CC Madhya 6 – Requirements before Accepting a Guru

Giriraj Swami: Reading from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Fifteen, “The Lord Accepts Prasādam at the House of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya,”

TEXT 106

prabhu kahe, — “yāṅra mukhe śuni eka-bāra
kṛṣṇa-nāma, sei pūjya, — śreṣṭha sabākāra”

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Whoever chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa just once is worshipable and is the topmost human being.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that a person who simply chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa once becomes perfect and should be regarded as a Vaiṣṇava. This is confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Upadeśāmṛta (5): kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taṁ manasādriyeta. With such faith in the holy name one may begin a life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But an ordinary person cannot chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa with such faith. One should accept the holy name of Kṛṣṇa to be identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Transcendence Himself. As the Padma Purāṇa states, “The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is identical with Kṛṣṇa and is like a cintāmaṇi gem, a touchstone. That name is Kṛṣṇa personified in sound and is therefore perfectly transcendental and eternally liberated from material contamination.” Thus one should understand that the name “Kṛṣṇa” and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical. Having such faith, one must continue to chant the holy name.

When one is situated on the neophyte platform, one cannot understand the devotional ingredients of a pure, unalloyed devotee. However, when the novice engages in devotional service — especially in Deity worship — and follows the order of a bona fide spiritual master, he is a pure devotee. Anyone can take advantage of hearing about Kṛṣṇa consciousness from such a devotee and thus gradually become purified. In other words, any devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord is a pure devotee, even though he may be in the neophyte stage. By his association, others may also become Vaiṣṇavas.

One is known as a materialistic devotee if he simply worships the Deity of Hari with faith but does not show proper respect to the devotees and to others. This is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.47):

arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

Yet even by associating with such a neophyte devotee, one can become a devotee also. When Lord Caitanya was teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī, He said:

śraddhāvān jana haya bhakti-adhikārī
‘uttama’, ‘madhyama’, ‘kaniṣṭha’ — śraddhā-anusārī

yāhāra komala-śraddhā, se ‘kaniṣṭha’ jana
krame krame teṅho bhakta ha-ibe ‘uttama’

rati-prema-tāratamye bhakta-taratama

“A person who has attained firm faith is a real candidate for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. According to the faith, there are first-class, second-class and neophyte devotees. One who has preliminary faith is called a kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, or a neophyte. The neophyte, however, can become an advanced devotee if he strictly follows the regulative principles set down by the spiritual master. Therefore it is on the basis of faith and attachment to Kṛṣṇa that one can judge who is a madhyama-adhikārī or an uttama-adhikārī.” (Cc. Madhya 22.64, 69, 71)

It is thus concluded that even a neophyte devotee is superior to the karmīs and jñānīs because he has full faith in chanting the holy name of the Lord. A karmī or a jñānī, regardless of his greatness, has no faith in Lord Viṣṇu, His holy name or His devotional service. One may be advanced religiously, but if he is not trained in devotional service, he has very little credit on the transcendental platform. Even a neophyte devotee engaged in Deity worship in accordance with the regulations set forth by the spiritual master is in a position superior to that of the fruitive worker and speculative philosopher.

TEXT 107

“eka kṛṣṇa-nāme kare sarva-pāpa kṣaya
nava-vidhā bhakti pūrṇa nāma haite haya

TRANSLATION

“Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa once, a person is relieved from all the reactions of a sinful life. One can complete the nine processes of devotional service simply by chanting the holy name.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The nine types of devotional service are mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.23):

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye ‘dhītam uttamam

“The process of devotional service entails hearing, chanting, and remembering the holy name, form, pastimes, qualities, and entourage of the Lord, offering service according to the time, place, and performer, worshiping the Deity, offering prayers, always considering oneself the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, making friends with Him and dedicating everything unto Him. These nine items of devotional service, when directly offered to Kṛṣṇa, constitute the highest attainment of life. This is the verdict of the revealed scriptures.”

As for being freed from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa only once, one must chant the holy name without committing any offenses. Then chanting one name is sufficient to rescue a living being from all sinful reactions. Such a person who chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly is very important and woshipable. Indeed, the nine devotional processes, beginning with śravaṇa and kīrtana, can all be attained at once if one simply chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly.

In this regard, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states in his book Bhakti-sandarbha (173): yadyapi anyā bhaktiḥ kalau kartavyā, tadā; kīrtanākhya-bhakti-saṁyogenaiva. Out of the nine processes of devotional service, kīrtana is very important. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī therefore instructs that the other processes, such as arcana, vandana, dāsya and sakhya, should be executed, but they must be preceded and followed by kīrtana, the chanting of the holy name. We have therefore introduced this system in all of our centers. Arcana, ārati, bhoga offering, Deity dressing and decoration are all preceded and followed by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

TEXT 108

dīkṣā-puraścaryā-vidhi apekṣā nā kare
jihvā-sparśe ā-caṇḍāla sabāre uddhāre

TRANSLATION

“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 [caṇḍāla] can be delivered.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains dīkṣā in his Bhakti-sandarbha (283):

divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt kuryāt pāpasya saṅkṣayam
tasmāt dīkṣeti sā proktā deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ

