19990104 Initiation Address

19990104 Initiation Address in Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare,
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurum dīna-tāranam
paramānanda mādhavam śrī-caitanya īśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: So you’ve heard everything from His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Mahārāja, and so many transcendental topics of the holy name, ten offenses. Today, devotees are taking birth into the spiritual life. So Prabhupāda explained that it’s important we get not only that material birth, but also the spiritual birth. All the parents like to see their children become Kṛṣṇa conscious and eventually also get initiated. And then, when they are parents, they will be able to also continue with this tradition about Kṛṣṇa consciousness on a firm basis. Actually, there are many religions where people, they say, I’m a born Christian, born Hindu, born Muslim or whatever, but actually a Vaiṣṇava is always by choice. One may be born in a Vaishnava family, but the real success is when they choose to commit themselves to serving Kṛṣṇa eternally.

So the devotees have decided to surrender to Kṛṣṇa officially through the guru-paraṁparā. His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendrananda Mahārāja also giving initiation tonight. The double initiation, two Guru initiation. Connecting people with Śrīla Prabhupāda and with the previous ācāryas and Lord Kṛṣṇa through the guru-paraṁparā. This idea is that we should take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. And after that spiritual birth, then we go on with our activities. We try to do everything for the service of Kṛṣṇa, for pleasure of Kṛṣṇa through the guru. This way we get the protection of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as long as we are carrying out His instructions, then we have His shelter and protection for our spiritual life. We need to be very careful. If we have any doubts, if we have any questions, we should go to the guru and tell the guru. So our process is that before taking initiation, already the devotees are practicing for over one year, in some cases 2, 3, 4, 5 years. Eight years. It’s up to the individual when they want to take shelter or take initiation. They have to ask. 

So when somebody… “I made this decision.”. that means it’s very auspicious. Prabhupāda said, they’re going back to Godhead. Simply they had to continue to follow the instructions of Guru-Kṛṣṇa. Somebody is not able to follow all of the standards for achieving initiation. Still, they should do whatever they can and gradually make progress so that eventually they will be also able to get back to Kṛṣṇa. When somebody is initiated, that means that they have already got their ticket booked, they are already on the path very firmly. They need to be very careful, however, because māyā is always present. Māyā is always testing to make sure we are sincere.So we need to be very steady in our devotional service and avoid any of the tricks of māyā by taking proper shelter from guru, from the Vaiṣṇavas, from the scriptures and the holy name.

We want to thank everyone for being here on this Sunday night. Sunday, right? (Devotee: Sunday.) It’s confusing. There’s so many holidays for this 1st, 31st. We want everyone to come regularly. This is Kṛṣṇa’s home. Kṛṣṇa’s home is your home. Because Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s father. I thank the devotees who are having the house programs in their home also, making their home a temple. Vṛndāvana is said to be the land of 5000 temples. So we’d like to have Kuala Lumpur area have 10,000 temples. How many bhakti… We have the bhakti-kuṭīra, śraddhā-kuṭīra. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that where theres a family, where the whole family is dedicated to serving Kṛṣṇa, that family can be certified as bhakti-kuṭīra, a home of faith. How many families we have here who are dedicated to serving Kṛṣṇa? We have here some families? So like that official certified bhakti-kuṭīras. I have to go and catch a flight. So I have to give out your beads. No beads here? This is Nagaratna (come here) and Sugi Pramod. Pay obeisances. What are the four regulative principles that will follow your whole life? You can say in Tamil. (conversation in background)

Devotee: No intoxication, no meat eating, no illicit sex, no gambling.

And how many rounds?

Devotee: Sixteen.

So your name is a name of Rādhārāṇī. She has a name… this is one of her thousand names. Your name is [unclear] Devī Dāsī!

Hari bol! (everyone rejoicing)

(to next devotee) What are the four regulative principles that you follow your whole life ?

Devotee: No intoxication, no meat eating, no illicit sex, no gambling.

And how many rounds minimum?

Devotee: Sixteen.

And your name is also a name of Rādhārāṇī. Vaiṣṇavī Gopī Devī Dāsī!

Hari bol! (everyone rejoices)

(To next devotee, again the same questions.)

Your name is Kāliyā Kṛṣṇacaraṇa Dāsa! (everyone rejoicing)

Devotee: Now pay obeisances to Prabhupāda.

Verified by: Bhakta A (JPS Archives Team)
20240713 - Śrī Māyāpur, India