Initiation Lecture

Prabhupāda:

nama apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā yaḥ smaret puṅḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhya abhyantaram śuci śrī viṣṅu, śrī viṣṅu, śrī viṣṅu [Garuḍa Purāṅa]

[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṅa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]

The purport of this mantra is that any condition of life. There are two conditions: pavitra and apavitraḥ. Pavitra means purified, and apavitraḥ means contaminated. We are all spirit soul. By nature we are purified, but at the present moment, in this material condition of life with this material body, we are contaminated.

So this whole process of Kṛṣṅa consciousness is to liberate ourself from the contaminated state to the pure stage. Just like a man, when he is diseased, he is treated under prescribed medical method to come to the healthy stage. To come to the healthy stage does not mean that your features will be changed. Just like a diseased man, when he is cured of the disease, he has got the same two hands and legs and mouth and everything. It is simply he is freed from the symptoms of the disease.

Similarly, to become liberated does not mean that we shall become impersonal. That is a false theory. Every living entity is a person. God is person, everyone: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].

[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]

God is the Supreme Person amongst millions... Why millions? Unlimited persons, asaṅkhya. Asaṅkhya means there is no number how many living entities we are. They are simply left in plural number, nityānāṁ. Nityo nityānāṁ: Kṛṣṅa, or God, is singular number, nitya, and we living entities, we are plural number. How many we are, there is no counting. Jīva-asāṅkhyā: the living entities are innumerable, but God is one.

So the Vedic information gives us that God is one supreme person, eternal amongst many eternals—but they are not supreme. This plural number are not supreme. Supreme means one. If supreme has any competition, then how He can be supreme? Therefore there is nobody equal to God or greater than Him. Asamordhva. Asama means "nobody can be on the equal level of God." Whoever he may be, however powerful that he may be, nobody can be equal with God.

Just like Kṛṣṅa, when He was playing His pastime as a child of Yaśodā. Mother Yaśodā was trying to bind Him, and she collected rope in her home as much as possible, and as soon as she was going to knot, give knot, there was some shortage, two inches. In this way Mother Yaśodā become exasperated; she was perspiring, that "How to solve this problem? How to knot it?" So that is the position. Kṛṣṅa, although He was playing the child of Mother Yaśodā, the indication was, "Mother, I have become your child because you wanted Me like that. But that does not mean you can bind Me if I do not agree." That is Kṛṣṅa. "Now I think you have perspiring there, too much time. You can bind now."

So that is Kṛṣṅa's position. Nobody can be equal. Because Kṛṣṅa agrees to play with you, to become your friend, to become your master or sometimes to give you some service also—Kṛṣṅa is so kind—but never think that Kṛṣṅa is..., you are equal to Kṛṣṅa. No. Any circumstance, He is asamordhva [Ādi 4.242–243]

[Although My beauty defeats the beauty of ten million Cupids, although it is unequaled and unsurpassed, and although it gives pleasure to the three worlds, seeing Rādhārāṅī gives pleasure to My eyes.]

Therefore He is singular number, He is always singular number. There cannot be Gods, only God—one singular number.

So nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. So qualitatively we are the same, cetana. Cetana means conscious. God is conscious; we are conscious. But His consciousness and your consciousness is not of the same quantity. His consciousness is..., He can remember millions of years past, present and future. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, when Arjuna was informed by Kṛṣṅa that "This Bhagavad-gītā philosophy, yoga system, was spoken by Me to the sun-god, first." That means millions and millions of years ago, when He was speaking to Kṛṣṅa, er, Arjuna. So Arjuna enquired, "My dear Kṛṣṅa, we are contemporary. How it is that You spoke to the sun-god?"

That is to clear the thing. Arjuna understood what Kṛṣṅa said, but rascals like us will think, "How is it that, that Kṛṣṅa said millions of years ago?" So to clear the point Arjuna enquired, "How it is possible?" The reply was, "My dear Arjuna, both yourself and I appeared many times before, but you have forgotten; I do not." This is consciousness. The quantity of consciousness is the difference between God and the living entity.

Our consciousness is limited, and Kṛṣṅa's consciousness is unlimited, unfathomed. So we may have forgotten everything in our past life, but Kṛṣṅa does not forget. Kṛṣṅa keeps account every beat of your action. He is sitting in your heart:

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61]

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

He is keeping account. You wanted to do something. "All right," Kṛṣṅa says, "Do it." You wanted to become a tiger? "All right," Kṛṣṅa says, "you become a tiger, and you hunt animal and suck fresh blood, satisfy your senses." So Kṛṣṅa gives you chance. Similarly if you want to be Kṛṣṅa-ite, Kṛṣṅa conscious, and enjoy with Him, He will give you the facility. All facilities He will give you.

