# Initiation *On accepting a spiritual master and the disciple's responsibilities* --- ### First Step > One has to accept a bona fide spiritual master. That is our process. Without accepting a bona fide spiritual master, we cannot make any progress. It is impossible. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura happens to be ācāryas, one of the ācāryas. And he has left behind him many books. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Must Be Inquisitive > He must be jijñāsuḥ. He must be jijñāsuḥ. We get so many letters daily, so many inquiries. The student must be very inquisitive. Otherwise, how he shall make progress? If he remains dumb, then what the bona fide spiritual master can do? If you go to a very nice school but if you do not study, if you do not inquire, then what is the use of going to the nice school? — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Utilize the Opportunity > You must be also very alert to inquire, to understand, to make progress. Then it will be all right. If you do not utilize the benefit of having a bona fide spiritual master, then that is your fault. You must utilize the opportunity. We are publishing so many books, so many literatures, magazines. Why? Just to enlighten more and more. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### When to Change > Change of spiritual master requires when the spiritual master is not bona fide. Otherwise, there is no necessity of changing. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Personal Touch Required > "Can you associate through a book?" she asked. Yes, through books, and also personal. Because when you make a spiritual master you have got personal touch. Not that in air you make a spiritual master. You make spiritual master concrete. So as soon as you make spiritual master, you should be inquisitive. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Follow Instructions > He has to do everything under the instruction of the spiritual master. That is his duty. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means who voluntarily accepts disciplinary measures from the spiritual master. He's ruled by the spiritual master. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Not a Fashion > Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. When one is actually inquisitive to understand his position, that inquisitiveness is the qualification for approaching a spiritual master. Otherwise there is no need of having a spiritual master for the showbottle. There is no need. — [[spoken/1970/701225sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Sampradāya Required > So we have to accept religious principles from the leaders of the sampradāya. Otherwise it is useless. Sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te viphalā matāḥ: "If you do not accept mantra initiation from the disciplic succession of the sampradāya, then it will be useless." — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Becoming a Disciple > Arjuna was placing himself not as friend but as disciple. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. Prapannam means surrender. So that is the Vedic injunction, that if you want to know transcendental knowledge or science, you must surrender to guru. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- ### Through the Ācārya > So our this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, process, is go through the ācārya. Servant of the servant of the servant. We should try to become servant of the servant. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. Dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. We should not approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. That is not good. — [[spoken/1971/710903ba.lon|Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, 1971]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on initiation* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]