kailasa Posted January 31, 2003 Report Share Posted January 31, 2003 Srila Prabhupada - If one is sincerely eager to chant the Hare Krsna mantra or diksa-mantra, he is qualified to be initiated according to the pancaratrika process. Any member of society, however, who receives dikсa, initiation into the chanting of the Lord’s holy names, must strictly obey the four regulative principles: no eating of meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex, no intoxication and no gambling. It is the spiritual master who delivers the disciple from the clutches of maya by initiating him into the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. In this way a sleeping human being can revive his consciousness by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In other words, the spiritual master awakens the sleeping living entity to his original consciousness so that he can worship Lord Visnu. This is the purpose of diksa, or initiation. Initiation means receiving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness. When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra sixteen rounds daily, following the regulative principles and attending classes, he receives the sacred thread (brahminical recognition) after the second six months. Therefore, at the time of second initiation, we offer the sacred thread, to recognize him that “He is now brahmana.” Hari-sauri: But then if everybody’s being raised to the brahminical platform... Prabhupada: Not everybody. Why you are misunderstanding? Varnasrama, not everybody brahmana. Hari-sauri: No, but in our society practically everyone is being raised to that platform. So then one might ask what is... Prabhupada: That is... Everybody is being raised, but they’re falling down. Hari-sauri: So then we should make it more difficult to get... Prabhupada: Yes. Hari-sauri: ...brahminical initiation. After four or five years. Prabhupada: Not necessary. You remain as a kсatriya. You’ll be ha... Hari-sauri: No need for even any brahmana initiation, then... Prabhupada: No, no. Hari-sauri: ...unless one is... Prabhupada: No, brahmana must be there. Why do you say, generalize? Hari-sauri: Unless one is particularly... Prabhupada: Yes. Prabhupada: Therefore why a sudra artificially should be a brahmana? Let them, let him remain a sudra, and if he follows strictly the rules and regulation of sudra, he’ll also be as good as a brahmana. The same example: Just like head is as important as my leg. It is not that because it is leg, it is less important than my head. And if you ask the head, “Do the work of a leg,” it is impossible. And if you ask the leg to work as a brain, that is impossible. Let him remain brain, let him remain leg, and do your duty and you become perfect. Satsvarupa: Today you’ve been saying that the Vaisnava is the highest, above the brahmana. But then we’ve also understood that everyone in ISKCON is a Vaisnava. Prabhupada: Yes. Vaisnava everyone, even if he’s not brahmana. Jivera svarupa haya nitya-Krsna-dasa. But you have to gradually bring him to that pure consciousness that “I am servant of Krsna.” Here the bodily conception is going on, “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am this,” “I am that.” Satsvarupa: If in our society we say, “Srila Prabhupada wants some to be sudra...” Prabhupada: No, no, no. I don’t want. I want everyone to become Vaisnava. But because he’s a sudra, it is not possible to bring him immediately to the platform of brahmana, or Vaisnava. Therefore falling down. Therefore system must be. But even if he remains a sudra, he’s a Vaisnava. Hari-sauri: So we’d have to completely revise the whole system that we have now. Prabhupada: No. Whatever we have, that is all right. But we see by experience that they’re falling down. There must be systematic. Why falling down? Because he was not fit for the position, therefore he has fallen. Better remain in his position and become perfect. Why artificially bring them? There is no need. Krsna says. Bring that Bhagavad-gita. Sve sve karmany abhirataщ? --------- During my Guru Maharaja's time, even a person was coming from a brahmana family, he was initiated according to the pancaratrika system taking him to be a sudra. So the birthright brahmanism is not applicable at the present moment. The sacred thread inaugurated by my Guru Maharaja according to pancaratrika system and Hari-bhakti-vilasa by Srila Sanatana Goswami must continue. It does not matter whether the priestly class accepts it or not. When my Guru Maharaja Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada introduced this system, it was protested even by His inner circle of Godbrothers or friends. Of course He had actually no Godbrothers, but there were many disciples of Bhaktivinode Thakura who were considered as Godbrothers who protested against this action of my Guru Maharaja, but He didn't care for it. Actually one who takes to chanting Hare Krsna Mantra offenselessly immediately becomes situated transcendentally and therefore he has no need of being initiated with sacred thread, but Guru Maharaja introduced this sacred thread because a Vaisnava was being mistaken as belonging to the material caste. To accept a Vaisnava in material caste system is hellish consideration (naraki buddhi). Therefore, to save the general populace from being offender to a Vaisnava, He persistently introduced this sacred thread ceremony and we must follow His footsteps. My Dear Laksmi Narayana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 6th July, 1971 and