initiation as a devotee

[Guest guest]

Dear Krishna Aspirant [Yochanan1983],

 

One need not have to join any group or organization to chant the

almighty. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, please keep

chanting his name inside [meaning in your mind]. Thats it. Bhagvan

has said that he is there in everything. So, lets cultivate this

and try to see HIM in everything. [sAMA BHAVA]. If you start

chanting within yourself then even unknowingly you will be chanting

it for 24 hours, 365 days and your life time even you do something

physically or officially.

 

This is my view. I may be excused if i have overspoken.

 

Regards

Sincerely

Shankaran

 

, " krishnadasa77 "

<krishnadasa77 wrote:

>

> Yochanan Prabhu - Hare Krishna!

>

> I admire your enthusiasm to take up Krishna-consciousness fully.

> Please find my comments below to your queries.

>

> , " yochanan1983 "

> <yochanan1983@> wrote:

> >

> > I was wondering, if I could be initiated as a devotee of Lord Sri

> > Krishna. Would I be able to have a spiritual name and receive my

new

> > birth as an initiated devotee of Krishna?

> >

> Yes, you can take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master

coming

> in disciplic succession.

>

>

> But in the Vaishnava tradition there are standards for initiation.

In

> ISKCON, the standard is set by Srila Prabhupada which is the

> following.

>

> 1) The student should be chanting a minimum of 16 rounds of " Hare

> Krishna " Mahamantra every day.

>

> 1 round contains 108 beads. So 16 rounds would mean 16*108 times

> chanting of the holy name:

>

> Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,

> Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.

>

> 2) Before going for the initiation, the student should be sure that

> s/he has given-up these four activities which are not conducive for

> Spiritual life and they are:

>

> 2a) No meat eating

> 2b) No Illicit sex

> 2c) No intoxication

> 2d) No gambling

>

> Also, there is a condition that the disciple aspires for a Guru and

> informs the Temple President of his desire to get initiated from

that

> particular Guru and then the Guru and disciple watch each other for

6

> months to solidify their relationship and then the Guru initiates

the

> disciple.

>

> >I might possibly be getting

> > married very soon as well. Perhaps, someone who is more a pure

> > devotee take me in through accepting me as an initiated devotee

and

> > allow Krishna to give me a new rebirth and a new spiritual name.

> >

> I have given you the details in ISKCON terms. Are you visiting any

> ISKCON temple frequently and do the devotees there know you? If so,

> please express this desire to the senior devotees personally and

they

> will surely help you.

>

> Of course, it will be very helpful to you if your partner also

> partcipates in the Krishna conscious activities.

>

> >

> > I am ready to accept a spiritual master through the Krishna

Bhagavan

> > group and to be born again through the Krishna Consciousness

> > Tradition. Please guide me and take me in as an initiated devotee

of

> > Krishna. I am waiting patiently for a reply to my questions and

this

> > issue confronting me at this moment. Thank you and Hare Krishna to

> > all the Deepawali. This is my one wish and gift I long for this

> > Deepawali Festival.

> >

> As mentioned before, please get in touch with the senior-devotees

and

> watch out for all the great devotees who are giving initiation and

if

> you are inspired by someone, ask the Temple President of that

temple

> that you are interested to take initiation from that Guru. But the

> conditions that I mentioned in the starting are mandatory if you

want

> to get initiated by a ISKCON Guru.

>

> Hope this clarifies your question to a certain extent. Wish you all

> the best in your search for the Guru. I am sure Krishna will help

you

> find a Guru because you are so much interested in Krishna

> consciousness.

>

> ~Krishnadasa.

>