Lecture & Initiation

Type: Initiation

Date: Oct. 20, 1968

Location: Seattle

Audio file: audio/transcripts/1968/681020IN-SEATTLE.mp3

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Lecture & Initiation

Prabhupāda: [kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [break]

[18:14]

[sings] Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to approach the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Directly. This is a special gift of Lord Caitanya, that... In this age there are so many anomalies, defects in the life of human being that gradually they are giving up the idea of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. Not only gradually they are giving up, they have already given up.

So Vedānta-sūtra therefore says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. It is not that a different type of religious system we are introducing. It is a great necessity of the present day. Because we say that either you follow scripture, Bible, or you follow Koran or you follow Vedas, the aim is God. But at the present moment, due to the influence of this Kali-yuga... Kali-yuga means the age of quarrel and disagreement. So in this age people are embarrassed in so many ways.

First disqualification is that they do not live for long time. The average duration of life in India is thirty-five years, and I do not know exactly what is the average age here, but in India the people are overcrowded. They have no such intelligence, or they did not care to go outside India, colonize. Everyone went there to exploit, but they never thought of exploiting other places. That is their cultural...

They do not try to encroach upon others' property. Anyway, India's position is very precarious, because they have left their own culture and they're trying to imitate the Western culture, which they cannot, due to so many circumstances, and therefore they're put into..., between the horns of Scylla and Charybdis. You see.

So this age is like that. Not only in India; in other countries the difficulties are in a different way. The problems are different. But there are problems, either in India or in America or in China. Everywhere, they are trying to make so many schemes for world peace. In your country also, in America even, there is no safety of life for big men like Kennedys, you see.

Anyone can be killed at any moment, and there is no action. So there is another problem. In Communist country they are, by force, they're ruling on the citizens. So many Russians, so many Chinese, they are going away out of their country. They do not like this Communist idea.

So problems are there due to this age. Due to this age of Kali, the problems are there. And what are the problems? The problems are that in this age people are very short-lived, their duration of life. We do not know when we shall die. At any moment. It is said that during Lord Rāmacandra's rule, a brāhmaṇa...

[aside:] It's not working?

...a brāhmaṇa, he came to the king, "My dear king, my son has died. So please explain why, in the presence of father, a son shall die." Just see how much the king was responsible. An old father came to complain to the king, "What is the reason that in the presence of the father, a son dies? Please explain."

So just see how much responsible government was there. The government is responsible if the son dies before the father. Naturally, the father is older than the son, so he must die first. So such responsible government was there. Now, in the civilized world, anyone can be killed by anyone, but nobody cares for it.

So duration of life is very uncertain in this age. At any moment we can die. But this life, this human form of life, is meant for a sublime gain. What is that? To make a permanent solution of the miserable condition of our life. In this... So long we are in this material form, this body, we have to change from one body to another, one body to another. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9].

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

Repeated birth, repeated death. Soul is immortal, eternal, but changing, just like you are changing the dress. So this problem they do not take into account, but this is a problem. The human life is meant for making a solution of this problem, but neither they have any knowledge, nor they are very much serious about solving these problems.

So duration, if you get a long duration of life, then there is chance you may meet somebody, you may meet some good association that you can make the solution of your life. But that is also impossible now, because our duration of life is very short. So prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ mandāḥ [SB 1.1.10].

[O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.]

And even whatever duration of life we have got, we are not properly utilizing. We are utilizing this life just like animal, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. In this age, if anyone can eat sumptuously, he thinks, "Oh, my day's duty is finished." If anyone can provide a wife and two or three children, he is to be considered as a very big man. You see? He is providing a family. Because mostly they are without family, without any responsibility. This is the symptoms of this age.

So even if we have got short life, we are not very serious. Mandāḥ, very slow. Just like here, we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nobody is serious about to learn or to understand what is this movement. And if somebody is interested, they want to be cheated. They want something cheap or cheap something for self-realization. They have got money, they want to pay somebody some fees, and if he says that "I'll give you some mantra and you will, fifteen minutes' meditation, within six months you'll become God," these things they want.

Mandāḥ manda-matayo. Manda-matayo means very foolish conclusion. They do not think that "Solution of the problems of life can be purchased only by paying thirty-five dollars?" They have become so foolish. Because if we say that to make a solution of your problems of life you have to follow these principles, "Oh, this is very difficult. Let me pay thirty-five dollars and solve it, make a solution." You see?