“Dīkṣā is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as dīkṣā.” The regulative principles of dīkṣā are explained in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.3–4) and the Bhakti-sandarbha (283). As stated:

dvijānām anupetānāṁ svakarmādhyayanādiṣu
yathādhikāro nāstīha syāc copanayanād anu
tathātrādīkṣitānāṁ tu mantra-devārcanādiṣu
nādhikāro ‘sty ataḥ kuryād ātmānaṁ śiva-saṁstutam

“Even though born in a brāhmaṇa family, one cannot engage in Vedic rituals without being initiated and having a sacred thread. Although born in a brāhmaṇa family, one becomes a brāhmaṇa only after initiation and the sacred thread ceremony. Unless one is initiated as a brāhmaṇa, one cannot worship the holy name properly.”

According to the Vaiṣṇava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a brāhmaṇa. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.6) quotes the following injunction from the Viṣṇu-yāmala:

adīkṣitasya vāmoru kṛtaṁ sarvaṁ nirarthakam
paśu-yonim avāpnoti dīkṣā-virahito janaḥ

“ ‘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.’ ”

Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.10) further quotes:

ato guruṁ praṇamyaivaṁ sarva-svaṁ vinivedya ca
gṛhṇīyād vaiṣṇavaṁ mantraṁ dīkṣā-pūrvaṁ vidhānataḥ

“ ‘It is the duty of every human being to surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. Giving him everything — body, mind, and intelligence — one must take Vaiṣṇava initiation from him.’ ”

The Bhakti-sandarbha (298) gives the following quotation from the Tattva-sāgara:

yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

“ ‘By chemical manipulation, bell metal is turned into gold when touched by mercury; similarly, when a person is properly initiated, he can acquire the qualities of a brāhmaṇa.’ ”

The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (17.11–12), in discussing the puraścaryā process, quotes the following verses from the Agastya-saṁhitā:

pūjā traikālikī nityaṁ japas tarpaṇam eva ca
homo brāhmaṇa-bhuktiś ca puraścaraṇam ucyate

guror labdhasya mantrasya prasādena yathā-vidhi
pañcāṅgopāsanā-siddhyai puraś caitad vidhīyate

“ ‘In the morning, afternoon and evening one should worship the Deity, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, offer oblations, perform a fire sacrifice and feed the brāhmaṇas. These five activities constitute puraścaryā. To attain full success when taking initiation from the spiritual master, one should first perform these puraścaryā processes.’ ”

The word puraḥ means “before,” and caryā means “activities.” Due to the necessity of these activities, we do not immediately initiate disciples in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. For six months, a candidate for initiation must first attend ārati and classes in the śāstras, practice the regulative principles and associate with other devotees. When one is actually advanced in the puraścaryā-vidhi, he is recommended by the local temple president for initiation. It is not that anyone can be suddenly initiated without meeting the requirements.

COMMENT

So the basic principle or standard which Srila Prabhupada set is mentioned in this purport through Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that nobody can be initiated suddenly, but the person has to live in the temple for at least six months and follow all of the prescribed activities and then be recommended by the temple president. So that was the basic principle when Srila Prabhupada was present. Now, after Srila Prabhupada left, certain complications arose due to the fact that there were many gurus. So, in 1987, the GBC passed many resolutions on the subject of guru and disciple and initiation. One of the resolutions states that when someone comes to the temple for the first six months, the person should worship Srila Prabhupada as founder acharya and śikṣā-guru and recite the praṇāma mantra for Srila Prabhupada. The idea is that, first of all, one should understand what Krishna consciousness is and who Srila Prabhupada is before suddenly thinking about accepting some individual as a spiritual master. The basic guideline is that one should live in the temple, study Srila Prabhupada’s books, and worship Srila Prabhupada as founder acharya and śikṣā-guru. Then, after six months, after learning something about what Krishna consciousness is, who Srila Prabhupada is, and what ISKCON is, then one can think of accepting some particular person as a spiritual master.

Last year, the GBC added a further resolution that before any new devotee is encouraged to even tentatively accept someone as a spiritual master, the new devotee should pass an examination to be administered by the temple president. The new devotee should know something about the philosophy of Krishna consciousness before getting the idea of accepting someone as a spiritual master. Of course, someone may have some idea, but the person can’t really officially be encouraged because Srila Prabhupada always said that. So, the GBC has given the various questions which the new devotees have to answer, and I will read the questions to you so you can understand the type of understanding that the GBC wants new devotees to have. Basically, there are many procedures that have to be completed before one is initiated. Coming back to the first resolution, the new devotee should worship Srila Prabhupada as the founder acharya and śikṣā-guru for six months. Then, after six months, the person can think of who he or she would like to accept as spiritual master. Then for another six months, the new devotee has to continue devotional service without being initiated because the GBC wanted the new devotees to have enough time to actually understand what Krishna consciousness is and decide properly about who to accept as spiritual master. At any time within the minimum period of one year, the new devotee can change his or her decision as to who he or she wants to take initiation from. The idea is that the whole process should be completely without force or pressure and, at the same time, it should be executed with knowledge, not just from sentiment. Therefore, just on the subject of guru and disciple and initiation, there are several pages of guidance and resolutions from the GBC body about when the guru is allowed to initiate, when the disciple is allowed to take initiation, and so on. Basically, all of these guidelines have been elaborated on the basis of the scripture. Here in the purport, Srila Prabhupada is talking about puraścaryā, the process that one must perform or follow before initiation.

