19950122 Initiation Ceremony

Lecture Code: 19950122

Initiation Ceremony Lecture By

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja

In Bangalore, Karnataka, India

vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca

  sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam

sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devam

sri-Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ

paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande

śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ

śrī caitanya iśvaram

Jai Sri Sri Nitāi Gaur ke Jai,

Sri Sri Kṛṣṇa Balarāma ke jai,

Nitāi Gaura Premanande Haribol

Om tat sat

Today we are assembled here during this auspicious festival, which is a continuance of the ratam mahaotsavam of Sri Sri Kṛṣṇa Balarāma and by the mercy of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu who has instructed that Kṛṣṇa bhakti should be spread all over the world to every town and village. The saṅkīrtana movement is spreading. Many devotees are becoming awakened to the eternal duties and eternal constitutional position as the servitor of the supreme Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa. We are born in the world in ignorance. We don’t know our spiritual identity, our spiritual position. But by the mercy of spiritual guidance, gradually we are revealed. It is revealed to us our actual spiritual position, constitutional position. So the spiritual master is glorified because he opens this vision of the disciple. Disciple as you have understood from so many instructions earlier, is serving Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa through the via media of the Guru and the disciplic succession. The mercy also comes down from Kṛṣṇa through the Guru and the disciplic succession. Just like the electricity for these lights and fans is coming from some power house or hydraulic generation station or something situated at quite some distance from here. But the connection is almost immediate for practical purposes it seems like it is immediate. Similarly, the mercy coming down from Kṛṣṇa to the Guru parampara, it just comes immediate you don’t notice any difference it is just happening simultaneously. But  it does come down in that manner. Disciple should never  think that now I am more advanced, I don’t need my spiritual master. Even if someone may apparently have acquired more knowledge of shastra or Sanskrit, even if such a case might be there in history we found that Lord Chaitanya he had many associates and there was a case where one of his associates had a disciple who was quite simple he was not very highly educated in Sanskrit but he had understood the pure devotional mood but he had a disciple who was a big pandit and that pandit didn’t want to mention the name of his Guru, because his Guru was not such a big pandit. His Guru’s Guru was a big pandit so he would when asked who is your Guru’s name, he wouldn’t tell his own Guru’s name he would tell his Guru’s Guru name his param Guru’s name. When Lord Nityānanda’s son Mir Chandra Prabhu heard about that he said that this is such a great offense, he doesn’t recognize that whatever I am learning, whatever mercy he has got is only because of the connection through the Guru parampara through his Guru. And so the effect is he is trying to jump over his Guru and that is a Guru avagya, that is a great offense and therefore he gave the order to Śrīnivāsa ācārya to write down an excommunication edict, excommunicating him from the sampradāya. It is a very serious matter. If we understand, how the mercy is coming down, we don’t remove anybody from the link in the sampradāya, the mercy is coming down like that. So in a humble mood we serve Guru and by serving Guru that service is going to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is pleased that he gives mercy to the disciple. Somehow the disciple is advancing that all is by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and the previous ācāryas. So we need to link up with the disciplic succession. That disciple has an option, a freedom, free will from whom they want to connect to the disciplic succession. Of course everyone has free will whether they want to serve Kṛṣṇa or not. Once someone decides who, they want to serve Kṛṣṇa, then they have to find the disciplic succession to serve Kṛṣṇa then they have to find a Guru in the disciplic succession and in this way their progress will be very quick. Then there is a test period that disciple practices devotional service and tests there own determination, test whether the process is working for them, in this way they are testing there Guru. Because by following the order of a Guru under his shelter, if they are experiencing some progress in their spiritual life, they know. Just like you go to a doctor you take the medicine if the medicine cures you then you know the doctor is good, if the medicine doesn’t work then he won’t stay with the doctor. So initially there is a period where someone can try out the medicine without taking any formal commitment. Simply by informally taking shelter or by even informally following the process and this what we are encouraging everyone to first chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, practice bhakti yoga take the guidance of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. He is being assisted by many different spiritual masters and sanyasis, preachers, disciples and grand disciples and by taking there guidance you can advance anyone can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If