have noted the contents. I am so pleased to know that you have been recommended by Sriman Bhagavan das Prabhu for gayatri mantra initiation. Actually that is what I am trying to do in your country is to establish a brahminical society. So when I see that these young American boys are becoming eligible by qualification to take second initiation and become qualified Brahmins, I become very much pleased and my Guru Maharaja becomes pleased also. ********** From VNN - "First initiation is called harinama initiation only, and the second initiation is called diksa." From VNN - According to the Vaisnava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a brahmana. As quoted in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.6) from the Visnu-yamala, Lord Sankara says to his wife Parvati: adiksitasya vamoru krtam sarvam nirarthakam pasu-yonim avapnoti diksa-virahito janah "O Vamaru - O beautiful Parvati. Regarding those who have not taken diksa, all their devotional activities, such as sadhana, bhajana, and puja, have all gone in vain. They are all useless. Such persons who are not properly initiated must again enter the many animals species." -------- CC Madhya 15.108 “One does not have to undergo initiation or execute the activities required before initiation. One simply has to vibrate the holy name with his lips. Thus even a man in the lowest class [candala] can be delivered. From PURPORT Srila Prabhupada - According to the Vaiсnava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a brahmana. The Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.6) quotes the following injunction from the Visnu-yamala: adikсitasya vamoru kеtaа sarvaа nirarthakam pasu-yonim avapnoti dikсa-virahito janaщ “Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species.” ... In other words, the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is so powerful that it does not depend on official initiation, but if one is initiated and engages in pancaratra-vidhi (Denty worshnp), hns Krsna conscnousness wnll awaken very soon, and his ndentification wnth the material world wnll be vanquished. Although chanting the holy name is good for both the conditioned and liberated soul, it is especially beneficial to the conditioned soul because by chanting it one is liberated. When a person who chants the holy name is liberated, he attains the ultimate perfection by returning home, back to Godhead. In the words of CC (Дdi 7.73): Krsna-mantra hante habe saаsara-mocana Krsna-nama hante pabe kесnera carana “Simply by chantnng the holy name of Krsna one can obtann freedom from maternal existence. indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.” The offenseless chanting of the holy name does not depend on the initiation process. Although initiation may depend on puraзcaryд or puraзcaraлa, the actual chanting of the holy name does not depend on purascarya-vidhi, or the regulative principles. If one chants the holy name once without committing an offense, he attains all success. During the chanting of the holy name, the tongue must work. Simply by chanting the holy name, one is immediately delivered. The tongue is sevonmukha-jihva–it is controlled by service. CC 15.109 “By chantnng the holy name of the Lord, one dissolves his entanglement in maternal activities. After this, one becomes very attracted to Krsna, and thus dormant love for Krsna ns awakened. CC 15/110 “ ‘The holy name of Lord Krsna is an attractive feature for many saintly, liberal people. It is the annihilator of all sinful reactions and is so powerful that save for the dumb who cannot chant it, it is readily available to everyone, including the lowest type of man, the caлтдla. The holy name of Krsna is the controller of the opulence of liberation, and it is identical with Krsna. Simply by touching the holy name with one’s tongue, immediate effects are produced. Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities or the purascarya regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for all these activities. It is self-sufficient.’ ” PURPORT Thns verse is found in the Padyavali (29) by srila Rupa Gosvami. CC 15/111 Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then finally advised, “One who is chanting the Hare Krsna mantra is understood to be a Vaisnava; therefore you should offer all respects to him.” PURPORT In his Upadesamrta, Srila Rupa Gosvami states: kеслeti yasya giri taа manasдdriyeta dйkсдsti cet. An advanced devotee should respect a person who has been initiated by a bona fide spiritual master and who is situated on the transcendental platform, chanting the holy name with faith and obeisances and following the instructions of the spiritual master. SBT comments that serving Vaisnavas is most important for householders. Whether a Vaisnava is properly initiated or not is not a subject for consideration. One may be initiated and yet contaminated by the Mayavada philosophy, but a person who chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly will not be so contaminated. A properly initiated Vaisnava may be imperfect, but one who chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly is all-perfect. Although he may apparently be a neophyte, he still has to be considered a pure unalloyed Vaisnava. It is the duty of the householder to offer respects to such an unalloyed Vaisnava. This is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instruction. --------------------- Thus - diksa mantra is Hare Krisna mantra. 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