760404 - Lecture Initiation Excerpt - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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760404IN-VRNDAVAN - April 04, 1976 - 10.07 Minutes

Prabhupāda: that we accept devotees from any part of the world. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). Just immediately we initiated a devotee, Bhṛgu Muni dāsa. He is from Iran. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is this, that

pṛthivite āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that in every village and every town on the surface of the globe should at least hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So what is your country?

Devotee (1): The United States.

Prabhupāda: The United States. United States, of course, it is going on. In Brazil, other countries, now they are spreading. So do it very nicely. What is that?

Devotee (2): Parama-karuṇa.

Prabhupāda: Parama-karuṇa dāsa. Come on.

Devotees: Jaya. Haribol.

Prabhupāda: (break)

. . . kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(CC Madhya 19.53)

Batao kya jawab. (Tell me the answer.) Huh? And the name? (break) Those who are initiated this evening, I have several times explained what is the meaning of initiation. Initiation means beginning of receiving transcendental knowledge. In the Vedas it is enjoined that in order to understand the transcendental science, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). The human form of life is meant for understanding transcendental knowledge. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth.

So everyone should be interested to understand the Absolute Truth. But this is Kali-yuga. Practically nobody is interested. The symptoms of Kali-yuga is Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). They are very slow or all bad, mandāḥ. And even if one is little anxious, he is victimized by some false way. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And Manda-bhāgyā. Therefore preaching is required to awaken them to spiritual consciousness.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to awaken the victimized soul to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa personally comes to awaken this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's servants, they also try to do the same business on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa recognizes such preachers as very, very dear to Him. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). So the whole world is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So those who are initiated, they should decide that "In this life we shall simply serve Kṛṣṇa." That should be the . . . Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajanti māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28).

So this is the . . . initiation means beginning. Now, if you follow the rules and regulation—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication up to the drinking of tea and smoking and chewing pān. So these are considered as the four pillars of sinful life. So nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa with sinful activities. That is not possible.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇām

te dvanda-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

(BG 7.28)

So if you are actually serious, approaching Kṛṣṇa—He is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12)—you have to cleanse yourself from all sinful activities. So therefore we request everyone to give up these habits: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Then he becomes gradually purified. And if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra . . . Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). One side, he should personally endeavor, and other side, he should chant, ceto-darpaṇa, the method of cleansing the heart.

So we have got many śāstric evidences how one can become completely sinless simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and observing very strictly the four prohibitive rules and regulations. I hope those who are initiated today, you have promised before Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Deity, before Vaiṣṇava and before the fire to give up these habits and do not take to . . . even if you are practiced now, you do not take it again. This is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's initiation. Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to deliver all the sinful men. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddhārilo, tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said that "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu so merciful that He delivered all kinds of sinful men," pāpī tāpī, "all types of suffering from material disease." And what is the medicine? Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddhārilo. And evidence? Tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. You see Jagāi-Mādhāi.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited one example, to deliver Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi means they were born in a very aristocratic brāhmaṇa family, but by bad association they became illicit sex, woman-hunter, drunkards and meat-eaters and gamblers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, through the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu, delivered them. And the only promise was that, "You promise no more this sinful life. Then I accept you." So if we give up our sinful activity, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes you. There is no condition, because in this age everyone is addicted to sinful life, but he simply promises that "Henceforward I shall not act anything sinfully," these four principles. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. Haribol.

Prabhupāda: Where is the hat Give some. Yes, give him five rupees. You have got? . . . (indistinct Hindi) (kirtan) (end)