20201017 Zoom Address: Initiation Ceremony to London Yātrā

20201017 Zoom Initiation to London Yātrā Devotees in Śrī Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

I am very happy to be here in Europe celebrating this day after the Puruṣottama month. Many devotees want to surrender at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, Lord Kṛṣṇa through the guru-paramparā. It is very essential that we dedicate ourselves to serving the lotus feet of guru and Kṛṣṇa. Taking the initiation is actually a birth, spiritual birth. And so it is natural that after birth, although baby may create some, may do some mistakes. By the time you take second initiation, you should have grown enough in your spiritual life, that you don’t make any more mistakes. So, that is why we need to continue reading and practicing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We need to continually grow spiritual creeper, the bhakti-latā-bīja.

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

 By the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa, we get the seed of devotion. Now you have to become expert gardener and take care your tree, see that watered regularly with the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Avoid the various enemies of your tree – bad association, pickpockets, thieves, dangerous animals, these are all represented by different types of bad association and bad habits. So, we should become an expert at protecting our rare spiritual plant. And having it grow until it reaches the shelter of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava.

Lord Caitanya has told us, how to do that by chanting, and serving. Also, by reading the teachings of Kṛṣṇa. I was very inspired to hear, how some devotees by reading the glories of Śrīla Prabhupāda, they are very… commitment and their realization has increased. So, I would hope that devotees, they understand that this taking of initiation is simply a birth and that we have to continue growing and you have to learn, how to become expert at protecting our devotional creeper. There may be so many tests; and we should pass all the tests. But even if we fail in some test, we will get another chance, next time we will conquer the test or we will pass it. So, in this way we can also increase our appreciation for Kṛṣṇa, increase our affection and love, in this way, we can be able to help many others. In that way Kṛṣṇa appreciates us, that we may be recognized as His devotee, so I am very happy to welcome you to the paramparā. And I depended at you, try your best to follow the great souls who have gone before. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma,
Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.