## Chapter V Spiritual Initiation (Dīkṣā) ### 1. The Definition of Dīkṣā **The definition of dīkṣā:** Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains *dīkṣā *in his *Bhakti-sandarbha *(283): > divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt kuryāt pāpasya saṅkṣayam tasmād dīkṣeti sā proktā deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ ***"Dīkṣā *is* *the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as *dīkṣā.*"** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta* Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/15/108|15.108]]* **The meaning of dīkṣā:** *Dīkṣa *actually means initiating a disciple with transcendental knowledge by which he becomes freed from all material contamination. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/4/111|4.111]]* ### 2. The Necessity and Purpose of Initiation: **One's actual connection with Kṛṣṇa is established at the time of initiation by a bona fide spiritual master:** This relationship [with Kṛṣṇa] is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master who is the direct representative of Kṛṣṇa in disciplic succession.... The connection with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Kṛṣṇa and a person cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness is never performed. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **Unless properly initiated, one's devotional activities are useless and one can descend again into the animal species:** According to the Vaiṣṇava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a *brāhmaṇa. *The *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa* (2.6) quotes the following injunction from the *Viṣṇu-yāmala:* > adīkṣitasya vāmoru kṛtaṁ sarvaṁ nirarthakam paśu-yonim avāpnoti dīkṣā-virahito janaḥ **"Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species."** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/15/108|15.108]]* **The purpose of initiation:** It is the spiritual master who delivers the disciple from the clutches of *māyā *by initiating him into the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra. *In this way a sleeping human being can revive his consciousness by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In other words, the spiritual master awakens the sleeping living entity to his original consciousness so that he can worship Lord Viṣṇu. This is the purpose of *dīkṣā, *or initiation. Initiation means receiving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/9/61|9.61]]* **Initiation by and following the order of a spiritual master as part of sādhana-bhakti:** **"In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in association with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of *sādhana-bhakti, *the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles."** *— *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu *1.4.15-16 [cited: Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/23/14 15|23.14-15]]]* **The initiation ceremony is called upanīti, the function that brings one nearer to the spiritual master:** A bona fide spiritual master accepts charge of disciples, teaches them the Vedic knowledge with all its intricacies, and gives them their second birth. The ceremony performed to initiate a disciple into the study of spiritual science is called *upanīti, *or the function that brings one nearer to the spiritual master. One who cannot be brought nearer to a spiritual master cannot have a sacred thread, and thus he is indicated to be a *śūdra.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta* Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **To carry the Supreme Personality of Godhead within one's heart, one must be initiated by another person who does:** **Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devakī. Devakī, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.** PURPORT: As indicated here by the word *manastaḥ, *the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the core of Vasudeva's mind or heart to the core of the heart of Devakī. We should note carefully that the Lord was transferred to Devakī not by the ordinary way for a human being, but by *dīkṣā, *initiation. Thus the importance of initiation is mentioned here. Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one's own heart.... *Yogīs *meditate upon the Supreme Person within the mind. For a devotee, however, the Lord is present, and His presence need only be awakened through initiation by a bona fide spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/10/2/18|10.2.18]]* **In second birth, one accepts the spiritual master as father and the Vedas as mother:** Human beings must be twice-born. A child is first born of a good father and mother, and then he is born again of the spiritual master and the *Vedas. *The first mother and father bring about his birth into the world; then the spiritual master and the *Vedas *become his second father and mother. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/24/15|3.24.15]]* **A civilized man must be twice-born by contact with a spiritual master:** A civilized man is one who has taken his birth twice. A living entity takes birth in this mundane world due to the union of male and female. A human being is born due to union of the father and mother, but a civilized human being has another birth by contact with a spiritual master, who becomes the actual father. The father and mother of the material body are so only in one birth, and in the next birth the father and mother may be a different couple. But the bona fide spiritual master, as the representative of the Lord, is the eternal father because the spiritual master has the responsibility to lead the disciple to spiritual salvation, or the ultimate goal of life. Therefore, a civilized man must be twice-born, otherwise he is no more than the lower animals. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/5/7|3.5.7]]* **Initiation by a bona fide spiritual master changes the disciple's life:** In his previous life, when Nāradajī was impregnated with spiritual knowledge by the grace of the great sages, there was a tangible change in his life, although he was only a boy of five years. That is an important symptom visible after initiation by the bona fide spiritual master. Actual association of devotees brings about a quick change in life for spiritual realization. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/6/5|1.6.5]]* **When one is initiated and follows the principles, one attains freedom from the contamination of material life:** If one is sincere, he is initiated, and this stage is called *bhajana-kriyā. *One then actually engages in the service of the Lord by regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra, *sixteen rounds daily, and refraining from illicit sex, intoxicants, meat-eating and gambling. By *bhajana-kriyā *one attains freedom from the contamination of materialistic life. He no longer goes to a restaurant or hotel to taste so-called palatable dishes made with meat and onions, nor does he care to smoke or drink tea or coffee. He not only refrains from illicit sex, but avoids sex life entirely. Nor is he interested in wasting his time in speculating or gambling. In this way it is to be understood that one is becoming cleansed of unwanted things (*anartha-nivṛtti*). The word *anartha *refers to unwanted things. *Anarthas *are vanquished when one becomes attached to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. *— Nectar of Instruction [[books/noi/7|Text 7]]* **Initiation aids in the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa and the awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness:** The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *is* *so powerful that it does not depend on official initiation, but if one is initiated and engages in *pañcarātra-vidhi *(Deity worship), his Kṛṣṇa consciousness will awaken very soon, and his identification with the material world will be vanquished. The more one is freed from material identification, the more one can realize that the spirit soul is qualitatively as good as the Supreme Soul. At such a time, when one is situated on the absolute platform, he can understand that the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical. At that stage of realization, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra, *cannot be identified with any material sound. If one accepts the Hare Kṛṣṇa *maha-mantra *as a material vibration, he falls down. One should worship and chant the holy name of the Lord by accepting it as the Lord Himself. One should therefore be properly initiated according to revealed scriptures under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/15/108|15.108]]* **Anyone can join ISKCON and become twice-born (and thus be able to understand the Lord):** Anyone can join the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and be initiated to become twice-born. As recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī, by the process of initiation and authorized training, any man can become twice-born. The first birth is made possible by the parent, and the second birth is made possible by the spiritual father and Vedic knowledge. Unless one is twice-born one cannot understand the transcendental characteristics of the Lord and His devotees. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/12/48|4.12.48]]* **To engage in Vedic rituals or to properly worship the holy name, one must be initiated as a brāhmaṇa:** The regulative principles of *dīkṣā *are explained in the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *(2.3-4) and in *Bhakti-sandarbha *(283). As stated: > dvijānām anupetānāṁ/ sva-karmādhyayanādisu yathādhikāro nāstīha/ syāc copanayanād anu > tathātrādīkṣitānāṁ tu/ mantra-devārcanādiṣu nādhikāro 'sty ataḥ kuryād/ ātmānaṁ śiva-saṁstutam **"Even though born in a *brāhmaṇa *family, one cannot engage in Vedic rituals without being initiated and having a sacred thread. Although born in a *brāhmaṇa *family, one becomes a *brāhmaṇa *after initiation and the sacred thread ceremony. Unless one is initiated as a *brāhmaṇa, *he cannot worship the holy name properly."** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/15/108|15.108]]* ### 3. Qualifications and Requirements for Receiving Initiation **The qualifications for initiation:** **Reporter: **If I wanted to be initiated into your Society, what would I have to do? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **First of all, you'd have to give up illicit sex life. **Reporter: **Does that include all sex life? What is illicit sex life? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Illicit sex is sex outside of marriage. Animals have sex with no restrictions, but in human society there are restrictions. In every country and in every religion, there is some system of restricting sex life. You would also have to give up all intoxicants, including tea, cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana-anything that intoxicates. **Reporter: **Anything else? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **You'd also have to give up eating meat, eggs, and fish. And you'd have to give up gambling as well. Unless you gave up these four sinful activities, you could not be initiated. **Reporter: **Does "surrender" mean that someone would have to leave his family? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **No. **Reporter: **But suppose I were to become an initiate. Wouldn't I have to come and live in the temple? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Not necessarily. **Reporter: **Can I stay at home? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Oh, yes. **Reporter: **What about work? Would I have to give up my job? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **No, you'd simply have to give up your bad habits and chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *on these beads-that's all. **Reporter: **Would I have to give any financial support? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **No, that is your voluntary wish. If you give, that's all right. And if you don't, we don't mind. We do not depend on anyone's financial contribution. We depend on Kṛṣṇa. **Reporter: **I wouldn't have to give any money at all? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **No. **Reporter: **Is this one of the main things that distinguishes the genuine *guru *from the fake *guru?* **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Yes, a genuine *guru *is* *not a businessman. He is a representative of God. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **Vaiṣṇavas do not accept disciples who do not follow the regulative principles:** Materialistic persons who are not inclined to give up their sinful activities like illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating sometimes want to become our disciples, but, unlike professional spiritual masters who accept disciples regardless of their condition, Vaiṣṇavas do not accept such cheap disciples. One must at least agree to abide by the rules and regulations for a disciple before a Vaiṣṇava *ācārya *can accept him. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/12/50|12.50]]* **In taking initiation, the disciple must give up the principles of material life-illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat- eating:** One should be initiated into following the principles of *śāstra. *In offering initiation, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement asks one to come to the conclusion of *śāstra *by taking the advice of the supreme speaker of the *śāstra, *Kṛṣṇa, forgetting the principles of the materialistic way of life. Therefore the principles we advise are no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating. These four types of engagement will enable an intelligent person to get free from the materialistic life and return home, back to Godhead. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/5/20|6.5.20]]* **At the time of initiation, one must give up all sinful activities:** When the Lord was invoking His Sudarśana *cakra *and Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu was imploring Him to forgive the two brothers, both the brothers fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord and begged His pardon for their gross behavior. The Lord was also asked by Nityānanda Prabhu to accept these repenting souls, and the Lord agreed to accept them on one condition, that they henceforward completely give up all their sinful activities and habits of debauchery. Both the brothers agreed and promised to give up all their sinful habits, and the kind Lord accepted them and did not again refer to their past misdeeds. This is the specific kindness of Lord Caitanya. In this age no one can say that he is free from sin. It is impossible for anyone to say this. But Lord Caitanya accepts all kinds of sinful persons on the one condition that they promise not to indulge in sinful habits after being spiritually initiated by the bona fide spiritual master ... in this Kali-yuga practically all people are of the quality of Jagāi and Mādhāi. If they want to be relieved from the reactions of their misdeeds, they must take shelter of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and after spiritual initiation thus refrain from those things which are prohibited in the *śāstras.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *Intro.* **At the time of initiation, the disciple agrees to give up sinful activity and to execute the order of the spiritual master:** **"The hunter then said, 'My dear sir, whatever you say I shall do.' Nārada immediately ordered him, 'First of all, break your bow. Then I shall tell you what is to be done.'"** PURPORT: This is the process of initiation. The disciple must admit that he will no longer commit sinful activity-namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. He promises to execute the order of the spiritual master. Then the spiritual master takes care of him and elevates him to spiritual emancipation. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/256|24.256]]* **The requirements of initiation:** We do not immediately initiate disciples in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. For six months, a candidate for initiation must first attend *ārati* and classes in the *śāstras*, practice the regulative principles and associate with other devotees. When one is actually advanced in the *puraścaryā-vidhi, *he is recommended by the local temple president for initiation. It is not that anyone can be suddenly initiated without meeting the requirements. When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *sixteen rounds daily, following the regulative principles and attending classes, he receives the sacred thread (brahminical recognition) after the second six months. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/15/108|15.108]]* **The qualifications for first and second initiations:** **"In your book there should be the characteristics of the bona fide *guru *and the bona fide disciple. Then, before accepting a spiritual master, one can be assured of the spiritual master's position. Similarly, the spiritual master can also be assured of the disciple's position...."** PURPORT: A disciple's qualifications must be observed by the spiritual master before he is accepted as a disciple. In our Kṛsṇa consciousness movement, the requirement is that one must be prepared to give up the four pillars of sinful life-illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. In Western countries especially, we first observe whether a potential disciple is prepared to follow the regulative principles. Then he is given the name of a Vaiṣṇava servant and initiated to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *at least sixteen rounds daily. In this way the disciple renders devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master or his representative for at least six months to a year. He is then recommended for a second initiation, during which a sacred thread is offered and the disciple is accepted as a bona fide *brāhmaṇa.* *— *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/330|24.330]]* **The requirements for first, second and sannyāsa initiation:** All the students of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement have undergone the regular process of initiation. As enjoined in the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *by Sanātana Gosvāmī, *tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām: *by the regular process of initiation, any man can become a *brāhmaṇa. *Thus in the beginning the students of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement agree to live with devotees, and gradually, having given up four prohibited activities-illicit sex, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication—they become advanced in the activities of spiritual life. When one is found to be regularly following these principles, he is given the first initiation (*hari-nāma*),* *and he regularly chants at least sixteen rounds a day. Then, after six months or a year, he is initiated for the second time and given the sacred thread with the regular sacrifice and rituals. After some time, when he advances still further and is willing to give up this material world, he is given the *sannyāsa *order. At that time he receives the title *svāmī* or *gosvāmī, *both of which mean "master of the senses." *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/17/265|17.265]]* **The qualifications for initiation-disinterest in material enjoyment and interest in the Absolute Truth:** *Dīkṣā, *or spiritual initiation, is explained in the *Bhakti-sandarbha* (868) by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī: > divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt kuryāt pāpasya saṅkṣayam tasmād dīkṣeti sā proktā deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ **"By* dīkṣā *one gradually becomes disinterested in material enjoyment and gradually becomes interested in spiritual life."** We have seen many practical examples of this, especially in Europe and America. Many students who come to us from rich and respectable families quickly lose all interest in material enjoyment and become very eager to enter into spiritual life. Although they come from very wealthy families, many of them accept living conditions that are not very comfortable. Indeed, for Kṛsna's sake they are prepared to accept any living condition as long as they can live in the temple and associate with the Vaiṣṇavas. When one becomes so disinterested in material enjoyment, he becomes fit for initiation by the spiritual master. For the advancement of spiritual life *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *(6.1.13) prescribes: *tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca. *When a person is serious about accepting *dīkṣā, *he must be prepared to practice austerity, celibacy and control of the mind and body. If one is so prepared and is desirous of receiving enlightenment (*divyaṁ jñānam*), he is fit for being initiated. *Divyaṁ jñānam *is* *technically called *tad-vijñāna, *or knowledge about the Supreme. *Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet:** *[MU 1.2.12]* *when one is interested in the transcendental subject matter of the Absolute Truth, he should be initiated. Such a person should approach a spiritual master in order to take *dīkṣā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* ([[sb/11/3/21|11.3.21]]) also prescribes: *tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. *"When one is actually interested in the transcendental science of the Absolute Truth, he should approach a spiritual master." One should not accept a spiritual master without following his instructions. Nor should one accept a spiritual master just to make a fashionable show of spiritual life. One must be *jijñāsu, *very much inquisitive to learn from the bona fide spiritual master. The inquiries one makes should strictly pertain to transcendental science (*jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam*). The word *uttamam *refers to that which is above material knowledge. *Tama *means "the darkness of this material world," and *ut *means "transcendental." Generally people are very interested in inquiring about mundane subject matters, but when one has lost such interest and is simply interested in transcendental subject matters, he is quite fit for being initiated. *— Nectar of Instruction [[books/noi/5|Text 5]]* **One should approach a spiritual master only if he is actually eager for enlightenment:** **Because you are great personalities, you can give me real knowledge. I am as foolish as a village animal like a pig or dog because I am merged in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore, please ignite the torch of knowledge to save me.