20220814 Initiation Address

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: Dear devotees, we had the Balarāma Pūrṇimā and in a few days there will be Kṛṣṇa Janmaṣṭamī and there are different programs being held. We are trying to give initiation to all those here who want to take initiation. I heard there are a lot of devotees. Initiation is a special path, that we will all our lives follow bhakti-yoga. We will do śravaṇa, hearing, kīrtana, japa – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare! Nitāi Gaura! Haribol!

We will follow this all our lives. Will chant 16 rounds at least, every day. Those who have taken oath, please raise your hand. Those who have not taken oath, please raise your hand. Haribol! This way if Kṛṣṇa’s name is chanted and kīrtana is done, then their lives will become pure and successful. Lord Caitanya says, yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa āmāra ājñāya hañā tāra’ ei deśa (Cc. Madhya 7.128). This way, also do kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, preaching to those who are around you. This way, you will get purified and the other person also will get purified. There are two types of Vaiṣṇavas – one is goṣṭhyānandī and other is bhajanānandī. Bhajanānandīs generally do devotional service for their personal liberation. While goṣṭhyānandī, they do devotional service and try to preach others. Our sampradāya consists of bhajanānandīs also. We try to see that we don’t go alone back home to Godhead but take as many people along with us as well. Lord Caitanya said I am alone, how many fruits will I eat and how many can I distribute? That is why every human being should assist Me. You eat the fruits and also distribute them. This is very special bliss. And this way there is the manifestation of the aṣṭa-sāttvikā-bhāva. But we are not doing that. Our previous ācāryas said if one feels these kind of bhāva one should not display them to others. But sometimes it comes out naturally. But it generally has to be kept a secret.

Anyway, there is special bliss in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, doing devotional service to Kṛṣṇa and preaching the holy name. So you should try to experience that bliss and also get others to experience that as well. Everyone stays at home and cooks and eats for their own pleasure. But we cook for Kṛṣṇa and then offer it to Him and eat the remnants. That is called mahā-prasada. Haribol! We read Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If someone cannot read Bhagavad-gītā, you can hear the audio. And if someone is illiterate, you can get your children to read to you. This way there will be study of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in every home. There is a beautiful temple here and so you can all do worship of the Deities, and gṛhasthas can ask the temple management what service you can do. And you can also donate things whatever you can like rice, dal, ghee, flowers, fruits, etc.

We had gone to Nāthadvāra in Rajasthan where there is the Deity of Śrīnāthajī. After darśana of the Lord in the morning, on the side is there where is the bhoga for the Lord. There is a bazar there where fruits, vegetables are sold. That is not for our personal use but to be offered to the Lord. I was amazed seeing that there is a whole bazar where things are sold for offering as bhoga to the Lord! There were some flowers and I offered them. And then I bought some things like vegetables, fruits, etc. and offered. This way, we can offer bhoga to the Lord and take prasāda. This way we can make our lives Kṛṣṇa-centered. For the Lord. In the scripture it is said, Bhagavān to dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]) – the Lord writes different scriptures through His devotees. The goal of every religion is to love God, to show affection to Him. Bhakti-yoga, if followed properly then we will have kṛṣṇa-prema awakened in our heart. Haribol! So all the devotees who have taken oath will follow the regulative principles throughout your life. If someone thinks that they cannot follow all their life, they can leave. Who are leaving? Those who are strong, who are sure they will keep their promises, they can all raise their hands. Now I will chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā mantra and you can hear especially keeping the right ear open. Before that I will chant the Pañca-tattva mantra to take their blessings and after that the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā mantra.

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

Now what the system is there for getting the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami will say.