20251211 Initiation Address

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: So, I offer special homage to His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami Mahārāja! I am very thankful that the devotees of this wonderful temple has allowed us to have this ceremony. So, there are different kinds of nivedana. Anna-nivedana, puṣpa-nivedana – today we are having a very special nivedana – ātma-nivedana! I hope those who have asked for initiation have taken vows to follow the four regulative principles and chant 16 rounds minimum every day. Please raise your hands? Who have not taken the vows? Please raise your hands. So, sometimes people ask why the guru does not give me any order? But this is the order that you should follow these vows! I mean, this is a very serious thing – to take initiation! And this gives you the possibility of gradually developing yourself in kṛṣṇa-prema! But it is a step-by-step process. Bhajana-kriyā to anartha-nivṛtti, niṣṭhā, ruci, āsakti, bhāva and prema. So, as you advance all these things become revealed to you. You have to give your association to the fallen souls, not take their association! Because people who think they are they body, they don’t know they are the soul and are not to be followed. So most of the people are in this material mode.

So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is not saying that you should take sannyāsa. Gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. Whether you are a gṛhastha or in the renounced order, you should all chant Hare Kṛṣṇa! And your life should be dedicated to Kṛṣṇa! And how much happiness, bliss there is in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is unlimited! So, how much you realize, will come by how well you practice. So, those who are taking second initiation in addition to the sixteen rounds, they have to chant 210 extra mantras! Morning, noon and evening. So, some of the mantras are only three words! Anyway, they cannot carry it over to the next day! You have to chant the same day!

Now we prescribe that the devotees have to have the Bhakti-śāstrī degree. So if you all don’t have your Bhakti-śāstrī yet, you can start getting it. Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted us to read his books. He told me to read the Bhagavad-gītā ten times before first initiation! We require people to read Bhagavad-gītā at least two times. I hope that everyone has completed their reading! And even if you don’t know how to read, someone can read it out to you and you can listen. Or you have the ‘Transcend App’ which has an audio version in it. So, like this, we want you all to be very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

We are in the Brahma-Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. The sampradāya is famous for having scholars. So, we want all of you to be expert in the spiritual literatures. His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami was also BBT Trustee, and he published Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “If you distribute my books, you will be happy! If you read my books you will BE!” That means if you don’t read his books, you won’t be Kṛṣṇa conscious! We want that each of you make at least one devotee! Maybe you will make ten devotees!

I saw a video of two devotees, husband and wife, they are making hundreds of devotees! So I was very happy to see this! So, I am mainly in Māyāpur and rarely come to Western India. But I will try to come frequently! I can be reached by internet by letter. And in this way, we want you all to progress in your bhakti-yoga. You are now officially yogīs! Bhakti-yogīs! So, of all the yogas, bhakti-yoga is the highest! Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā, He cannot be reached by any other yoga.

I will chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra first for your hearing:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare