. Lord Jagannatha wants you back... He doesn't care what you've done, He is all merciful and forgiving, as does His devotees forgive and forget the past, and Srila Prabhupada always forgives his disciple... we miss you so much prabhu, please come back, come with me right now, leave whatever behind." The boy is moved by Jayananda’s love, and he picks up a few things and follows Jayananda out of the hotel room.
Notes-
Sometimes devotees will have addictions or attachments to material things, and Jayananda and Srila Prabhupada have great patience and tolerance to always encourage the devotee to not give up spiritual life, and eventually give up such attachments. Srila Prabhupada said that his follower only ceases to be his disciple, only when such devotee has fallen into meat eating. Otherwise, Srila Prabhupada is patient for his disciples to overcome any kind of addiction or attachments to material things. Jayananda also showed tolerance to a devotee’s material desires, such as the devotee’s addiction to cigarettes, and Jayananda always encouraged such devotees to stay in Krishna Consciousness and try to replace lower tastes with the higher taste of loving devotional service.
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Jayananda still rescuing the lost sheep
Mother Yajna devi dasi:
Jayananda Thakur was a source of inspiration for everyone. Srila Prabhupada considered Jayananda to be an ideal disciple. And Jayananda was an object of Srila Prabhupada's deep love. Yajna is “a lost sheep” as she is 30 years in ISKCON but 10 years ago was lost.
Memories about Saint Jayananda -- Srila Prabhupada's disciple and "a perfect vessel for Srila Prabhupada's mercy" saved her. Jayananda helped me to approach Srila Prabhupada. I am immeasurably thankful to him and am very happy about it.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
I started my last trip.
I am going to Goloka,
I am going back to Krishna.
Jayananda is my guide,
He was Srila Prabhupada's favored disciple.
And everyone who will follow Jayananda
Will reach Krishna for sure.
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Overcoming addictions is perhaps the greatest obstacle in our journey back to the spiritual world. Due to illusion, the conditioned soul thinks that these earthly beastly pleasures are the supreme goal of life, whereas the actual result of such gratification is extreme disappointment and sorrow and further bondage to suffering in the material world. Even the members of the priestly class of various religions are prone to such beastly pleasures and the lamentable results of such desires, and still they cannot stop the vicious cycle of desire and painful reactions therein, and this is called addiction. The priests are supposed to set moral examples and uphold the values of religion, and if they cannot stop their own addictions, how can we expect the congregation to be free from such unholy compulsions?
The difference between earthly and spiritual pleasures is vast. The result of material sense pleasure is most often the enjoyer will have to check into rehab or some 12 step program, or group counseling, because his addiction is wreaking havoc in his life and ruining the relationships that he really cares about, as he is on the verge of losing his wife and family and all self respect. He is ashamed of his sinful actions and must hide his activities behind closed doors at night, away from children and other family members. These are the results of so-called material pleasures. And to add insult to injury, most of these vile pleasures are extremely brief, and then the humiliation and self loathing sets in. He must work hard, 50, 60 hour weeks just to enjoy a few minutes of sordid pleasure, then he is immediately filled with remorse and shame. That is the nature of material enjoyment, always full of illusion and extremely temporary and unfulfilling.
On the other hand, the pleasures of the spiritual world are unceasing and everlasting full of supreme nectar that fills the devotee with boundless joy that never ends, it only increases more and more. This is why all spiritual authorities recommend that we meditate upon the sublime qualities and lives of our many saints, and we pray to them for the benedictions of spiritual strength to overcome our material attachments and replace them with the higher taste of spiritual bliss. In this way many devotees pray to Jayananda and meditate on his sublime life, hoping for his mercy to help us triumph over our material desires.
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Vishoka Dasa
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