So they want to be cheated. They are called manda-matayo. And cheaters come and cheat them. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā [SB 1.1.10]. Manda-bhāgyā means they are unfortunate also. Even God comes and canvasses Himself, "Please come to Me," oh, they don't care for it. You see? Therefore unfortunate. If somebody comes and offers you one million dollars, if you say, "I don't like it," then are you not unfortunate?

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva [nāsty eva] gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

[”’In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’]

"For self-realization simply you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result." No. They'll not accept. Therefore unfortunate. If you are canvassing the best thing, the easiest process, but they'll not accept; they want to be cheated. You see? Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. And harassed by so many things—this Draft Board, this board, that board, this, that, so many things. This is their position.

Short life, very slow, no understanding, and if they want to understand, they want to be cheated, they are unfortunate, and disturbed. This is the position of the present days. It doesn't matter whether you are born in America or in India, this is the whole position.

So there is a great need of this movement, and we are spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and this is practical, very easy, and just suitable for this age. It doesn't consider how much you are qualified. It doesn't consider. Whatever your past life may be, you simply come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa with your tongue—God has given you a tongue—and taste kṛṣṇa-prasādam, Love Feast, and make your life successful. Very easy process. So this is our program. So invite everyone to join this movement, and you'll be benefited. And you will see practically. It is pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam [Bg. 9.2].

[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that this process of self-realization is directly perceivable. Directly perceivable. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. Just like when you eat, you can understand that you are eating, you can understand that your hunger is being satisfied, you can understand that you are getting strength. So you haven't got to take certificate. You can yourself understand it is so nice thing. Pratyakṣāvagamam.

Pratyakṣa means directly; avagamam. You understand it directly. If you meditate, so-called meditation, you do not know how far you are making progress. You see? You are in oblivion. You do not know. But here, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you'll directly feel. Directly feel. I have got so many students, so many letters, how they are feeling directly. It is so nice.

Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg. 9.2].

And very nice to perform. Chant and dance and eat. What do you want more? [laughter] Simply chanting, dancing, and eating nice sweetballs, kachorī. So su-sukham. And kartum avyayam. While performing, while practicing this process, it is very pleasurable, and avyayam. Avyayam means whatever you do, even if you execute one percent of this movement, that is your permanent asset.

Permanent asset. If you do two percent, three percent, four percent... But don't wait for next life. Finish, cent per cent. It is not very easy to execute; therefore finish. Don't wait, that "I shall... Let me finish in this life a certain percentage of self-realization, and next life I shall do."

And what is the test of realization, finishing full percentage? The test is how much you have learned to love God, Kṛṣṇa, that's all. You have got your love—you love somebody—but if you divide your love, that "I shall love this country and my society, my girlfriend and this and that," or boyfriend, "and I shall try to love Kṛṣṇa also..." No. That is also nice. But if you give predominance, all predominance, simply to love Kṛṣṇa, you'll automatically love other things, and your life will be perfect. Other loving affairs will not be minus.

Just like a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he loves not only his family and society; he loves even the animal, he loves even the ant, his love is so much expanded. It is so nice thing. How much you can love? Anything, as soon as there is some misunderstanding, the love is broken. But Kṛṣṇa love is so sound that you'll never break, and your love will be expanded universally. It is so nice thing. And love you have got.

You have simply misplaced your loving capacity to so many things. You just revert it to Kṛṣṇa, and when you perfectly love Kṛṣṇa, you'll see that you're loving your country, your society, your friend, more than what you loved before. It is so nice thing.

So take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be happy in this life and next life. If you can finish your loving affairs to Kṛṣṇa in this life, then you have done cent per cent. If not, whatever percentage you have executed in this life, that will remain with you. It will not go. That is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā, that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga bhraṣṭo sañjāyate [Bg. 6.41].

[The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.]

One who cannot execute this yoga process completely, cent per cent, he is given next birth a chance to take birth in a rich family or to get birth in a very pure family. Two alternatives. So either you take birth in pure family or in rich family, at least your birth as a human being is guaranteed.

But if you don't take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you do not know what is your next birth. There are 8,400,000's of different species of life, and you can be transferred to any one of them. If you are transferred to become a tree... Just like I've seen in San Francisco. They said that "This tree is standing for seven thousand years." They stand up on the bench for seven thousand years. The boys are sometimes punished by the teachers in the school, "Stand up on the bench."