** PURPORT: This is the way to receive knowledge. One must submit oneself at the lotus feet of great personalities who can actually deliver transcendental knowledge. It is therefore said, *tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam:* [SB [[sb/11/3/21|11.3.21]]]* *"One who is inquisitive to understand the highest goal and benefit of life must approach a bona fide spiritual master and surrender unto him." Only one who is actually eager to receive knowledge to eradicate the darkness of ignorance is eligible to approach a *guru, *or spiritual master. The *guru *should not be approached for material benefits. One should not approach a *guru *just to cure some disease or receive some miraculous benefit. This is not the way to approach the *guru. Tad-vijñānārtham: *one should approach the *guru *to understand the transcendental science of spiritual life. Unfortunately, in this Age of Kali there are many bogus *gurus *who display magic to their disciples, and many foolish disciples want to see such magic for material benefits. These disciples are not interested in pursuing spiritual life to save themselves from the darkness of ignorance. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/6/15/16|6.15.16]]* **The spiritual master must not initiate an unworthy person:** The spiritual master must not accept a disciple who is not qualified; he should not be professional and should not accept disciples for monetary gains. The bona fide spiritual master must see the bona fide qualities of a person whom he is going to initiate. An unworthy person should not be initiated. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/32/42|3.32.42]]* **The bhakti-vedāntas impartially initiate everyone into spiritual life:** The *bhakti-vedāntas *are impartial in distributing the transcendental knowledge of devotional service. To them no one is enemy or friend; no one is educated or uneducated. No one is especially favorable, and no one is unfavorable. The *bhakti-vedāntas *see that the people in general are wasting time in false sensuous things. Their business is to get the ignorant mass of people to reestablish the lost relationship with the Personality of Godhead. By such endeavor, even the most forgotten soul is roused up to the sense of spiritual life, and thus being initiated by the *bhakti-vedāntas, *the people in general gradually progress on the path of transcendental realization. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/1/5/24|1.5.24]]* **The spiritual master, not caring for a person's material condition, gives shelter to any person and engages him in spiritual life:** **After hearing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's praise, Bhavānanda Rāya submitted, "I am in the fourth class of the social order, and I engage in mundane affairs. Although I am very fallen, You have still touched us. This is proof that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead."** PURPORT: Those who are highly advanced in spiritual understanding do not care about a person's material condition. A spiritually advanced person sees the spiritual identity of every living being, and consequently he makes no distinction between a learned *brāhmaṇa, *a dog, a *caṇḍāla *or anyone else. He is not influenced by the material body but sees a person's spiritual identity. Consequently Bhavānanda Rāya appreciated Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's statement, which showed that the Lord did not consider the social position of Bhavānanda Rāya, who belonged to the *śūdra *caste engaged in mundane activities. Rather, the Lord considered the spiritual position of Bhavānanda Rāya, Rāmānanda Rāya and his brothers. The servant of the Lord is also similarly inclined. He gives shelter to any person-any living entity-regardless of whether one belongs to a *brāhmaṇa *family or is a *caṇḍāla. *The spiritual master reclaims all people and encourages everyone in spiritual life. By taking shelter of such a devotee, one can make his life successful. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/10/54|10.54]]* **Spiritual masters in the line of Lord Caitanya are liberal in accepting disciples:** One who has accepted the *sannyāsa *order of life is forbidden to accept as a disciple anyone who is not fit. A *sannyāsī *should first of all examine whether a prospective student is sincerely seeking Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he is not, he should not be accepted. However, Lord Caitanya's causeless mercy is such that He advised all bona fide spiritual masters to speak about Kṛṣṇa consciousness everywhere. Therefore, in the line of Lord Caitanya, even the *sannyāsīs *can speak about Kṛṣṇa consciousness everywhere, and if someone is seriously inclined to become a disciple, the *sannyāsī *always accepts him. The one point is that without increasing the number of disciples, there is no propagation of the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, sometimes even at a risk, a *sannyāsī *in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu may accept even a person who is not thoroughly fit to become a disciple. Later on, by the mercy of such a bona fide spiritual master, the disciple is gradually elevated. However, if one increases the number of disciples simply for some prestige or false honor, he will surely fall down in the matter of executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **Under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, even the most fallen person can be elevated to the supreme position; the spiritual master can accept anyone as a disciple (provided the person is sincere):** The lowest of human beings can be elevated to the highest stage of devotional life if they are trained by the bona fide spiritual master well versed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord ... devotional service to the Lord is open for all, regardless of who they are. That is the confirmation of its application for all kinds of performers of the service. Therefore the devotional service of the Lord with perfect knowledge through the training of a bona fide spiritual master is advised for everyone. ... Therefore there is no need to seek properly qualified candidates for discharging devotional service to the Lord. Let them be either well behaved or ill trained, let them be either learned or fools, let them be either grossly attached or in the renounced order of life, let them be liberated souls or desirous of salvation, let them be inexpert in the discharge of devotional service or expert in the same, all of them can be elevated to the supreme position by discharging devotional service under the proper guidance. This is also confirmed in the *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/9/30|9.30-32]]).... Even if a person is fully addicted to all sorts of sinful acts, if he happens to be engaged in the loving transcendental service of the Lord under proper guidance, he is to be considered the most perfect holy man without a doubt. And thus any person, whatsoever and whosoever he or she may be ... can attain the highest perfection of life by going back to home, back to Godhead, provided he or she takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord in all earnestness. This sincere earnestness is the only qualification that can lead one to the highest perfectional stage of life. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/9/36|2.9.36]]* **The spiritual master does not accept a disciple on the basis of birth:** According to the cult of devotion, generally known as the Vaiṣṇava cult, there is no bar against anyone's advancing in the matter of God realization. A Vaiṣṇava is powerful enough to turn into a Vaiṣṇava even the Kirāta, etc., as above mentioned. In the *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/9/32|9.32]]) it is said by the Lord that there is no bar to becoming a devotee of the Lord (even for those who are lowborn, or women, *śūdras *or *vaiśyas*), and by becoming a devotee everyone is eligible to return home, back to Godhead. The only qualification is that one take shelter of a pure devotee of the Lord who has thorough knowledge in the transcendental science of Kṛṣṇa *(Bhagavad-gītā *and *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*). Anyone from any part of the world who becomes well conversant in the science of Kṛṣṇa becomes a pure devotee and a spiritual master for the general mass of people and may reclaim them by purification of heart. Though a person be even the most sinful man, he can at once be purified by systematic contact with a pure Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava, therefore, can accept a bona fide disciple from any part of the world without any consideration of caste and creed and promote him by regulative principles to the status of a pure Vaisṇava who is transcendental to brahminical culture.... Without any reference to the particular custom of a country, one can be accepted to the Vaiṣṇava cult spiritually, and there is no hindrance in the transcendental process. So by the order of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the cult of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *or the *Bhagavad-gītā *can be preached all over the world, reclaiming all persons willing to accept the transcendental cult. Such cultural propaganda by the devotees will certainly be accepted by all persons who are reasonable and inquisitive, without any particular bias for the custom of the country. The Vaisṇava never accepts another Vaiṣṇava on the basis of birthright.... The conclusion is that the Lord, being all-powerful, can, under any and every circumstance, accept anyone from any part of the world, either personally or through His bona fide manifestation as the spiritual master. Lord Caitanya accepted many devotees from communities other than the varṇāśramites, and He Himself declared, to teach us, that He does not belong to any caste or social order of life, but that He is the eternal servant of the servant of the Lord who maintains the damsels of Vṛndāvana (Lord Kṛsṇa) [*Cc Madhya* [[cc/madhya/13/80|13.80]]]. That is the way of self-realization. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/4/18|2.4.18]]* **A śūdra is not barred from spiritual initiation provided he is approved by the spiritual master:** The sacred thread on the body of a *brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya *or *vaiśya *is* *a symbol of initiation by the spiritual master; it is worth nothing if worn merely to boast of high parentage. The duty of the spiritual master is to initiate a disciple with the sacred thread ceremony, and after this *saṁskāra, *or purificatory process, the spiritual master actually begins to teach the disciple about the *Vedas. *A person born a *śūdra *is* *not barred from such spiritual initiation, provided he is approved by the spiritual master, who is duly authorized to award a disciple the right to be a *brāhmaṇa *if he finds him perfectly qualified. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **Any sincere person is qualified for initiation according to the pāñcarātrika process:** The following injunction is given in the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *(1.194): > tāntrikeṣu ca mantreṣu dīkṣāyāṁ yoṣitām api sādhvīnām adhikāro 'sti śūdrādīnāṁ ca sad-dhiyām **"*Śūdras *and women who are chaste and sincerely interested in understanding the Absolute Truth are qualified to be initiated with the *pāñcarātrika-mantras*."