20220402 Initiation Address

Jayapatākā Swami: Initiation means that we connect with the guru-paramparā and we take certain vows, that we commit to follow for the rest of our life and if we fail we should anyway try again! Because there is no higher prāyaścitta.

Actually, the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to develop our love for Kṛṣṇa. Lord Jesus He also said in His ten commandments that we should love God, and Lord Caitanya He gave out freely this love of Kṛṣṇa. And the way He gave out love is unprecedented. Therefore, we are dedicated to follow Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda.

You see Lord Caitanya went to Vṛndāvana He first went to Mathurā, then He went to Vṛndāvana. Previously, when He would visit Vṛndāvana His ecstasy would increase a 100-times. When He actually visited Mathurā His ecstasy increased a 1000-times. And when He went to Vṛndāvana His ecstasy was like a hundred thousand times. It was beyond the possibility of His secretary to control. Sometimes Lord Caitanya would jump in the Yamunā and the secretary would lift Him from the water. But he thought that, “If I am not present who will pick Him up?” So he was worrying that this way Lord Caitanya was completely uncontrollable. He was filled with ecstasy. And so this was very dangerous. Of course, Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself. The secretary he thought it is his duty to protect Him. And after Lord Caitanya visited the different forests of Vṛndāvana the secretary told Lord Caitanya that maybe he had spent enough time in Vṛndāvana, and He went back with His secretary to Prayāga and from Prayāga to Banaras. We are reading the pastimes in Banaras where He convinced the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs of kṛṣṇa-bhakti.

So, our program today of giving initiation is that you can all develop for Kṛṣṇa. And Lord Caitanya was showing how many more devotees they find it very difficult to adhere to their vows. But we should be very careful to follow the vows. And it is not so difficult. But the tendency is to not follow and as a result we actually don’t achieve love of Kṛṣṇa. So we want everyone to achieve love for Kṛṣṇa. And that means that to follow the vows, engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service and the ecstasy that Lord Caitanya displayed all of you can achieve that and that is the real purpose of human life. Lord Caitanya, He displayed pure love for Kṛṣṇa and His devotees were actually very surrendered to Him. All His devotee went down from Bengal to Jagannātha Purī He asked, “Where is Murāri Gupta?” And they got Murāri Gupta. He was laying down and offering his obeisances. His presentation was I am so fallen, I have no qualification, I don’t feel qualified to be in front of You and he offered his prayers.

And Lord Caitanya asked for Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa of course, he was born in a non-Hindu family. He was also crying, and he was such a pure devotee and all of them are crying. But they feel unqualified to be before Lord Caitanya. So what are we? Lord Caitanya is so merciful. So we should try to take the mercy that Lord Caitanya is giving. And we may never be as humble and as these pure devotees, but we can be inspired by their examples When these devotees came the king Gajapati, he asked, “Who are they?” Rāmānanda Raya explained this is this person, that person, and the king said that, “They are so effulgent!” You see then we saw Advaita Ācārya and He was so effulgent that the king was so amazed, “I want to serve all these devotees!” But that is the other secret. That we try to serve the devotees. And just as Gajapati Mahārāja he was inspired to serve the devotees, we should also be inspired to serve all the devotees.

So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, he came here to New Pānihāṭi dhāma and he worshiped the Gaura Nitāi Deities and Gaura Nitāi are giving their mercy to the devotees here. So, of course this material world has different types of sense gratifications. And for most people sense gratification is the goal of life. Lord Caitanya taught that actually the sense gratification should be controlled, we should be more absorbed in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.

The doctor asked me, I like to travel? How would I travel more Kṛṣṇa conscious?” I was thinking, I don’t travel now, I used to travel, now I don’t travel as much. And I would go to different temples. I would go to Nova Gokula, they have Nitāi Gaura, they have Rādhā Gokulānanda, they have Sītā Rāma Lakṣmaṇa Hanumān. They have Śrīla Prabhupāda puṣpa-samādhi. And some devotee has a restaurant there. Some devotes they make pickles. They all like to sing and dance. They have their Brazilian melodies. One devotee he picked up some of my names Jayapatākā Swami hoo hoo hoo. And he said some other name and hoo hoo hoo. That is apparently some Brazilian melody. Hoo hoo hoo! So I was thinking that my travel we only see airports and temples and sometimes restaurants of devotees. One devotee in Sao Paola she has a very nice restaurant. So of course, there are some others, but I have never gone around the tourist spots. In Peru they have Machu Picchu I have never gone there, I only go to temples, fully Kṛṣṇa conscious! Of course, in this temple they have nice kīrtanas, nice programs.

So I will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and also this is only for Harināma initiation devotees only keep right ear open and repeat.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!