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Jayapataka Swami From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jayapataka Swami জয়পতাকা স্বামী মহারাজ

Religion	Gaudiya Vaishnavism গৌরিই বয়্স্স্নব, Hinduism হিন্দু Other name(s)	Gordon John Erdman গর্ডন জন আর্দমন Religious career Initiation	Diksa–1968, Sannyasa–1970 Post	ISKCON Guru, Sannyasi, Member of the Governing Body Commission

Jayapataka Swami (born April 9, 1949 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a Vaishnava swami[1] and a religious leader for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).[2][3][4][5] He is a senior disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[6] Presently he is one of the initiating spiritual masters, (ISKCON Gurus),[5] a member of the Governing Body Commission (GBC),[4][5] and is a divisional trustee for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT).[citation needed]

Contents [hide] 1 Biography 1.1 Early years 1.2 Preaching in India(ভারত এ প্রচার ) 1.3 Mayapur Mandala Parikrama and pilgrimages 1.4 Namahatta নামহট 2 Responsibilities in ISKCON ইস্কন এ দায়িত্ব 3 Bibliography 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links [edit]Biography

[edit]Early years Jayapataka Swami was born জন্ম as Gordon John Erdman II to Gordon John Erdman and Lorraine Erdman (Golich).[5] At 16, he graduated in the top of his class from St. John's Academy, a North American military academy. He was offered full scholarship by Brown University.[5] There, as a fresh enrollee, he was influenced by a guest lecture on the life of Buddha that he lost all interest in his studies and began searching for a spiritual teacher.[5] After some time of searching he concluded he would have to go to India to find his teacher.[citation needed]

Before leaving for India, Gordon came across some Hare Krishna devotees, doing kirtan and distributing 'Back To Godhead' magazine. Shortly after he visited the San Francisco ISKCON center, where he met Srila Prabhupada. John took first initiation in Montreal, Canada and was given the name 'Jayapataka Dasa'.[5] Soon after he was awarded 2nd initiation in New York.[citation needed]

While in Montreal, Jayapataka was engaged in the service of printing books and dispatching them to other ISKCON temples around the world. Later, on the instruction of Srila Prabhupada, Jayapataka went to Toronto to open a temple there.[5] When Jagadisha Dasa took over the Toronto center as president he wrote to Srila Prabhupada enquiring about his service and was told by him to go to India.[citation needed]

[edit]Preaching in India(ভারত এ প্রচার ) At Calcutta, Jayapataka began to learn Bengali by going out to buy fruits and vegetables. Along with the other devotees, he conducted house programs, organized pandal programs, and went out on sankirtan and book distribution.[citation needed]

On Radhashtami (festival for Radharani) in 1970, in Calcutta, Srila Prabhupada gave sannyasa initiation (দীক্ষা ) to Jayapataka Dasa, awarding the title "Tridandi Biksu Jayapataka Swami".[citation needed]

When ISKCON got a land in Mayapur, Jayapataka Swami went there on the instruction of Srila Prabhupada. There were 5 other devotees with him. Jayapataka Swami taught modern techniques of agriculture and the farmers taught him Bengali. Jayapataka Swami began to oversee construction work in Mayapur and the lotus building was built.

With the permission of Srila Prabhupada, Jayapataka Swami applied for Indian [[citizenship]নাগরিকত্ব ]. This meant that he could not leave the country. He utilized this time for traveling within Bengal into the villages preaching and distributing books. Srila Prabhupada told him to distribute 10,000 'big books' and 100,000 'small books' every month. Also, Srila Prabhupada instructed Jayapataka Swami to build the congregation. He's been travelling extensively around the world for many years with the desire to fulfill this instruction of his spiritual master.[5]

[edit]Mayapur Mandala Parikrama and pilgrimages In March 1972, the first Gaura Purnima festival was held. Two hundred devotees from North America, [Ireland], England, Europe, Australia, India, and other parts of the world joined in the festival in Mayapur. Coinsiding this event, Jayapataka Swami led groups of devotees on parikrama (pilgrimage) to local holy places. This visit to Mayapur would constitute the first half of the devotees' Indian pilgrimage; after ten days they were scheduled to go to Vrndavana. The Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama has been continuing ever since with the number of devotees participating increasing each year in the thousands.[citation needed]

Jayapataka Swami also has recently introduced the 'Ganges Safari' to visit those holy places connected to Lord Caitanya which are approachable only along the river flow. Similarly he conducts a tour of holy places in India and neighbouring countries.[citation needed]

[edit]Namahatta নামহট Jayapataka Swami has developed the system of bhakti-vriksa preaching which assists namahatta preaching by enabling wider preaching and giving intensive and personal training to devotees so that everyone gets the chance to train to be a pure devotee while engaging in preaching activities.[citation needed]

[edit]Responsibilities in ISKCON ইস্কন এ দায়িত্ব

Jayapataka Swami was one among the eleven named by Srila Prabhupada to give initiation on his behalf when he was seriously ill. After Srila Prabhupada died, Jayapataka Swami began to accept disciples as a spiritual master in the Srila Prabhupada branch of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya. Jayapataka Swami's most prominent disciple is HG Visnu Caitanya Dasa who is based in Malaysia.

Jayapataka Swami is the world chairman for 'Food for Life' and ISKCON's Food Relief Programs. A descendant of Advaita Acharya, selected him to be in charge of the annual Santipur mass prasdam distribution program.

On November 5, 1977, Jayapataka Swami went to Vrndavana to meet Srila Prabhupada, who announced creation of Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust and appointed Jayapataka Swami its life chairman. At this time he also got the mandate from Prabhupada to unite the Sarasvat family, preserving the holy dham of Caitanya and serving the pilgrims.

Jayapataka Swami started as GBC secretary in 1976 in East India which includes Bihar, Odisha and Bengal.[5] From 1980 to 1999 he was the GBC for South-East USA, as well as South America.[5] He is also the GBC for Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, the Far East and Assam.[5] He is also the Minister of Congregational Preaching and Minister of Congregational Development, and the Vice-chairman of the World Hindu Federation.[5]

[edit]Bibliography

'Vaishna ke?' 'rtvik-maya-vada-sata dushani' 'Spiritual Truths from Cyberspace'. 'Prabhupada Remembrance' '100 transcribed lectures' "Godruma kalpatavi" (commentary on the work of Srila Bhaktivinod thakura) "Vrindavane Bhajan" (commentary on the work of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)