So these trees are punished, "Stand up," by nature's law. So there is chance of becoming a tree, there is chance of becoming a dog, a cat, or even a rat. So many lives there are. Don't miss this opportunity of human form of life. Perfect your love of Kṛṣṇa and be happy in this life and next life.

So this initiation... As many of our students are initiated, so some of our students are going to be initiated this evening. The initiation means the third stage of joining this movement. The first stage is śraddhā, a little faith. Just like our students are going in the marketplace, they are chanting, and many people are contributing some money, somebody's purchasing our Back to Godhead. This is the beginning of faith: "Oh, here is a nice movement. Let me cooperate." Ādau śraddhā.

Then, if he becomes little more interested, then he comes here, into the class: "All right, let us see what these people are teaching, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So they come. So that is the second stage. The first stage is automatic sympathy for this movement. The second stage is joining or associating with this, our activities. Just like you have kindly come here. You are hearing me. Similarly, if somebody becomes more interested or his faith is still further advanced, then he comes, that is the second stage.

And the third stage is... Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga atha bhajana-kriyā [Cc. Madhya 23.14].

[“’In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating 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. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.’]

Now, the initiation means beginning of the activities. Beginning of the activities. How one can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the perfectional state, that is called initiation. It is not that initiation means finished. It is the third stage. Then the fourth stage will be, one who is initiated, if he follows the rules and regulation, and if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa with a fixed-up counting, then gradually his all misgivings will vanish.

What are the misgivings? We ask our students to refrain from that illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, and intoxication, and to take [sic] part in gambling. These four things. So ordinarily these four things are very prominent in the society, especially in the Western countries. But these students who take initiation and follows chanting, they very easily give up these four things without any difficulty. That is called anartha nivṛtti. That is the fourth stage.

The fifth stage is then he becomes fixed up: "Yes." Just like one student, Mr. Anderson, I've not seen him, but simply by associating with our other devotees, he has written that "I wish to devote my whole being for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is called niṣṭhā, fixed up. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruci. Ruci means they get a taste. Why these boys are going out? This chanting, they have got a taste. They have developed a taste. Otherwise for nothing they are not wasting time. They are educated, they are grown up. So taste. Fixed up, then taste, tathāsaktis. When the taste is, then attachment. He cannot give it up.

And I receive so many letters. Some students, they could not cope with their Godbrothers, they go away, but they'll write that "I cannot go. I cannot go." He's captured. You see? [chuckles] Umāpati has written that letter, that he becomes in difficulty, he cannot live..., he cannot l-i-v-e or l-e-a-v-e. He's in Dallas. You see?

He cannot quit the company, or some misunderstanding, he cannot live with Godbrothers. But that is temporary. So that is called asaktiḥ, attachment. Tathāsaktis tato bhāva. Then gradually increasing, some ecstatic position, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And then perfectional stage, that he loves Kṛṣṇa cent per cent. So this is the process.

So this initiation means the third stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Those who are being initiated, they should remember that they have to follow the rules and regulation. Just like if a man wants to be cured from a certain type of disease, he has to follow the regulation given by the physician, and that will help him to recover from the illness very quickly. So these four principles of restriction they should follow, and chant at least sixteen rounds daily, and gradually he'll get fixed up in this conviction and will have attachment and taste, and then love of Kṛṣṇa will automatically...

It is there in everyone's heart. Love of Kṛṣṇa, it is not a foreign thing that we are imposing. No. It is there, everywhere, in every living entity. Otherwise how these American boys and girls are taking it if it is not there? It is there. I am simply helping. Just like matches. There is fire, and one can help only simply rubbing, that's all. There is fire. You cannot get fire rubbing two, I mean to say, sticks, if there is no that chemicals on the top. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart; simply one has to revive it by this association, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness association.

So it is neither difficult nor impractical nor very unpalatable. Everything is nice. So our request to everyone that let them take this munificent gift of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, and you'll be happy. That is our program.

Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]

Give him. You want to ask me anything?

Young man: Excuse me?

Prabhupāda: You want to ask me anything?

Young man: No.

