Prabhupāda: You begin from this big bead, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, and then after finishing, begin second. In this way, there are 108, one, two, three. Come to this point, then begin from this point. You are following? Then come to this. In this way, one, two, three, four, sixteen rounds, at least. If you can increase more, that’s all right. Otherwise sixteen rounds. Your spiritual name is Jayapatāka. Bow down. You know the mantra? ¶
oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
Jayapatāka: ¶
oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
Prabhupāda: That’s all. Take this. You have got that copy of these ten kinds of offenses? Where is that? Bring it. Bring it. Now in order to chant… What is that? You read. What is this copy? ¶
Devotee: Prayers, different prayers. ¶
Prabhupāda: Prayers. That’s all. There are ten kinds of offenses in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. There are three stages of this chanting process. The first stage is offensive stage, and the second stage is light stage, and the third stage is liberated stage. So generally in the beginning we are almost in the offensive stage but we shall try to avoid the ten kinds of offenses as it will be explained. You have got printed copy. You take it. The first offense is śruti-śāstra-nindanam. No scripture of the world should be blasphemed. Śruti, especially Vedas. Śruti means Vedas. Actually, Vedas are the original scripture. Gradually many other scriptures have developed. They are called smṛti. Śruti smṛti. ¶
śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pāñcarātriki vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpātāyaiva kalpate
[Brs. 1.2.101]
This is the definition given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, that to become a devotee of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, one has to follow the principles of śruti and smṛti, and pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, there is no Vedic vidhi. Because Vedic vidhi is lost. Formerly, initiation was offered to a person who is actually born of a brāhmaṇa father. Otherwise… Or the higher caste, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, they were offered initiation, and the śūdras were not offered. That was the Vedic system. But in this age the śāstra says that kalau śūdra sambhava. In this age of Kali practically there is no more any brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, or vaiśya. Maybe by name, but in qualification they are not existing. Everyone is supposed to be śūdra. So in Kali-yuga the pāñcarātriki-vidhi is accepted. The pāñcarātriki-vidhi is also Vedic vidhi, corollary, given by Nārada Mahāmuni. But it is accepted by the Vedic followers, pāñcarātriki-vidhi. ¶
Pāñcarātriki-vidhi means if any one has a little inclination for spiritual development, he should be given chance. This initiation means to give chance. The Bhāgavata says that kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ [SB 2.4.18]. These are the list of the caṇḍālas or less than the śūdras. So Bhāgavata gives open road for everyone. Even one is kirāta… Kirāta means… Generally they are called aborigines, or the very black aborigines living in the jungles, they are called kirāta. In our country it is called hanta [?]. So anyway, Hun, Hun a class of people in the hill side of north Arctic. They are called Huns. So kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā… There are very great list of the caṇḍālas, less than the śūdras. The Bhāgavata says ye ‘nye ca pāpā, not these classes, even less than them, even they are born in the family of sinful tribe, they can be also purified. Śudhyanti, they can be also purified. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye ‘nye ca pāpā śudhyanti. They can be purified by association of Vaiṣṇava. Yad-apa, yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ. Upāśraya means just like a person who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa and if anyone takes shelter of such devotee, he can be purified. This is called paramparā system. ¶
So for this Bhāgavata-dharma, there is no restriction. Anywhere, any part of the world, they can accept this Bhāgavata-dharma. On that principle in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s life also He accepted many Muhammadans also as His disciples. Just like Ṭhākura Haridāsa, he was born in a Muhammadan family, and He took many Pathans as His disciples when He was coming back from Vṛndāvana. So in this system, disciplic system of Vedic process, there is no restriction. Anyone can come. And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ‘pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Never mind. Even one is born in a family which is considered to be sinful. Striya śūdrās tathā vaiśya. Even woman, the śūdra, and the mercantile class of men, anyone. Mām… Ye ‘nye ca pāpā. ¶
māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ‘pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striya śūdrās tathā vaiśyās
te ‘pi yānti parāṁ gatim
[Bg. 9.32]
They can also be elevated to the highest platform of perfection by the process of initiation. And kiṁ punar brāhmaṇaḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā [Bg. 9.33]. Even such persons can be elevated, and what to speak of the brāhmaṇas, bhaktas, devotees, and rājarṣaya, and great kṣatriyas. There is nothing to speak about them. Even these people can be elevated. ¶
So this Bhāgavata-dharma is very nice, it is universal, it can be accepted by everyone. Unfortunately, so long there was no preaching of this Bhāgavata-dharma. Now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, the Bhāgavata-dharma is now being expanded in the Western countries. I am very glad that boys and girls from this part of the world, they are also embracing and they are nicely chanting and following the rules and regulations. So I think Kṛṣṇa will be very… So initiation means this is the beginning. Now you have to follow the rules and regulations. What are the rules and regulations? Only four principles. Don’t have any illicit sex life. Don’t have any food besides prasādam or foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa does not eat anything beyond the vegetarian group. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. So you cannot offer Kṛṣṇa anything beyond this scope. So there is no question of nonvegetarian diet, including fish, eggs, even onions, and lentils, what is called? Lentils? That dahl, pulses? So you have got from your Godbrother, you will know. And you are eating here Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And no gambling and no intoxication, including smoking, tea taking, coffee taking. No gambling, no intoxication. These four principles. No illicit sex life, no nonvegetarian diet, no gambling, and no intoxication. These four principles have to be followed and in the beginning the offenses. Where is…? You read the offenses. You haven’t got? ¶