If you want to become something, He will give you full facility. If you want to forget Him, He will give you so much intelligence that you will forget Him forever. And if you want to associate with Him, He will give you chance, personally association, just like the gopīs, the cowherd boys, playing with Kṛṣṅa.

This description of Kṛṣṅa's playing with the cowherd boy is given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He says,

itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṅa sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṅya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]

[All the boys would be differently engaged. Some boys blew their flutes, and others blew bugles made of horn. Some imitated the buzzing of the bumblebees, and others imitated the voice of the cuckoo. Some boys imitated flying birds by running after the birds' shadows on the ground, some imitated the beautiful movements and attractive postures of the swans, some sat down with the ducks, sitting silently, and others imitated the dancing of the peacocks.

Some boys attracted young monkeys in the trees, some jumped into the trees, imitating the monkeys, some made faces as the monkeys were accustomed to do, and others jumped from one branch to another. Some boys went to the waterfalls and crossed over the river, jumping with the frogs, and when they saw their own reflections on the water they would laugh. They would also condemn the sounds of their own echoes.

In this way, all the cowherd boys used to play with Kṛṣṅa, who is the source of the Brahman effulgence for jñānīs desiring to merge into that effulgence, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead for devotees who have accepted eternal servitorship, and who for ordinary persons is but another ordinary child. The cowherd boys, having accumulated the results of pious activities for many lives, were able to associate in this way with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How can one explain their great fortune?]

These cowherd boys are playing. Playing with whom? He says, itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā: the Supreme Absolute Truth whom the impersonalists, the philosophers, think of, here is that person. And dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena: those who are devotees, the Supreme Person, He is here. And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṅa: those who are ordinarily, they are thinking Kṛṣṅa as ordinary child, but anyway He is the same, either you are thinking ordinary human being or the Supreme Absolute Truth or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These boys are playing with Him because they accumulated kṛta-puṅya-puñjāḥ. Volumes of pious activities, many, many lives, now they have got this opportunity. So everyone can have this opportunity. So if you want to have that opportunity, then you must be purified.

So this initiation process means purification. It will make you perfectly purified, so that you can also associate with Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone has got the chance. Kṛṣṅa is not partial, He is available to somebody, not available to somebody. No. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg 9.32]

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

Here in this material world, those who are born in low families, they are considered abominable, or something like that. But Kṛṣṅa says, "Anyone, never mind in whatever family or whatever species of life he is born, if he is under regulative principles purified, and takes shelter unto Me, under proper direction, everyone comes unto Me."

kiṁ punar brāhmaṅāḥ puṅyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā [Bg 9.33]

[How much greater then are the brāhmaṅas, the righteous, the devotees and saintly kings who in this temporary miserable world engage in loving service unto Me.]

And what to speak of highly elevated, purified brāhmaṅas and kṣatriyas? Anyone can come. So there is no ban to approach Kṛṣṅa. There is no ban, there is no hindrance, provided one is prepared to purify. That's all.

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement therefore first recommends that you dismantle the four pillars of sinful life. Break the pillars. What are these? Illicit sex life, meat-eating, gambling and taking to intoxicants. These four pillars. The whole world is standing on these four pillars of sinful activity, and at the same time they want peace. You see? This is not possible. There cannot be [indistinct] peace without Kṛṣṅa consciousness, rest assured, however you may try for it. It is not possible.

So this initiation process means purification process. And how it is possible? Yaḥ smaret puṅḍarīkākṣam [Garuḍa Purāṅa]:

[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṅa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]

Anyone who always remembers, meditates. This meditation means remembering Viṣṅu. That is real meditation. Mat-paraḥ—Viṣṅu. So smaret, as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, you remember, you immediately remember Kṛṣṅa. And how to remember Kṛṣṅa? Therefore there is Deity. You always see the Deity, and immediately you remember Kṛṣṅa, this form of Kṛṣṅa, the name of Kṛṣṅa, the quality of Kṛṣṅa, the entourage of Kṛṣṅa, the pastimes of Kṛṣṅa. In this way our reading of Bhagavad-gītā..., Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, pastimes of Kṛṣṅa. His dealing with His devotees, His dealing with the demons, that is also pastime.

So when we hear, chant, remember, see always Kṛṣṅa, yaḥ smaret, ultimately you come to the point of remembering Kṛṣṅa. And as soon as you remember Kṛṣṅa you are purified. Immediately you are purified. But we are put into certain condition now, that we are being purified, and at the same time again committing something sinful. Because we have been practiced to this habit since a very, very long time—not only in this life, but also in the past life. Therefore the process should be constantly chanting,

Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

In this way, when your portion of sinful life will be completely made zero, you will immediately become eligible to be transferred to the Kṛṣṅaloka. That's all. Immediately. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ... [Bg 7.28]

[Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.]