PURPORT (continued)

The word puraḥ means “before,” and caryā means “activities.” Due to the necessity of these activities, we do not immediately initiate disciples in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. For six months, a candidate for initiation must first attend ārati and classes in the śāstras, practice the regulative principles and associate with other devotees. When one is actually advanced in the puraścaryā-vidhi, he is recommended by the local temple president for initiation. It is not that anyone can be suddenly initiated without meeting the requirements. When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra sixteen rounds daily, following the regulative principles and attending classes, he receives the sacred thread (brahminical recognition) after the second six months.

COMMENT

These are the ISKCON laws. There are many resolutions, but I will just read one or two.

For initiation in ISKCON eligibility: a new devotee who follows the four regulative principles and chants sixteen rounds for the first six months should chant Prabhupada’s praṇāma mantra and worship him as founder acharya of ISKCON and his śikṣā-guru. During the second six-month period, the disciple may choose his future dīkṣā-guru and chant his praṇāma mantra. After a period of at least one year, the devotee may become eligible to be initiated. So, the resolution speaks for itself. Before a devotee can be recommended for initiation or be officially encouraged to take shelter of a particular ISKCON spiritual master, he or she should demonstrate a basic understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings by answering an oral or written test administered by the temple president. The questions to be answered are:

1. What are the qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master?

2. Why are you convinced to follow the orders of the spiritual master in this life and even life after life?

3. Why does one worship the spiritual master like God?

4. Do you believe the spiritual master speaks the absolute truth? If so, why?

5. Under what circumstances should the spiritual master be rejected?

6. What are the qualifications and responsibilities of a disciple?

7. What is the unique position of Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON?

8. Why do you accept Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

9. Why do we follow the four regulative principles?

10. Why do we chant Hare Krishna?

11. What is the position of the GBC body?

12. Explain the difference between the body and the soul.

13. What is ISKCON, and why should one remain in ISKCON?

Before a devotee can be recommended for initiation or be officially encouraged to take shelter of a particular ISKCON spiritual master, he or she should demonstrate a basic understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings by answering an oral or written test administered by the temple president.

Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:41:05]

Giriraj Swami: The devotees have to be educated about the laws of ISKCON and the procedures in ISKCON. Otherwise, out of sentiment or ignorance, they might just do something, and we want the devotees to be educated. By the waiting period, they are supposed to have time to learn something, and by the examination, they are supposed to be tested as to what they have learned. It forces them to learn, and it also forces us to teach, which is our real duty. I can leave copies of this. There is everything: the eligibility of the guru to initiate, the eligibility of the disciple to take initiation. One of the requirements is that the guru should have the blessings of the GBC body before he begins to initiate. Everything is here. I think the best thing is I just leave these, and the devotees can study and discuss.

Mr. Tilak has come. He is driving me to the press conference, so I have to go down right now. I am leaving the other car so you can bring the prasāda and the press kits and the devotees will come. Who is coming to serve the prasāda? Oh, okay. These scores are too big; I don’t have time to read so many numbers. Anyway, I guess I will go quickly. Does Sāndrānanda know that Mr. Tilak is here so he can take it down?

We should bring some instruments also, in case. We didn’t discuss in detail about the program for SSRG. If it was SSRG, good.

For SSRG’s jewelry, 550 lakshmi points—Karuni Ekadasi.

With one mahā big, one big, thirteen small, and two BTGs, 638 lakshmi points—Mādhurya Līlā

With 1,006 construction donation, fourteen small, two BTGs, 1,366 lakshmi points—Prishangi and Rajeshwari.

With one set of SB, one thousand paid, one big, 1,471 lakshmi points—Bhakti-devi and Sudevi.

With one installment for the Prabhupada deity, 1,600 lakshmi points—HDG Giriraj Maharaja.

With 890 for construction: one big, 14 small, four BTGs, 1726 luxury points—Rindadevi and Satyabhama.

With two sets of SB, one set of CC, 9,900 lakshmi points—Baladeva Bhushan and Narayany dasi.

With a grand total of two mahā big, two big, 41 small, eight btgs, and 17,251 lakshmi points.

So, did you make the tape?

No, not of the class, of the bhajana before the class. Last time when I phoned, because I was supposed to come but through the circumstances I couldn’t come, on the phone itself I heard some very sweet sounds in the background. So I asked Krishna Chandra what was happening. He said it is our own devotee. So I said I wanted a tape recording.

Today was very nice. Today was very nice. When I came, they stopped; otherwise, I would have bad listening.

Sri Sri Radha-Gokulananda ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!