So offenses are ten kinds of offenses. The first offense is to deride at the Vedic literature or scriptures. Satāṁ nindā. And those who are preaching God consciousness, never mind in any part of the world. Those who are preaching God consciousness. In your country, Christian… Not in your country. Of course, it was preached in Central Asia, but now Christianism is spread all over. So Lord Jesus Christ, he also preached God consciousness. And Mohammed, Hazrat Mohammed, he also preached God consciousness. Similarly, in India there was several ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, God consciousness they preached. ¶
So Lord Buddha, he, of course, did not preach directly God consciousness, but we accept him as the incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. He had to preach amongst the atheist class of men who were too much addicted with animal slaughter and he wanted to stop animal slaughter. That was his main business. So I’ve several times explained. Therefore he rejected Vedic authority. Because in the Vedic authority there is recommendation, under certain condition, of animal sacrifice. But he wanted to stop completely animal sacrifice. Therefore superficially he said, he denied the authority of Vedic ritual. Because if he accepted Vedic rituals then he could not preach this ahiṁsā paramo dharma. So that is a great story. Anyway we accept, we Vaiṣṇavas, we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation. That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra. So indirectly the Buddhists are worshiping God. They are denying, there is no existence of God but they are accepting the incarnation of God. ¶
So anywhere the four prime religions of the world, namely Hinduism, Christianism, Mohammedanism or Buddhism, directly or indirectly, they are accepting God. And without accepting God there is no meaning of religion. That is not religion. According to Bhāgavata, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma, what this dharma, religion means, the codes given by God. That’s all. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Now Kṛṣṇa, in the beginning said that dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge. “I come, descend, in order to establish religion.” Now again at the end He says sarva-dharmān parityajya. He came to establish religion. And in the end He says that “Give up all sorts of religion.” What does it mean? That means religion means surrendering unto God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is religion. If there is no such principle… Surrendering unto God, that is religion. Not the rituals. Rituals are superficial. The Bhāgavata says sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. You follow any kind of religion, that doesn’t matter. But the test will be how much you have developed God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the test. If that is lacking, then you have simply wasted your time. ¶
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]
If by following the ritualistic principles of any kind of religion, if one has not developed God consciousness or love of God, then it is simply waste of time, laboring. That’s all. So gradually people are coming to the stage that God is dead. They have developed so much love for God that they want to see God is dead. That means they have not followed any kinds of religion. This is all useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply they have wasted. God cannot be dead. It is crazy proposal. How God can be…? If we are praying to God, “O God, give us our daily bread,” and the bread is supplied to us, how God is dead? God cannot be dead. So these are crazy proposals. Don’t be attached to all these nonsense proposal. God is existing. He is nitya nityānām. Just like we are existing, similarly God is existing. And He is the chief amongst the eternals. We are also eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. ¶
So these are Vedic injunctions. God is there, I am here, God is eternal, I am eternal, He is sac-cid-vigrahaḥ, I am also, at the present moment, my body is material. But when I am liberated I also become sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. So these things gradually you’ll learn from Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā. Now this Hare Kṛṣṇa, this chanting process is cleansing your heart. As you advance in cleansing your heart, so God becomes revealed unto You. God is sitting with you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ‘rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone’s heart. Simply we can see Him as soon as the heart is clean. Śṛṇvatām… And God will help you. ¶
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
[SB 1.2.17]
As soon as with devotion and faith you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, God will help you. Kṛṣṇa will help you from within to cleanse your heart so that you will be able to see things as they are. ¶
So we should avoid blaspheming the persons who have preached God consciousness all over the world. We should not deprecate the value of scriptures. And the most obstinate sinful activity is to act sinfully on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because it is said that as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa you become freed from all sinful activities. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa name. Absolute. So if somebody thinks that “I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, therefore I can continue committing all kinds of sinful activities,” that is the greatest… Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir. Anyone who commits sinful activities… I have already explained the four kinds of sinful activities you should avoid. But if you think that you are chanting, therefore there will be no reaction of sinful activities, that is the greatest sin. Greatest offense. Never. Don’t commit any sinful activities. And sāmyaṁ śubha-kriyā api pramādaḥ. This is another great offense. That don’t accept this chanting as something auspicious activity. It is transcendental to auspicious and inauspicious activities. It is a vibration from the spiritual sky which will attract you gradually to the spiritual sky, beyond this material sky. ¶
‘Vyakto ‘vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Paras tasmād tu bhāva anya. As you get information from the Bhagavad-gītā, there is another nature which is called spiritual nature and the devotees are trying, all the transcendentalists… Some are trying to merge into the spiritual existence only, and we devotees, we want to keep individuality and want to become associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. So gradually you can learn it from the lectures and the books and with association with your Godbrothers and sisters. So this is your initiation. Take it very seriously. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very faithfully and your life will be successful. ¶
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end] ¶