Not only there; here also.

This bhakti-yoga process cannot be accepted by any ordinary man, a sinful man. Those who are engaged in this temple worship of Kṛṣṅa, offering food, offering ārati, offering..., decorating, changing dress, preparing food—so many engagements—going outside collecting some money for the expenditure of the temple, maintaining the establishment... Eh? We have got to spend more than $2,000 dollars for this particular establishment, and we have got twenty-six. So we have to work, but not work like the karmīs. We have to work for Kṛṣṅa. That is our business.

So in this way those who are engaged in Kṛṣṅa business, in Kṛṣṅa consciousness business, they are already free from the sinful reaction of life. They are not ordinary person; otherwise how they are restraining themselves from these four principles of sinful life? They are not ordinary persons. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that one can be engaged in the Kṛṣṅa consciousness activities when he is completely freed from all sinful activities. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Pāpam means sinful life, or sinful activities, or reaction.

One who has finished this contaminated life, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṅya-karmaṅām... [Bg 7.28]

How it is possible? By executing pious activities. And what is that pious activities? Just chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and spread it, that's all. You haven't got to make charities, as it was custom before. Where is the money to give in charity? You are beggars. But we can give in charity the most sublime thing: Hare Kṛṣṅa.

So all these boys and girls who are engaged in distributing this Hare Kṛṣṅa movement, they are always engaged in pious activities. Puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanam [SB 1.2.17].

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

Puṅya—pious; śravaṅa-kīrtanam—kīrtana chanting and hearing: if you understand or don't understand, but you are associating with pious activities, so pious man.

yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṅya-karmaṅām te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā [Bg 7.28]

[Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.]

They are freed from dualities. What is that duality? That anyone who is thinking that there is something beyond Kṛṣṅa, he is in duality. Actually there is nothing beyond Kṛṣṅa. There is nothing beyond Kṛṣṅa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]—everything Kṛṣṅa's, or Kṛṣṅa.

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

That realization is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. This planet, there are many florist shops, people are purchasing millions of dollars' daily, but he is purchasing for his sense gratification. That is non-Kṛṣṅa. The same flower, we purchase and bring it for decorating Kṛṣṅa's throne, it is Kṛṣṅa conscious. There is the difference. When you use things for your sense gratification, that is material. And as soon as you use it for Kṛṣṅa, it is spiritual.

Actually there is nothing aspect[?] material, because everything emanation from Kṛṣṅa. The quality is there. Just like sunshine: the sunshine, the quality of warmth is there, as the warmth is there in the sun globe. Similarly, the sunshine is also warm. But when it is clouded or covered by the snow, we feel something else. But that is not actually the sunshine; it is sun covered. Similarly, the spiritual quality of everything is covered by sense gratification. That is materialism. And you uncover it, engage it for Kṛṣṅa, it is spiritual. That is the original quality, Kṛṣṅa.

So everything in this way. People may say, "Oh you are eating rice, dāl, cāpāṭi, and you say it is spiritual prasādam, and in our case it is not. Why?" Why? It is offered to Kṛṣṅa. So you have to offer everything, prāṅair arthair dhiyā vācā [SB 10.22.35].

[It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.]

You offer your life, you offer your wealth, you offer your intelligence, you offer your words. Then there is nothing; you become Kṛṣṅa conscious, and your life becomes purified, and you become eligible to enter into Kṛṣṅa's planet.

The people are spending millions of dollars to enter into the moon planet. And what is their moon planet? So far they have informed, there is nothing; they have collected some dust. If they can spend so much money for collecting some dried grass from the moon planet, eh, why not apply everything for entering the beautiful, transcendental planet of Kṛṣṅa? Is it very bad business? No. Less intelligent persons, they are engaged otherwise. These boys are very intelligent.

Kṛṣṅa ye bhaje se baḍa catura [Cc Antya 4.67].

[Anyone who takes to devotional service is exalted, whereas a nondevotee is always condemned and abominable. Therefore in the discharge of devotional service to the Lord, there is no consideration of the status of one’s family.]

Anyone who engages himself in Kṛṣṅa consciousness business is very, very intelligent, is the most intelligent person. So we are making the foolish persons intelligent. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. The best education we are giving, the best life we are giving. Let anyone come, they will find here it is sublime, the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is sublime.

Now I have got..., received one news from Detroit. They were arrested, and there was charge against them. The police gave them ticket and there was a case, and the judge saw them and learned the whole thing, and immediately ordered to "Go, please, peacefully." They were discharged.

Remember and follow the regulative principles. The..., avoid the ten kinds of offenses and chant Hare Kṛṣṅa beads at least sixteen times daily, and spread Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Be happy, make others happy, and Kṛṣṅa will be happy. Then our business is finished.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! [end]