Prabhupāda: That's alright. Now do it like that [as] I have done. Yes. Three times that. Once more, yes. Touch in your mouth. Yes. Take little. Take little water and wash your hand. Yes. Throw it. That's all. Do like that. [devotees chanting] This side. Alone. Left, yes. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

namaḥ apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu

[Garuḍa Purāṇa]

[One may be impure or pure; in any condition, if he remembers the Lord, whose eyes are like lotus petals, he becomes externally and internally purified. Śrī Viṣṇu! Śrī Viṣṇu! Śrī Viṣṇu!]

[devotees responding]

Again do it. Like that. Take water and then [indistinct]. Nama apavitraḥ... [repeats mantra, devotees responding] Do it again.

[Prabhupāda chants mantras for fire sacrifice, devotees responding]

vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]

nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya
bhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ

I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.

mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]

namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]

namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye
vipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]

namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]

gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ
vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam

[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]

jayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gate
mat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau

[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]

[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]

dīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥ
śrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau
śrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau
preṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi

[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]

[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]

śrīman, rāsa, rasa, arambhī, vaṁśī, vaṭa, taṭa, sthitaḥ
karṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ

[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma]

[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye

[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]

Thank you. Now give me beads. Beads. Beginning from. Somebody.

[Prabhupāda chants on beads, devotees chant japa]

What is your name?

Bill: Bill.

Prabhupāda: Bill. So your spiritual name is Vilāsa-vigraha. Vilāsa-vigraha. V-i-l-a-s v-i-g-r-a-h. Vilāsa-vigraha. You begin from here, big bead: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This finger you should not touch.

Similarly, next. In this way you come to this side, again begin from here to this side. Your Godbrothers will teach you. And there are ten kinds of offenses which you shall avoid. That I shall explain.

[aside:] You have got paper, that ten kinds of offense?

Devotee: Yes. I have on the sheet.

Prabhupāda: Bow down. [word by word with Vilāsa-vigraha repeating:]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Vilāsa-vigraha. [japa]

Your name?

Rob: I'm Rob.

Prabhupāda: Rob. So your spiritual name is Revatīnandana. R-e-v-a-t-i, Revatī, nandana, n-a-n-d-a-n. Revatīnandana means son of Revatī. Revatī was one of the wives of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa's stepmother. And Balarāma was his [her] son. So Revatīnandana means Balarāma. Revatīnandana dāsa brahmacārī, your name.

Chant beginning from here, and then so on. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then next. In this way, you come this side, again begin from here. Your Godbrothers will teach. Bow down. Now bow down.

[Revatīnandana responding:]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

Now take your beads. Begin. Chant.

[japa] [chanting on devotee's beads]

What is this made of? Metal? Why it is so weighty, this?

Young man: It's a seed, Swamijī.

Prabhupāda: Oh, it is seed? What is that seed?

Young man: I don't know. A big seed.

Prabhupāda: It is very weighty. Just like bullet. Kṛṣṇa bullet. [laughter] [japa]

So your spiritual name is Śrīmatī dāsī. Śrīmatī. S-r-i-m-a-t-i. Śrīmatī dāsī. Śrīmatī means Rādhārāṇī.

Śrīmatī: Means what?

Prabhupāda: Śrīmatī means Rādhārāṇī. So Rādhārāṇī dāsī means you are maidservant of Rādhārāṇī. Don't think that you are maidservant of this world. [chuckles] It is very fortunate to become maidservant of Rādhārāṇī. Yes. So Śrīmatī dāsī, your name.

So you'll chant beginning from here, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then next. In this way come this side and again begin. Sixteen rounds at least.

[Śrīmatī repeating:]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

All right. Take. Be happy.

Śrīmatī: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: So where is that paper, ten kinds of offenses? Where is that paper?

There are three stages of chanting.

[aside:] What is that?

Young man: It is a picture she drew.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you have drawn this? Good. Very nice. Thank you very much.

Jāhnavā: With your blessing, would you give this to Sharon? Would you give this to Sharon with your blessing?

Devotee: Śrīmatī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Oh. It is a presentation. [chuckles]

Śrīmatī: Thank you.

Madhudviṣa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Should I read the ten offenses?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Madhudviṣa: We have them here.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Go on reading. Yes, you read.

Madhudviṣa: "The ten offenses to avoid while chanting the mahā-mantra. Number one: Blaspheming the Lord's devotee."

Prabhupāda: Now just try to understand. Any devotee of Lord should not be blasphemed. It doesn't matter in any country. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he is a great devotee. And even Muhammad, he's also a devotee. It is not that because we are devotee and they are not devotee. Don't think like that. Anyone who is preaching the glories of God, he is a devotee. He should not be blasphemed. You should be careful.

Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number two: Considering the Lord and other demigods on the same level or assuming there are many Gods."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like there are many nonsense, they say that demigods... Of course, you have no affairs with demigods. Vedic religion there are hundreds and thousands of demigods. Especially it is going on that either you worship Kṛṣṇa or Lord Śiva or Kali, the same thing.

This is nonsense. You should not, I mean to, place on the same level with the Supreme Lord. Nobody is greater than Lord. Nobody is equal than the Lord. So this equality should be avoided.

Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number three: Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritual master's order should be as your life and soul. Then everything will be clear.

Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number four: Minimizing the authority of the Vedas."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nobody should minimize the authorized scripture. This is also offense.

Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number five: Interpreting the holy names of God."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, just like the other day some boy was: "a symbolic." It is not symbolic. Kṛṣṇa. We are chanting "Kṛṣṇa," addressing Kṛṣṇa. Hare means addressing Kṛṣṇa's energy, and we are praying that "Please engage me in Your service." That is Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no other interpretation.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. The only prayer is, "O the energy of Lord, O Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Rāma, please engage me in Your service." That's all. There is no other, second interpretation.

Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number six: Committing sin on the strength of chanting."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now this initiation, from this day your account, past life, all sinful activities, is now, what is called, adjusted, closed. It is finished. Now because by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you can finish your sinful activities' reaction, that does not mean that you will repeat: "Oh, I shall commit sinful activities and I shall chant. It will be adjusted. The balance will be nil."

No. Not like that. Don't commit that. Whatever is done is done. No more. Now there should be pure life: no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating. Finished now. It is not that "Oh, I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let me go to the hotel and take some meat." No. Then it will be a great sin. Don't do that. Then the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa will not fructify if you commit offense.

Next?

Madhudviṣa: "Number seven: Instructing the Lord's name to the unfaithful."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unfaithful, those who have no faith that Lord and His name are absolute. Just like here in this material world, the name and the person is different. Suppose your name is Mr. John. So if I chant "John, John, John," so John may be a hundred miles away. There is no response.

But the name, holy name of God, God is present everywhere. Just like the television. Television is being, I mean to say, released in some place. If you have got the machine, immediately the picture is in your room. If it is, materially, it can be so possible, how much possibility there is in spiritual Kṛṣṇa name? Immediately you chant Kṛṣṇa's name, that means Kṛṣṇa is immediately on your tongue.

So what is that?

Madhudviṣa: Seven? "Instructing the holy name to the unfaithful."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So, one who has no faith that the name of the Lord and the Lord Himself the same, there is no difference, one should not be instructed about the glories of the Lord. He should be instructed to understand, but if he's unable to understand, then he should not be initiated, or he should require some time to understand. But you should always remember that nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.133]:

[”’The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’]

Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name nondifferent. As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that means Kṛṣṇa is dancing on your tongue. You should be careful in that way. Just like if Kṛṣṇa... As you offer so much respect to your spiritual master as soon as he's present, so if Kṛṣṇa is present on your tongue, how much careful you should be.

So you should always know that Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is always everywhere. God is everywhere, but we have no realization. But this particular chanting, as soon as chant holy name, that means you must know. So by associating with Kṛṣṇa you become purified. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ [SB 1.2.17].

[Śrī Kṛṣṇa, 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.]

Just like associating with fire you become warm, similarly, associate with Kṛṣṇa means you become purified. Gradually you become spiritualized. No more material. Finished. This is the process.

Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number eight: Comparing the holy name to material piety."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now this function is being done. It should not be taken that we are doing something religious rituals. No. Religious ritual is different thing. This is... Although it appears like rituals, but it is transcendental. It is above all kinds of religion. It is postgraduate study.

The process is how to develop love of Godhead. This is above all rel... Religion means, generally, some kind of faith. But it is not the question of faith. It is actually developing how much you are loving Kṛṣṇa, or God. So it is above all religion. It is not ordinary religion.

