20220522 Zoom Initiation Address for ISKCON Madurai

The following is a zoom initiation address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 22nd, 2022 at Madurai, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

So I will give a short class and you can say the mahā-mantra. So there are also aspiring and shelter candidates? So that we will be held before the initiations. So, this is a short class. I am very happy that devotees have prepared themselves to take initiation. We are very grateful that devotees are there for shelter and aspiring. The purpose of human life is actually to go back to Godhead. We have to understand that we are not the body. That body changes but the ātmā, which is our real identity, does not change. So, Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna that he is the ātmā. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa reveals the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we are in the body naturally there is happiness and distress. More distress than happiness. Lord Caitanya taught that one is actually blessed if he is born in India.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

—(Cc. Ādi 9.41).

That those who are born in India should achieve perfection and also help others achieve that. Many of the candidates here are gṛhasthas. Lord Caitanya said whether one is a sannyāsī or one is a gṛhastha all can achieve the spiritual world. Śaṅkarācārya, he said only the sannyāsīs can achieve mokṣa. But Lord Caitanya said that both gṛhasthas and vairāgīs can achieve through bhakti-yoga perfection. So gṛhasthas should have Deities in the house, read Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam And other books of Śrīla Prabhupāda like Caitanya-caritāmṛta and others. They should have Deities in their house. They should offer the food and take prasāda. And chant their sixteen rounds of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra daily. Those who are taking āśraya, they should also chant sixteen rounds daily. This is the last step before initiation. The aspirants can chant one round or more rounds. So, japa, kīrtana, should be chanted in the home. They can read the books as well. This way, the house becomes a temple. And both husband and wife, they can practice bhakti-yoga. And then they keep Kṛṣṇa in the center. Some people may like to remain brahmacārī their whole life. And some may choose to be gṛhasthas. Both should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. The brahmacārī may live in the temple āśrama and the gṛhasthas may live in their home āśrama. So, in this way, by taking initiation, we are connected to the guru-paramparā. And we request all the devotees to read Śrīla Prabhupāda books. And if you can take the instructions from Śaṅkhadhāri dāsa, as my representative. And like this gradually you make success in your spiritual life. So, it is not very difficult to practice bhakti-yoga. But one has to be very sincere. The nine practices of bhakti-yoga are there.

Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

—(ŚB 7.5.23)

In this way by practicing one or more of the devotional services, one is able to cross over the ocean of birth and death. So you can try to help the neighbors by preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness to them. Presently some devotees from Ireland have come for initiation as well. So they too can preach to others in Ireland. Bangladesh, one devotee is taking initiation and you too can preach Kṛṣṇ a consciousness to your friends etc.