someone sees that yes I am advancing the process is working for me then you know well that the medicine is effective. Then you take further advancement one takes shelter of one of Prabhupada’s representative Guru’s and then proceeds with carrying out his instructions to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa maha mantra and engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service. So here we have the great gift, the great mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, that they have personally descended from the spiritual world in their archa avatāra form, so that we can worship them and get purified. So the Lords have come down and we want to give them a wonderful place to be glorified, and to worship them, and so that people can also  understand more about their transcendental nature. So the devotees are working enthusiastically to construct the temple and preaching facility for Sri Sri Kṛṣṇa & Balarāma. Even before the big temple and preaching facility is ready, so many devotees are coming forward taking advantage. Actually we don’t need to wait for a big temple to preach.  Even Lord Chaitanya just preached  by walking by foot. But since there are people who have the capability of helping and rendering service to the Lord by contributing there might. So this is the way of engaging everyone and eventually having a wider impact. So there might be many services we do for the Guru whether it is helping him in any project he is doing or whether it’s a helping him in any simple service whether cooking or cleaning or translating or distributing books whatever service we do doesn’t matter what the service is we consider that this service I am offering to my Guru, we may be in Guru’s zone or outside his zone if he happens to have a geographic area maybe in the temple he is situated or any other temple he maybe in his physical proximity or he may be living in a distant place but nevertheless all the service we offer to Kṛṣṇa through the Guru and the Guru parampara and whatever advancement we make we consider this is all by the mercy of the Guru. Even when the Guru physically leaves the sight, he leaves his mortal frame. We still have to carry on following the order of the Guru, under any normal circumstances we should never give up the shelter of Guru and eternally we carry out his instructions and serve him. In this way Kṛṣṇa is very pleased to see that someone is serving spiritual master with this type of determination. So the first step is to take initiation. There are many preliminary steps but this is the step number one that we are making the commitment to the whole disciplic succession to carry out these instructions for one’s life not only this present life but even afterwards. So this is a very big commitment to follow these rules and regulations and to chant 16 rounds of japa everyday, by taking this commitment Kṛṣṇa reciprocates and he extends his protection to the devotees, we have to always stay under that protection. It is like the Rāmāyaṇa rekha that is very famous in Ramayana. The orders of the Guru are the protective circle, that if we stay within that we are protected. If we go outside, then we are at our own risk, but māyā also may test us just like Ravana was trying to entice Sītā to come out by hook or by crook. So like by hook or by crook māyā also might test our determination and see whether she can trick us to leave the shelter of the Guru.  Of course even if some way or the other we get tricked by māyā we have the option because of course Ravana just took away Sītā hopefully māyā will not be so effective as soon as you walk out of the laid rekha, unfortunately whatever happened you realized jump back in as soon as possible. The only price is achitya to again go back in Kṛṣṇa bhakti under the guidance of Guru. If someone makes a mistake and gets kicked by māyā however māyā tries to trick someone when they make a mistake she gives him a kick, haha I got you that time. Because her purpose is to really train us, but her training is the hard way. Prabhupada said it is like the well there are many examples but we are already over time, so we have to be very careful not to get tricked by māyā and no matter what to always remain in the shelter of the Guru. So we take the initiation doesn’t mean it is only connection with our Guru, but with the whole disciplic succession and Prabhupāda is our founder ācārya of this branch of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s divine spiritual tree. So we accept Srila Prabhupāda’s teachings and instructions, he also instructed everyone to cooperate together in the family of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to be guided by the wisdom of the governing body commission and practical spiritual matters and so many other practical instructions he has given for our spiritual progress. These are explained by the individual Guru to the disciple. The disciples need to also respect the God brothers of the Guru and all vaishnava’s, very carefully avoiding offenses and avoiding neglect of their own spiritual life. This is a very big commitment and it is totally voluntary. So those who have been sitting here after listening all the lecture from Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaj and everyone thinking about all the commitments, responsibilities and vows in taking initiation if you have a change of heart and would like to wait for some more time this is your last chance.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

 Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

Nobody is moving, looks like they want to go forward with the ceremony. The system is to offer the obeisance’s. So here you offer your obeisance’s like this, when you offer obeisance’s to your Guru you should never show your feet to Kṛṣṇa so or to anyone like Prabhupāda, so you could offer in this way I guess, this way or this way, best way this way since there is also a deity installed in the clay pot, you have done the pujas? so shall we have  here Subodh, Is your wife here? Hare Kṛṣṇa what are the four regulative principles that you are going to follow for the rest of your life? Whole life and how many try to avoid all of these things diligently.  How many rounds will you chant as the minimum every day? It is all your support. What is Subodh’s service present in the temple? I hear his wife is also regularly chanting and advancing very quickly also, so if one member takes initiation it is a blessing for the whole family also. So your name means you are the servitor of Lord Kṛṣṇa he is the supreme, intelligent also you name is Subodhi Kṛṣṇa Das Adhikari. (devotees musical sounding) Bhakta Venkatesh

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

 Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

 Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa what are the four regulative principles you will adhere to avoiding which activities and how many times japa, is there mention anything about his service, preaching, so actually Venkatesh is like kind of a dark naam his name was Srinivas so we are keeping something similar to that which is the name of Lord Chaitanya your name is Srivas Gaura Das Brahmachari. (devotees musical sounding)

Hare Kṛṣṇa Archana, Hare Kṛṣṇa, What are the four regulative principles that you follow your whole life? Meat eating meaning meat, fish, egg, onion and garlic fine, practically it is Amish. How many japa Hare Kṛṣṇa maha mantra per day? Hare Kṛṣṇa like to mention about her service so it Is difficult giving spiritual name everybody already has a spiritual names Archana is also a type of name one of the nine processes of devotional service of course we should worship the Lord so your name means you are the servitor of the eternal worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa which gives us immortality, eternal nectar your name is Amrita Archana Devi Dasi.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, you can offer to Prabhupāda and we have Aparna What are the four regulative principles you follow for your whole life? And how many times japa per day? That is the minimum. Your names means you are well Aparna is house wife and many house wives are here and she is not able to live in the same city of the temple but she has temple in her house and she is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and worshiping Kṛṣṇa and whenever she gets the opportunity she is been serving in Madras visiting in Bangalore recently she was in London and she had to take care of her child health there she was helping in the South London temple as well. She has been chanting now for over three years, so her husband requested her that she should take initiation. I heard we like if husband and wife can take together but sometimes one is little bit ahead so that also is a blessing for the whole family. So your name  means you are the servitor of the inconceivable pure devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa it is also name of Rādhā Rani your name is Apara Bhakti Devi Dasi. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees musical sounding)

Hare Kṛṣṇa I didn’t know you were here otherwise I would have him come up then we have, maybe the two of you can come because she doesn’t know English you can help to translate both Sītā Bai and Shobha …. Something fell there, what's that? What are the four principles that you will follow your whole life? She said no intoxication and how many times japa per day? The minimum what is the minimum per day she did 48 today, 16 she is the mother of Muralidhar where is he? Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Haribol so you are, you want say anything about your mother’s service? What devotional service she is doing? all deity services. very nice, so you already have name Sītā so will give you one of the Sahasra naams of Sītā also which means she is the servitor of Lord Rāma so your name is Sevika Sītā Devi Dasi. (devotees musical sounding)

Hare Kṛṣṇa. You like to say what Shobha is doing also in Hubli? she is in Dharwad. book distribution? She is doing preaching. They also have kirtan in the house she attends also the Hubli program Hare Kṛṣṇa What are the four regulative principles you follow for life? And how many japas per day minimum? You name is self- explanatory, your name is Shobha Radhika Devi Dasi (devotees musical sounding) servitor of the beautiful Rādhā Rani. Hare Kṛṣṇa you like the microphone bring in the microphone, whenever he says svaha you then throw the grains in without showing your finger nails middle finger and thumb.  

Transcribed By: Parmeshwar Prem Das

Transcribed On: 28-Sep-2020

Proof Reading By: Amrita Padma Devi Dasi

On 10/10/2020

 Proof read again By: Ramakanai Mathuresh Dasa on 4th Dec’20