Religion means... Suppose you are Christian, I am Hindu. As soon as this body is finished, my Christianism or religion, everything is finished. But this love of God will not finish. It will go with you. Any birth you go, it will develop. If you can finish, then you go directly to Kṛṣṇa, back to Godhead, and finish your all material connection. Even if you are not able, then it goes with you. Asset. It will... The bank balance will not be diminished. It will increase.

Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number nine: Inattentive while chanting the holy name."

Prabhupāda: Yes. While you are chanting we should hear also. That is meditation. Hare Kṛṣṇa, these two words, Hare Kṛṣṇa, you'll hear also. If you hear, then your mind and your tongue both captivated. That is perfect meditation, the first-class yoga, hearing and chanting.

Then?

Madhudviṣa: Then finally number ten: "Attachment to material things while engaged in the practice of chanting."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The whole process is that we are going to transfer our love from matter to God. So we should try to minimize. It will be automatically. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42].

[Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating.]

If you actually develop love of Godhead, then naturally you forget to love these all these material nonsense. That is sequence. But you should try also. You should... This will happen. Just like if we eat, then gradually you minimize your hankering after eating. When you are full, then you say, "I don't want any more. Yes, I am..."

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that with the progress of Kṛṣṇa consciousness you forget the so-called material nonsense enjoyment. And when you are in perfect stage, oh, you don't care for anything of this material nonsense. This is the test.

You cannot say, "I am progressing in meditation by my material attachment to all sense gratification" is the same. That is no progress. Progress means that you will minimize your material attachment for sense gratification. This is progress.

Now you can chant... Ah, you have got these... Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

[devotees chant japa]

[break] Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees chant japa]

[prayers for fire sacrifice continue]

namaḥ apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu

[Garuḍa Purāṇa]

svāhā,

Put [indistinct] lighter.

svāhā, svāhā

[indistinct]

nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya
bhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.

svāhā,

Put whenever I say svāhā.

svāhā, svāhā

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ

mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te

namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye
vipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ
vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

Take this.

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

jayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gate
mat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau

[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]

dīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥ
śrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau
śrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau
preṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi

[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

śrīman, rāsa, rasa, arambhī, vaṁśī, vaṭa, taṭa, sthitaḥ
karṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ

[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma]

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

Now stand up with this banana. [prayers continue]

namo brahmaṇya-devāya
go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya
govindāya namo namaḥ

[Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the worshipable Deity for all brahminical men, who is the well-wisher of cows and brāhmaṇas, and who is always benefiting the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Kṛṣṇa and Govinda.]

Put this banana like this.

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]

Now bow down. [prayers continue]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

All right.

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Now you chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant.

Young woman: [loudly] Excuse me, please. I have to speak to you.

Prabhupāda: Please wait. Let me finish. Let me finish.

Viṣṇujana: You don't have to speak to him.

Young woman: Yes, I do. You are sitting up there, and all of these people are sitting here, and you're like you're on a throne. And you're feeling...

Viṣṇujana: No.

Young woman: Pardon? No, this is wrong. [continues arguing]

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Let us chant.

[114:22]

[kīrtana] [prema-dhvanī] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]

Prabhupāda: Where is that girl? She is gone?

Viṣṇujana: I think Madhudviṣa explained to her. She did not know about the bowing down and everything.

Prabhupāda: What was her question?

Viṣṇujana: She was thinking that we were bowing to you as if you were God. She resents this, because in the Christian religion it says, "Bow down to no man."

Prabhupāda: What did he explain?

Viṣṇujana: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: [laughs] Did you not explain that we are bowing down not as God, as God's representative? Did you..., could not explain like this?

Madhudviṣa: She's over there, I think, if you'd like to talk to her.

Viṣṇujana: You can explain that to her.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you'd better... You explain it to her. It might be better than her coming here and blaspheming.

Prabhupāda: Call her. Call her. Call her.

[pause] [talking in background, initiates discussing their names, etc.]

Distribute prasādam? Everyone. Outside also?

Upendra: Prabhupāda? Tomorrow at 12.30... We'll pick you up between..., at 12:15 for a lecture at the University.

Prabhupāda: What is the arrangement?

Upendra: It is one small auditorium. It seats seventy people. They have advertised on the university and in the newspaper at the university. So we have no idea who will come, but they have advertised.

Prabhupāda: So you will be able to collect?

Upendra: Indiscreetly. We will ask as they leave. [end]