** ... If one actually wants to serve Kṛṣṇa, it doesn't matter whether one is a *śūdra, vaiśya, *or even a woman. If one is sincerely eager to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *or *dīkṣā-mantra, *he is qualified to be initiated according to the *pāñcarātrika *process. According to Vedic principles, only a *brāhmaṇa *who is fully engaged in his occupational duties can be initiated. *Śūdras *and women are not admitted to a *vaidika *initiation. Unless he is fit according to the estimation of the spiritual master, one cannot accept a *mantra *from the *pāñcarātrika-vidhi *or the *vaidika-vidhi. *When one is fit to accept the *mantra, *he is initiated by the *pāñcarātrika-vidhi *or the *vaidika-vidhi. *In any case, the result is the same. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/331|24.331]]* **Through bona fide initiation, anyone can become a Vaiṣṇava (and thus the whole world can be converted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness):** Those who are not actually in the line of *ācāryas, *or who personally have no knowledge of how to act in the role of *ācārya, *unnecessarily criticize the activities of the ISKCON movement in countries outside of India. The fact is that such critics cannot do anything personally to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If someone does go and preach, taking all risks and allowing all considerations for time and place, it might be that there are changes in the manner of worship, but that is not at all faulty according to *śāstra. *Śrīmad Vīrarāghava Ācārya, an *ācārya *in the disciplic succession of the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, has remarked in his commentary that *caṇḍālas, *or conditioned souls who are born in lower than *śūdra *families, can also be initiated according to circumstances. The formalities may be slightly changed here and there to make them Vaiṣṇavas.... The principle that only Indians and Hindus should be brought into the Vaiṣṇava cult is a mistaken idea. There should be propaganda to bring everyone to the Vaiṣṇava cult. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose. There is no bar to propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement even among people who are born in *caṇḍāla, mleccha *or *yavana *families. Even in India, this point has been enunciated by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī in his book *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, *which is *smṛti *and is the authorized Vedic guide for Vaiṣṇavas in their daily behavior. Sanātana Gosvāmī says that as bell metal can turn to gold when mixed with mercury in a chemical process, so, by the bona fide *dīkṣā, *or initiation method, anyone can become a Vaiṣṇava. One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is authorized by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called *dīkṣā-vidhāna. *Lord Kṛṣṇa states in *Bhagavad-gītā, vyapāśritya: *one should accept a spiritual master. By this process the entire world can be converted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/8/54|4.8.54]]* ### 4. Mutual Testing of the Spiritual Master and the Candidate for Discipleship **The guru and disciple should study each other carefully before establishing a relationship:** The *sāstras *enjoin that before we take a *guru *we study him carefully to find out whether we can surrender to him. We should not accept a *guru *suddenly out of fanaticism. That is very dangerous. The *guru *should also study the person who wants to become a disciple to see if he is fit. That is the way a relationship is established between the *guru *and disciple. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The process of mutual testing of the spiritual master and disciple:** **"In your book there should be the characteristics of the bona fide *guru *and the bona fide disciple. Then, before accepting a spiritual master, one can be assured of the spiritual master's position. Similarly, the spiritual master can also be assured of the disciple's position...."** PURPORT: As far as the mutual testing of the spiritual master and disciple is concerned, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that a bona fide disciple must be very inquisitive to understand the transcendental subject matter. As stated in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *([[sb/11/3/21|1 1.3.21]]): > tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam **"One who is inquisitive to understand the highest goal and benefit of life must approach a bona fide spiritual master and surrender unto him."** A serious disciple must be alert when selecting a bona fide spiritual master. He must be sure that the spiritual master can deliver all the transcendental necessities. The spiritual master must observe how inquisitive the disciple is and how eager he is to understand the transcendental subject matter. The spiritual master should study the disciple's inquisitiveness for no less than six months or a year. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/330|24.330]]* **The spiritual master tests the determination of the candidate for discipleship:** **Now you have decided to undertake the mystic process of meditation under the instruction of your mother, just to achieve the mercy of the Lord. But in my opinion such austerities are not possible for any ordinary man. It is very difficult to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.** PURPORT: The process of *bhakti-yoga *is* *simultaneously very difficult and very easy to perform. Śrī Nārada Muni, the supreme spiritual master, is testing Dhruva Mahārāja to see how determined he is to prosecute devotional service. This is the process for accepting a disciple. The great sage Nārada has come to Dhruva under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead just to initiate him, yet he is testing Dhruva's determination to execute the process. It is a fact, however, that for a sincere person devotional service is very easy. But for one who is not determined and sincere, this process is very difficult. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/8/30|4.8.30]]* **It is the spiritual master's duty to test how serious the disciple is to execute devotional service:** **For this reason, my dear boy, you should not endeavor for this; it will not be successful. It is better that you go home. When you are grown up, by the mercy of the Lord you will get a chance for these mystic performances. At that time you may execute this function.** PURPORT: The great sage Nārada is instructing Dhruva Mahārāja just to test him. Actually, the direct order is that from any point of life one should begin rendering devotional service. But it is the duty of the spiritual master to test the disciple to see how seriously he desires to execute devotional service. Then he may be initiated. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/8/32|4.8.32]]* ### 5. The Spiritual Master Initiates the Disciple into the Chanting of the Maha-mantra **For the holy name to have effect, it must be received from the spiritual master:** **One has to learn about the beauty and transcendental position of the holy name of the Lord by hearing the revealed scriptures from the mouths of devotees. Nowhere else can we hear of the sweetness of the Lord's holy name.** PURPORT: It is said in the *Padma Purāṇa, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ* [*Cc Madhya* [[cc/madhya/17/136|17.136]]]*. *Chanting and hearing of the transcendental name of the Lord cannot be performed by the ordinary senses. The transcendental vibration of the Lord's holy name is completely spiritual. Thus it must be received from the spiritual sources and must be chanted after having been heard from a spiritual master. One who hears the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *must receive it from the spiritual master by aural reception. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden us to hear the holy name of Kṛṣṇa chanted by non-Vaiṣṇavas, such as professional actors and singers, for it will have no effect. It is like milk touched by the lips of serpents. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/1/101|1.101]]* **Upon initiation, the disciple receives the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra from his spiritual master, whose chanting of the mantra renders it more powerful:** **Now I shall chant one *mantra *which is not only transcendental, pure and auspicious but is the best prayer for anyone who is aspiring to attain the ultimate goal of life. When I chant this *mantra, *please hear it carefully and attentively.** PURPORT: Lord Śiva voluntarily came to benedict the sons of the king as well as do something beneficial for them. He personally chanted the *mantra* so that the *mantra *would be more powerful, and he advised that the *mantra *be chanted by the king's sons (*rāja-putras*). When a *mantra *is* *chanted by a great devotee, the *mantra *becomes more powerful. Although the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *is* *powerful in itself, a disciple upon initiation receives the *mantra *from his spiritual master, for when the *mantra *is* *chanted by the spiritual master, it becomes more powerful. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/24/31|4.24.31-32]]* **A bona fide spiritual master initiates the disciple in the chanting of the holy name, which elevates him to spiritual ecstasy:** A bona fide spiritual master chants the holy names-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare-and the transcendental sound vibration enters into the ear of the disciple, and if a disciple follows in the footsteps of his spiritual master and chants the holy name with similar respect, he actually comes to worship the transcendental name. When the transcendental name is worshiped by the devotee, the name Himself spreads His glories within the heart of a devotee.... The chanting of the holy name is so powerful that it gradually establishes its supremacy above everything in the world. The devotee who chants it becomes transcendentally situated in ecstasy and sometimes laughs, cries and dances in his ecstasy. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* ### 6. At the Time of Initiation, the Spiritual Master Accepts the Burden of the Disciple's Sinful Reactions (and Must Also Suffer for Sins Subsequently Committed by the Disciple) **Immediately after the disciple's initiation, the spiritual master consumes all his sinful reactions:** As Kṛṣṇa takes away all the sinful reactions of a person immediately upon his surrender unto Him, similarly the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, the representative of Kṛṣṇa who acts as the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, takes all the resultant actions of the sinful life of the disciple immediately after the disciple's initiation. Thus if the disciple follows the principles instructed by the spiritual master, he remains purified and is not contaminated by the material infection. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore states that the spiritual master who plays the part of Kṛṣṇa's representative has to consume all the sinful reactions of his disciple. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/21/31|4.21.31]]* **When the spiritual master accepts the disciple's sinful reactions, his own results of pious acts are diminished:** **Śrī Viśvarūpa said: O demigods, although the acceptance of priesthood is decried as causing the loss of previously acquired brahminical power, how can someone like me refuse to accept your personal request? You are all exalted commanders of the entire universe. I am your disciple and must take many lessons from you. Therefore I cannot refuse you. I must agree for my own benefit.** PURPORT: A *brāhmaṇa *becomes the priest of the populace for the sake of their elevation. One who accepts the post of spiritual master neutralizes the sinful reactions of the *yajamāna, *the one on whose behalf he performs *yajña. *Thus the results of the pious acts previously performed by the priest or spiritual master are diminished. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/6/7/35|6.7.35]]* **The spiritual master sometimes suffers due to the past sinful activities of his disciples:** **Śyāmasundara: **One time you said that sometimes you feel sickness or pain due to the sinful activities of your devotees. Can sometimes disease be due to that? Caused by that? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **You see, Kṛṣṇa says: *ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ:* [*Bg* [[bg/18/66|18.66]]] "I will deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." So Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that He can immediately take up all the sins of others and immediately make them right. But when a living entity plays the part on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, he also takes the responsibility for the sinful activities of his devotees. Therefore to become a *guru *is* *not an easy task. You see? He has to take all the poisons and absorb them. So sometimes-because he is not Kṛṣṇa-sometimes there is some trouble. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden, "Don't make many *śiṣyas, *many disciples." But for preaching work we have to accept many disciples-for expanding preaching-even if we suffer. That's a fact. The spiritual master has to take the responsibility for all the sinful activities of his disciples. Therefore to make many disciples is a risky job unless one is able to assimilate all the sins.... He takes responsibility for all the fallen souls. That idea is also in the Bible. Jesus Christ took all the sinful reactions of the people and sacrificed his life. That is the responsiblity of a spiritual master. Because Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa, He is *apāpa-viddha-*He cannot be attacked by sinful reactions. But a living entity is sometimes subjected to their influence because he is so small. Big fire, small fire. If you put some big thing in a small fire, the fire itself may be extinguished. But in a big fire, whatever you put in is all right. The big fire can consume anything. *— Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers* **Sometimes, by accepting the sinful reactions of his disciples, the spiritual master undergoes a sort of tribulation:** As Kṛṣṇa takes away all the sinful reactions of a person immediately upon his surrender unto Him, similarly, the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, the representative of Kṛṣṇa who acts as the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, takes all the resultant actions of the sinful life of the disciple immediately after the disciple's initiation.... Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore stated that the spiritual master who plays the part of Kṛṣṇa's representative has to consume all the sinful reactions of his disciple. Sometimes a spiritual master takes the risk of being overwhelmed by the sinful reactions of the disciples and undergoes a sort of tribulation due to their acceptance. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advised that one not accept many disciples. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/21/31|4.21.31]]* **The danger, for a spiritual master, in accepting an unlimited number of disciples:** > bahu-śiṣya nā kariba **"One should not accept an unlimited number of disciples."** PURPORT: Accepting an unlimited number of devotees or disciples is very risky for one who is not a preacher. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, a preacher has to accept many disciples to expand the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is risky because when a spiritual master accepts a disciple, he naturally accepts the disciple's sinful activities and their reactions. Unless he is very powerful, he cannot assimilate all the sinful reactions of his disciples. Thus if he is not powerful, he has to suffer the consequences, for one is forbidden to accept many disciples. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/22/118|22.118]]* **What kinds of sinful activities performed by a disciple cause the spiritual master suffering:** **Girirāja: **Yesterday you said that the spiritual master may have to suffer due to the sinful activities of his disciples. What do you mean by sinful activities? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Sinful activities means that you promised, "I shall follow the regulative principles." If you do not follow, that is sinful. That is the promise. Very simple. You break the promise and do nasty things; therefore you are sinful. Is it not? **Girirāja:** Yes. But there are some things that we're instructed to do ... **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Hm-m? **Giriraja: **There are other things which we're instructed to do which, even though we try to do, we cannot do perfectly yet. **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **How is that? You try to do and cannot do? How is that? **Giriraja: **Like chanting attentively. Sometimes we try to, but- **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Well, that is not a fault. Suppose you are trying to do something. Due to your inexperience if you sometimes fail, that is not a fault. You are trying. There is a verse in the *Bhāgavatam-*that if a devotee is trying his best but due to his incapability he sometimes fails, Kṛṣṇa excuses him. And in the *Bhagavad-gītā *also it is said: *api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk* [Bg [[bg/9/30|9.30]]]*. *Sometimes not willingly but due to past bad habits-habit is second nature-one does something nonsensical. But that does not mean he is faulty. But he must repent for that—"I have done this." And he should try to avoid it as far as possible. But habit is second nature. Sometimes, in spite of your trying hard, *māyā *is so strong that it pushes with pitfalls. That can be excused. Kṛṣṇa excuses. But those who are doing something willingly are not excused. On the strength that I am a devotee, if I think, "Because I am chanting, I may therefore commit all this nonsense, and it will be nullified," that is the greatest offense. *— Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers* **To counteract sinful reactions accepted from disciples, the spiritual master has to see bad dreams:** Because of sinful activities, at night we have bad dreams, which are very troublesome. Indeed, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was obliged to see hell because of a slight deviation from devotional service to the Lord. Therefore, *duḥsvapna-*bad dreams-occur because of sinful activities. A devotee sometimes accepts a sinful person as his disciple, and to counteract the sinful reactions he accepts from the disciple, he has to see a bad dream. Nonetheless, the spiritual master is so kind that in spite of having bad dreams due to the sinful disciple, he accepts this troublesome business for the deliverance of the victims of Kali-yuga. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/4/15|8.4.15]]* **The spiritual master suffers for the past sinful acts of the disciple, but Kṛṣna neutralizes such sinful reactions for His servant engaged in preaching His glories:** The Supreme Personality of Godhead can accept the reactions of anyone's sinful deeds and neutralize them because He is *pavitra, *pure, like the sun, which is never contaminated by any worldly infection. *Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya vahneḥ sarva-bhujo yathā* (*Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/10/33/29|10.33.29]]). One who is very powerful is not affected by any sinful activity. But here we see that mother Ganges fears being burdened with the sins of the people in general who would bathe in her waters. This indicates that no one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is able to neutralize the reactions of sinful deeds, whether one's own or those of others. Sometimes the spiritual master, after accepting a disciple, must take charge of that disciple's past sinful activities and, being overloaded, must sometimes suffer-if not fully, then partially-for the sinful acts of the disciple. Every disciple, therefore, must be very careful not to commit sinful activities after initiation. The poor spiritual master is kind and merciful enough to accept a disciple and partially suffer for that disciple's sinful activities, but Kṛṣṇa, being merciful to His servant, neutralizes the reactions of sinful deeds for the servant who engages in preaching His glories. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/9/9/5|9.9.5]]* **After initiation, the disciple must not cause trouble for his spiritual master by committing sinful acts:** A devotee sometimes accepts a sinful person as his disciple, and to counteract the sinful reactions he accepts from the disciple, he has to see a bad dream. Nonetheless, the spiritual master is so kind that in spite of having bad dreams due to the sinful disciple, he accepts this troublesome business for the deliverance of the victims of Kali-yuga. After initiation, therefore, a disciple should be extremely careful not to commit again any sinful act that might cause difficulties for himself and the spiritual master. Before the Deity, before the fire, before the spiritual master and before the Vaiṣṇavas, the honest disciple promises to refrain from all sinful activity. Therefore he must not again commit sinful acts and thus create a troublesome situation. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/4/15|8.4.15]]* **If after initiation the disciple again commits sinful activities, his spiritual master has to suffer:** **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **He [Jesus Christ] took the sinful reactions of all the people. Therefore he suffered.... He said-that is in the Bible-that he took all the sinful reactions of the people and sacrificed his life. But these Christian people have made it a law for Christ to suffer while they do all nonsense. Such great fools they are! They have let Jesus Christ make a contract for taking all their sinful reactions so they can go on with all nonsense. That is their religion. Christ was so magnanimous that he took all their sins and suffered, but that does not induce them to *stop *all these sins. They have not come to that sense. They have taken it very easily. "Let Lord Jesus Christ suffer, and we'll do all nonsense." Is it not? **Bob:** It is so. **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **They should have been ashamed: "Lord Jesus Christ suffered for us, but we are continuing the sinful activities." He told everyone, "Thou shalt not kill," but they are indulging in killing, thinking, "Lord Jesus Christ will excuse us and take all the sinful reactions." This is going on. We should be very much cautious: "For my sinful actions my spiritual master will suffer, so I'll not commit even a pinch of sinful activities." That is the duty of the disciple. After initiation, all sinful reaction is finished. Now if he again commits sinful activities, his spiritual master has to suffer. A disciple should be sympathetic and consider this. "For my sinful activities, my spiritual master will suffer." If the spiritual master is attacked by some disease, it is due to the sinful activities of others. "Don't make many disciples." But we do it because we are preaching. Never mind-let us suffer-still we shall accept them. Therefore your question was-when I suffer is it due to my past misdeeds? Was it not? *That *is* *my misdeed-that I accepted some disciples who are nonsense. That is my misdeed. **Bob:** This happens on occasions? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Yes. This is sure to happen because we are accepting so many men. It is the duty of the disciples to be cautious. "My spiritual master has saved me. I should not put him again into suffering." When the spiritual master is in suffering, Kṛṣṇa saves him. Kṛṣṇa thinks, "Oh, he has taken so much responsibility for delivering a fallen person." So Kṛṣṇa is there. *Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati* [Bg [[bg/9/31|9.31]]]*. *[O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.] Because the spiritual master takes the risk on account of Kṛṣṇa. **Bob:** Your suffering is not the same kind of pain... **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **No, it is not due to *karma. *The pain is there sometimes, so that the disciples may know, "Due to our sinful activities, our spiritual master is suffering." **Bob:** You look very well now. **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **I am always well ... in the sense that even if there is suffering, I know Kṛṣṇa will protect me. But this suffering is not due to *my *sinful activities. *— Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers* ### 7. Brahminical Initiation (and Gāyatrī Mantra)* *This section includes only those instructions on the Gāyatrī *mantra *encountered while gathering reference on initiation. As the subject of Gayatrī *mantra *was not separately researched, the instructions contained herein are merely representative. **Why Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Ṭhākura introduced the sacred thread initiation for Vaiṣṇavas:** There are many instances in which a born *brāhmaṇa *took initiation from a person who was not born in a *brāhmaṇa *family. The brahminical symptoms are explained in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (*[[sb/7/11/35|7.11.35]]*), *wherein it is stated: > yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet If a person is born in a *śūdra *family but has all the qualities of a spiritual master, he should be accepted not only as a *brāhmaṇa *but as a qualified spiritual master also. This is also the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Ṭhākura therefore introduced the sacred thread ceremony for all Vaiṣṇavas according to the rules and regulations. Sometimes a Vaiṣṇava who is a *bhajanānandī *does not take the *sāvitra-saṁskāra *(sacred thread initiation), but this does not mean that this system should be used for preaching work. There are two kinds of Vaiṣṇavas*-bhajanānandī *and* goṣṭhyānandī.* A* bhajanānandī *is not interested in preaching work, but a *goṣṭhyānandī *is interested in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness to benefit the people and increase the number of Vaiṣṇavas. *A *Vaiṣṇava is understood to be above the position of a *brāhmaṇa. As *a preacher, he should be recognized as a *brāhmaṇa; *otherwise there may be a misunderstanding of his position as a Vaiṣṇava. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]* **The spiritual master offers the sacred thread (brahminical initiation) to a disciple who has become competent and purified by chanting, by his own judgment:** Usually, initiation depends on the bona fide spiritual master, who directs the disciple. If he sees that a disciple has become competent and purified by the process of chanting, then he offers the sacred thread to the disciple just so that he will be recognized as one hundred percent equal with a *brāhmaṇa. *This is also confirmed in the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *by Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī: "As a base metal like bell metal can be changed into gold by a chemical process, similarly any person can be changed into a *brāhmaṇa *by *dīkṣā-vidhāna, *the initiation process." ... Whether one has acquired the qualification of a *brāhmaṇa *depends on the judgment of the bona fide spiritual master. He bestows upon the disciple the position of a *brāhmaṇa *by his own judgment. When one is accepted as a *brāhmaṇa *in the sacred thread ceremony, under the Pāñcarātric system, then he is *dvija, *twice-born. That is confirmed by Sanātana Gosvāmī: *dvijatvaṁ jāyate. *By the process of initiation by the spiritual master, a person is accepted as a *brāhmaṇa *in his purified state of chanting the holy name of the Lord. He then makes further progress to become a qualified Vaiṣṇava, which means that the brahminical qualification is already acquired. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/33/6|3.33.6]]* **When the spiritual master sees that his disciple is advanced in chanting the mahā-mantra and advanced in spiritual knowledge, he offers him the Kāma-gāyatrī mantra:** Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by the Gāyatrī *mantra, *and the specific *mantra *by which He is worshiped is called Kāma-gāyatrī. Vedic literatures explain that that sound vibration which can elevate one from mental concoction is called *gāyatrī. *The Kāma-gāyatrī *mantra *is* *composed of 24 1/2 syllables thus: > klīṁ kāma-devāya vidmahe uṣpa-bāṇāya dhīmahi an no 'naṅgaḥ pracodayāt This Kāma-gāyatrī is received from the spiritual master when the disciple is advanced in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In other words, this Kāma-gāyatrī *mantra *and *saṁskāra, *or reformation of a perfect *brāhmaṇa, *are offered by the spiritual master when he sees that his disciple is advanced in spiritual knowledge. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The purpose of the Gāyatrī mantra:** [In the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*] Vyāsadeva purposefully invokes the Gāyatrī *mantra: dhīmahi. *This Gāyatrī *mantra *is* *especially meant for spiritually advanced people. When one attains success in chanting Gāyatrī *mantra, *he can enter into the transcendental position of the Lord. First, however, one must acquire the brahminical qualities and become perfectly situated in the mode of goodness in order to chant the Gāyatrī *mantra *successfully. From that point one can begin to transcendentally realize the Lord, His name, His fame, His qualities, etc. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The significance of the Gāyatrī mantra:** **"In the spiritual realm of Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual ever-fresh Cupid. He is worshiped by the chanting of the Kāma-gāyatrī *mantra *with the spiritual seed *klīṁ*."** PURPORT: *Gāyantaṁ trāyate yasmāt gāyatrī tvāṁ tataḥ smṛtā: *if one chants the Gāyatrī *mantra, *he is gradually delivered from the material clutches. That which delivers one from material entanglement is called *gāyatrī. *An explanation of the Gāyatrī *mantra *can be found in *Madhya-līlā, *Chapter Twenty-one, [[cc/madhya/21/125|text 125]]: > kāma-gāyatrī-mantra-rupa, haya kṛṣṇera svarūpa, sārdha-cabiśa akṣara tāra haya se akṣara 'candra' haya, kṛṣṇa kari' udaya tri-jagat kaila kāma-maya This *mantra *is* *just like a Vedic hymn, but it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. There is no difference between the Kāma-gāyatrī and Kṛṣṇa. Both are composed of twenty-four and a half transcendental letters. The *mantra *depicted in letters is also Kṛṣṇa, and the *mantra *rises just like the moon. Due to this, there is a perverted reflection of desire in human society and among all kinds of living entities. In the *mantra: klīṁ kāma-devāya vidmahe puṣpa-bāṇāya dhīmahi tan no 'naṅgaḥ pracodayāt, *Kṛṣṇa is called Kāmadeva or Madana-mohana, the Deity who establishes our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Govinda, or Puṣpabāṇa, who carries an arrow made of flowers, is the Personality of Godhead who accepts our devotional service. Anaṅga, or Gopījana-vallabha, satisfies all the *gopīs *and is the ultimate goal of life. This Kāma-gāyatrī *(klīṁ kāma-devāya vidmahe puṣpa-bāṇāya dhīmahi tan no 'naṅgaḥ pracodayāt) *simply does not belong to this material world. When one is advanced in spiritual understanding, he can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead with his spiritually purified senses and fulfill the desires of the Lord. ... In *Brahma-saṁhitā *it is stated (5.27-28): ..."Then Gāyatrī, mother of the *Vedas, *having been manifested by the divine sound of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's flute, entered the lotus mouth of Brahmā, the self-born, through his eight earholes. The lotus-born Brahmā received the Gāyatrī *mantra, *which had sprung from the song of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's flute. Thus he attained twice-born status, having been initiated by the supreme primal preceptor, Godhead Himself. Enlightened by the recollection of that Gāyatrī, which embodies the three *Vedas, *Brahmā became acquainted with the expanse of the ocean of truth. Then he worshiped Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the essence of all the *Vedas, *with a hymn." The vibration of Kṛṣṇa's flute is the origin of the Vedic hymns. Lord Brahmā, who is seated on a lotus flower, heard the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa's flute and was thereby initiated by the Gāyatrī *mantra.... *[One should] chant the *cinmayī *Gāyatrī, the spiritual *mantras: oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, *or *klīṁ kṛṣṇāya govindāya gopījana-vallabhāya svāhā. Klīṁ kāmadevāya vidmahe puṣpa-bāṇāya dhīmahi tan no 'naṅgaḥ pracodayāt. *These are the Kāma-gāyatrī or Kāma-bīja *mantras. *One should be initiated by a bona fide spiritual master and worship Kṛṣṇa with these transcendental *mantras *known as Kāma-gāyatrī or Kāma-bīja.... A person who is properly purified and initiated by the spiritual master worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, by this *mantra. *He chants the Kāma-gāyatrī with the Kāma-bīja. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/8/138|8.138-39]]* **The origin of the Gāyatrī mantra:** Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by the Gāyatrī *mantra, *and the specific *mantra *by which He is worshiped is called Kāma-gāyatrī. Vedic literatures explain that that sound vibration which can elevate one from mental concoction is called *gāyatrī.... *In *Brahma-saṁhitā *a nice description of the flute of Kṛṣṇa is given: "When Kṛṣṇa began to play on His flute, the sound vibration entered into the ear of Brahmā as the Vedic *mantra oṁ*." This *oṁ* is composed of three letters-A, U, and M-and it describes our relationship with the Supreme Lord, our activities by which we can achieve the highest perfection of love, and the actual position of love on the spiritual platform. When the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa's flute is expressed through the mouth of Brahmā, it becomes Gāyatrī. Thus by being influenced by the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa's flute, Brahmā, the supreme creature and first living entity of this material world, was initiated as a *brāhmaṇa. *That Brahmā was initiated as a *brāhmaṇa *by the flute of Kṛṣṇa is confirmed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. When Brahmā was enlightened by the Gāyatrī *mantra *through Kṛṣṇa's flute, he attained all Vedic knowledge. Acknowledging the benediction offered to him by Kṛṣṇa, he became the original spiritual master of all living entities. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The word "kliṁ" is the transcendental seed of love of God:** The word *klīṁ *added to the Gāyatrī *mantra *is* *explained in *Brahma-saṁhitā *as the transcendental seed of love of Godhead, or the seed of the Kāma-gāyatrī. The object is Kṛṣṇa, who is the evergreen Cupid, and by utterance of *klīṁ mantra *Kṛṣṇa is worshiped. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* ### 8. Through Initiation, Any Person Can Be Elevated to Brahminical Status When a person is properly initiated, he can acquire the qualities of a brāhmaṇa: **The *Bhakti-sandarbha *(298) gives the following quotation from the *Tattva-sāgara:*** > yathā kāñcanatāṁ yati kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām **"By chemical manipulation, bell metal is turned into gold when touched by mercury; similarly, when a person is properly initiated, he can acquire the qualities of a *brāhmaṇa*."** *— *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/15/108|15.108]]* **Under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, anyone can become a qualified brāhmaṇa:** Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī in his *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *says that a person, whatever he may be, can attain the perfection of a twice-born *brāhmaṇa *by undergoing the spiritual disciplinary actions under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, exactly as a chemist can turn gun metal into gold by chemical manipulation. It is therefore the actual guidance that matters in the process of becoming a *brāhmaṇa.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 1.15.47-48* **Anyone initiated by a Vaiṣṇava mantra can be accepted as a brāhmaṇa:** **In some villages there were no *brāhmaṇas; *nonetheless, devotees born in non-*brāhmaṇa* families came and extended invitations to Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya.** PURPORT: Actually a *sannyāsī *or a *brāhmaṇa *will not accept an invitation extended by a person born in a lower family. However, there are many devotees who are raised to the platform of *brāhmaṇa *by their initiation. These people are called *śūdra-mahājana. *This indicates that one who is born in a non-*brāhmaṇa* family has accepted the *brāhmaṇa *status by initiation. Such devotees extended invitations to Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya. A Māyāvādī *sannyāsī *will accept an invitation only from a *brāhmaṇa *family, but a Vaiṣṇava does not accept an invitation from a *brāhmaṇa *if he does not belong to the Vaiṣṇava sect. However, a Vaiṣṇava will accept an invitation from a *brāhmaṇa *or *śūdra-mahājana *if that person is an initiated Vaiṣṇava. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself accepted invitations from *śūdra-mahājanas, *and this confirms the fact that anyone initiated by a Vaiṣṇava *mantra *can be accepted as a *brāhmaṇa. *One can accept an invitation from such a person. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/17/60|17.60]]* **By proper initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, one can immediately become a brāhmaṇa:** In *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī gives definite instructions that by proper initiation by a bona fide spiritual master one can immediately become a *brāhmaṇa. *In this connection he says: > yathā kāñcanatāṁ yati kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām **"As bell metal is turned to gold when mixed with mercury in an alchemical process, so one who is properly trained and initiated by a bona fide spiritual master immediately becomes a *brāhmaṇa*."** Sometimes those born in *brāhmaṇa *families protest this, but they have no strong arguments against this principle. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, one's life can change. This is confirmed in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *by the words *jahāti bandham *and *śuddhyanti. Jahāti bandham *indicates that a living entity is conditioned by a particular type of body. The body is certainly an impediment, but one who associates with a pure devotee and follows his instructions can avoid this impediment and become a regular *brāhmaṇa *by initiation under his strict guidance. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states how a non-*brāhmaṇa* can be turned into a *brāhmaṇa *by the association of a pure devotee. *Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ: *Lord Viṣṇu is so powerful that He can do anything He likes. Therefore it is not difficult for Viṣṇu to change the body of a devotee who is under the guidance of a pure devotee of the Lord. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/47|7.47]]* **Regardless of birth, if one is initiated by a proper person, he can be accepted as a twice-born brāhmaṇa immediately:** **A civilized human being has three kinds of births. The first birth is by a pure father and mother, and this birth is called birth by semen. The next birth takes place when one is initiated by the spiritual master, and this birth is called *sāvitra. *The third birth, called *yājñika, *takes place when one is given the opportunity to worship Lord Viṣṇu....** PURPORT: It is stated that in this Age of Kali, everyone is *śūdra *due to the absence of the *garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. *This is the Vedic system. According to the *pāñcarātrika *system, however, even though everyone is a *śūdra *due to the absence of *garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, *if a person has but a little tendency to become Kṛsṇa conscious, he should be given the chance to elevate himself to the transcendental platform of devotional service. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement adopts this *pāñcarātrika-vidhi, *as advised by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, who says: > yathā kāñcanatāṁ yati kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām **"As bell metal, when mixed with mercury, is transformed to gold, a person, even though not golden pure, can be transformed into a *brāhmaṇa *or *dvija *simply by the initiation process."** Thus if one is initiated by a proper person, he can be accepted as twice-born immediately. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we therefore offer the student his first initiation and allow him to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra.* By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *regularly and following the regulative principles, one becomes qualified to be initiated as a *brāhmaṇa *because unless one is a qualified *brāhmaṇa *he cannot be allowed to worship Lord Viṣṇu. This is called *yājñika janma.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/31/10|4.31.10]]* **Initiation itself does not elevate one to the brahminical stage; one has to discharge the duties and follow the regulative principles very rigidly:** A Vaiṣṇava automatically becomes a *brāhmaṇa. *This idea is also supported by Sanātana Gosvāmī in his book *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, *which is the Vaiṣṇava guide. Therein he has clearly stated that any person who is properly initiated into the Vaiṣṇava cult certainly becomes a *brāhmaṇa, *as much as the metal known as *kaṁsa *(bell metal) is turned into gold by the mixture of mercury. A bona fide spiritual master, under the guidance of authorities, can turn anyone to the Vaiṣṇava cult so that naturally he may come to the topmost position of a *brāhmaṇa. *Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī warns, however, that if a person is properly initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, he should not think that simply by the acceptance of such initiation his business is then finished. One still has to follow the rules and regulations very carefully. If after accepting the spiritual master and being initiated one does not follow the rules and regulations of devotional service, then he is again fallen.... In other words, simply becoming initiated does not elevate one to the position of a high-class *brāhmaṇa. *One also has to discharge the duties and follow the regulative principles very rigidly. *— The Nectar of Devotion* ### 9. Other Important Instructions Concerning Initiation **Lord Kṛṣṇa accepts the initiate to be as good as Himself:** > dīkṣā-kāle bhakti kare ātma-samarpaṇa sei-kāle kṛṣṇa tāre kare ātma- **"At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa accepts him to be as good as Himself"** *— * Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/4/192|4.192]]* **By surrendering to the guru, one is freed from sinful reactions:** **"In this way, through the association of the great sage Nārada Muni, the hunter was a little convinced of his sinful activity. He therefore became somewhat afraid due to his offenses. The hunter then admitted that he was convinced of his sinful activity, and he said, 'I have been taught this business from my very childhood. Now I am wondering how I can become freed from these unlimited volumes of sinful activity.' The hunter continued, 'My dear sir, please tell me how I can be relieved from the reactions of my sinful life. Now I fully surrender unto you and fall down at your lotus feet. Please deliver me from sinful reactions.'"** PURPORT: By the grace of Nārada Muni, the hunter came to his good senses and immediately surrendered unto the saint's lotus feet. This is the process. By associating with a saintly person, one is able to understand the reactions of his sinful life. When one voluntarily surrenders to a saintly person who is a representative of Kṛṣṇa and follows his instructions, one can become freed from sinful reaction. Kṛṣṇa demands the surrender of a sinful man, and Kṛṣṇa's representative gives the same instructions. The representative of Kṛsṇa never tells his disciple, "Surrender unto me." Rather he says, "Surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." If the disciple accepts this principle and surrenders himself through the representative of Kṛṣṇa, his life is saved. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/24/252|24.252-54]]* **In the process of initiation, the disciple must surrender to the spiritual master, inquire, and hear from him:** **"The hunter replied, 'If I break my bow, how shall I maintain myself?' Nārada Muni replied, 'Do not worry. I shall supply all your food every day.' Being thus assured by the great sage Nārada Muni, the hunter broke his bow, immediately fell down at the saint's lotus feet and fully surrendered. After this, Nārada Muni raised him with his hand and gave him instructions for spiritual advancement.''** PURPORT: This is the process of initiation. The disciple must surrender to the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master, being in the disciplic succession stemming from Nārada Muni, is in the same category with Nārada Muni. A person can be relieved from his sinful activity if he surrenders to the lotus feet of a person who actually represents Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni gave instructions to the hunter after the hunter surrendered. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/24/257|24.257-58]]* **At the time of initiation, the devotee becomes situated on the transcendental platform:** **"At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa accepts him to be as good as Himself. When the devotee's body is thus transformed into spiritual existence, the devotee, in that transcendental body, renders service to the lotus feet of the Lord. 'The living entity who is subjected to birth and death, when he gives up all material activities dedicating his life to Me for executing My order, and thus acts according to My direction, at that time he reaches the platform of immortality, and becomes fit to enjoy the spiritual bliss of exchange of loving mellows with Me.'"** PURPORT: At the time of initiation, a devotee gives up all his material conceptions. Therefore, being in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is situated on the transcendental platform. Thus having attained knowledge and the spiritual platform, he always engages in the service of the spiritual body of Kṛṣṇa. When one is freed from material connections in this way, his body immediately becomes spiritual, and Kṛṣṇa accepts his service. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/4/192|4.192-94]]* **It is essential for a disciple to change his name after initiation:** **"My dear Sākara Mallika, from this day your names will be changed to Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Sanātana..."** PURPORT: Actually this is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's initiation of Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika. They approached the Lord with all humility, and the Lord accepted them as old servants, as eternal servants, and He changed their names. It is to be understood from this that it is essential for a disciple to change his name after initiation. > śaṅkha-cakrādy-ūrdhva-puṇdra- hāraṇādy-ātma-laksaṇam an nāma-karaṇaṁ caiva aiṣṇavatvam ihocyate **"After initiation, the disciple's name must be changed to indicate that he is a servant of Lord Viṣṇu. The disciple should also immediately begin marking his body with *tilaka *(*ūrdhva-puṇḍra*), especially his forehead. These are spiritual marks, symptoms of a perfect Vaiṣṇava."** This is a verse from the *Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa.* A member of the *sahajiyā-sampradāya *does not change his name; therefore he cannot be accepted as a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava. If a person does not change his name after initiation, it is to be understood that he will continue in his bodily conception of life. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/1/208|1.208]]* **If after accepting initiation one does not follow the rules and regulations of devotional service, he is again fallen:** Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī warns that if a person is properly initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, he should not think that simply by the acceptance of such initiation his business is then finished. One still has to follow the rules and regulations very carefully. If after accepting the spiritual master and being initiated one does not follow the rules and regulations of devotional service, then he is again fallen. One must be very vigilant to remember that he is the part and parcel of the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, and it is his duty as part and parcel to give service to the whole, or Kṛṣṇa. If we do not render service to Kṛṣṇa then again we fall down. In other words, simply becoming initiated does not elevate one to the position of a high-class *brāhmaṇa. *One also has to discharge the duties and follow the regulative principles very rigidly. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **By following brahminical behavior, one may be offered sannyāsa initiation:** According to Vedic injunctions, only a *brāhmaṇa *may be offered *sannyāsa. *The Śaṅkara-sampradāya *(ekadaṇḍa-sannyāsa-sampradāya*) awards the *sannyāsa *order only to caste *brāhmaṇas, *or born *brāhmaṇas, *but in the Vaiṣṇava system even one not born in a *brāhmaṇa *family may be made a *brāhmaṇa *according to the direction of the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām*). Any person from any part of the world may be made a *brāhmaṇa *by the regular process of initiation, and when he follows brahminical behavior, observing the principle of abstaining from intoxication, illicit sex, meat-eating and gambling, he may be offered *sannyāsa. *All the *sannyāsīs *in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, who are preaching all over the world, are regular *brāhmaṇa-sannyāsīs.* *— *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/17/266|17.266]]* **As soon as a bona fide guru is encountered, one can be initiated without waiting for a suitable time or place:** As far as the time of *dīkṣā *(initiation) is concerned, everything depends on the position of the *guru. *As soon as a bona fide *guru *is* *received by chance or by a program, one should immediately take the opportunity to receive initiation. In the book called *Tattva-sāgara, *it is stated:..."If by chance, one gets a *sad-guru, *it doesn't matter whether one is in the temple or the forest. If the *sad-guru, *the bona fide spiritual master, agrees, one can be initiated immediately, without waiting for a suitable time or place." *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/331|24.331]]* **The importance of puraścaryā-viddhi for spiritual initiation:** The *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *(17.11-12), in discussing the *puraścaryā *process, quotes the following verses from *Agastya-saṁhitā*:..."In* *the morning, afternoon and evening, one should worship the Deity, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra, *offer oblations, perform a fire sacrifice, and feed the *brāhmaṇas. *These five activities constitute *puraścaryā. *To attain full success when taking initiation from the spiritual master, one should first perform these *puraścaryā *processes."... In the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *(17.4-5, 7) it is stated:..."Without performing the *puraścaryā *activities, one cannot become perfect even by chanting the *mantra *for hundreds of years. However, one who has undergone the *puraścaryā-vidhi *process can attain success very easily. If one wishes to perfect his initiation, he must first undergo the *puraścaryā *activities. The *puraścaryā *process is the life-force by which one is successful in chanting the *mantra. *Without the life-force, one cannot do anything; similarly, without the life-force of *puraścaryā-vidhi, *no *mantra *can be perfected." *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/15/108|15.108]]* SMD: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda ### His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gauḍīya Maṭhas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad he became his formally initiated disciple. At their first meeting, in 1922, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura requested Śrīla Prabhupāda to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years that followed, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote a commentary on the *Bhagavad-gītā, *assisted the Gauḍīya Maṭha in its work and, in 1944, without assistance, started an English fortnightly magazine, edited it, typed the manuscripts and checked the galley proofs. He even distributed the individual copies and struggled to maintain the publication. Once begun, the magazine never stopped; it is now being continued by his disciples in the West and is published in nineteen languages. Recognizing Śrīla Prabhupāda's philosophical learning and devotion, the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Society honored him in 1947 with the title ''Bhaktivedanta." In 1950, at the age of fifty-four, Śrīla Prabhupāda retired from married life, adopting the *vānaprastha *(retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. Śrīla Prabhupāda traveled to the holy city of Vṛndāvana, where he lived in very humble circumstances in the historic medieval temple of Rādhā-Dāmodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing. He accepted the renounced order of life (*sannyāsa*) in 1959. At Rādhā-Dāmodara, Śrīla Prabhupāda began work on his life's masterpiece: a multivolume translation of and commentary on the eighteen-thousand-verse *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa). *He also wrote *Easy Journey to Other Planets.* After publishing three volumes of the *Bhāgavatam, *Śrīla Prabhupāda came to the United States, in 1965, to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master. Subsequently, His Divine Grace wrote more than sixty volumes of authoritative translations, commentaries and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India. In 1965, when he first arrived by freighter in New York City, Śrīla Prabhupāda was practically penniless. It was after almost a year of great difficulty that he established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in July of 1966. Before his passing away on November 14, 1977, he guided the Society and saw it grow to a worldwide confederation of more than one hundred *āśramas, *schools, temples, institutes and farm communities. In 1968, Śrīla Prabhupāda created New Vrindaban, an experimental Vedic community in the hills of West Virginia. Inspired by the success of New Vrindaban, now a thriving farm community of more than one thousand acres, his students have since founded several similar communities in the United States and abroad. In 1972, His Divine Grace introduced the Vedic system of primary and secondary education in the West by founding the Gurukula school in Dallas, Texas. Since then, under his supervision, his disciples have established children's schools throughout the United States and the rest of the world. As of 1978, there are ten Gurukula schools worldwide, with the principal educational center now located in Vṛndāvana, India. Śrīla Prabhupāda also inspired the construction of several large international cultural centers in India. The center at Śrīdhāma Māyāpur in West Bengal is the site for a planned spiritual city, an ambitious project for which construction will extend over the next decade. In Vṛndāvana, India, is the magnificent Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Temple and International Guesthouse. There is also a major cultural and educational center in Bombay. Other centers are planned in a dozen other important locations on the Indian subcontinent. Śrīla Prabhupāda's most significant contribution, however, is his books. Highly respected by the academic community for their authoritativeness, depth and clarity, they are used as standard textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into twenty-eight languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 exclusively to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become the world's largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy. In just twelve years, in spite of his advanced age, Śrīla Prabhupāda circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Śrīla Prabhupāda continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture. Śpeaking about Varṇāśrama-dharmaVB25