20130327 Talk at a Sannyāsa and Initiation Ceremony

I will just speak for a short time. As already this morning, when I was asking since yesterday for the names and I was only given the names today late and so that’s why the delay.

Today we have 2 sannyāsa initiations, some Harināma initiations and some second initiations. So the sannyāsa initiation is called bṛhad-vrata. And in our society it takes many steps to accept sannyāsa. To spread the movement, Prabhupāda gave sannyāsa to many. So, I got sannyāsa, when I was 21 years old and today its hardly possible. So, sannyāsa means we have to be very careful and especially with any objects of the senses. Always stay with other devotees and should not meet with the member of opposite gender alone.

One lady asked Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura that she wants to talk to him in private and he said, “Ohh, these are all trusted servants and you can speak in front of them, I don’t see any women alone. So, also one should regularly visit the holy dhāma and the specialty of sannyāsa is that one is able to preach a lot but one should remain humble and one should follow the example predecessor sannyāsīs.

There is a verse from the Bhāgavatam that Prabhupāda taught us, and Lord Caitanya chanted this again and again. It’s the Avantī brāhmaṇa, he took tridaṇḍi-sannyāsa.

You see that 2 kinds of sannyāsa, the Māyāvādīs, they take eka-daṇḍi-sannyāsa and the Vaiṣṇavas, they take tridaṇḍi-sannyāsa.

So the Avantī brāhmaṇa’s prayer was:

etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām
adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair maharṣibhiḥ
ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ
tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva
(SB 11.23.57)

We have to memorize this and chant it regularly.

Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām – I will be very fixed up in my practice of devotional service. Adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair maharṣibhiḥ – I will follow the footsteps of previous ācāryas and sannyāsīs. Ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ – I will cross over this ocean of birth and death. Tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva – By serving the Lotus Feet of Lord Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa. Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!

Whether one takes the vows of the sannyāsa or the vows of gṛhastha-dharma, they should be very steady in their devotional service but a sannyāsī is expected to be more matured. Therefore he is respected as the spiritual master of all the other members of society. But we see how Lord Caitanya as a sannyāsī would distribute prasādam and do sevā to the other devotees. He would clean the temple in the Guṇḍicā-mārjana and He would dance in the kīrtana. So these are the great examples shown by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Oṁ tat sat.

As far as the first and second initiation, you must have heard a lot of lectures today. So, I don’t want to repeat. Ten offenses to the holy name you should be very careful to avoid. Especially the offense to the pure devotees of the Lord. You may not think someone as a devotee but Kṛṣṇa may think he is a devotee. Anyone, who chants is a devotee and to offend such chanters of the holy name is an offense against the holy name. Like that each offense, you have to be very careful against.

Today you are taking vows, these are considered the first orders of the spiritual master. To not follow, is breaking the 3^rd offense to the holy name. So this is the… considered the second birth, its called the guru-janma. And 2^nd initiation is the third birth, that is called the yājñik-janma. And it gives one the right to worship Deities and learn how to perform yajñas. So one has to be very careful in performing his duties under the 2^nd initiation. The 2^nd initiation is private secret mantra. So that will be given later in a secret place. So, this is the short form of my speech so that we can quickly finish and attend the abhiṣeka of Lord Caitanya. HariBol! HariBol!