Transcendental Bliss in Lima

In spite of my being very sick and staying in a cold, damp but rainless and heavily polluted place, Lima, Peru, where the sun and sky is never visible and the surrounding mountains hidden in smog are completely desolate devoid of vegetation, and in spite my room being next door to a construction site which exposes me to constant barrage of machine noise throughout the day, by the mercy of my beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, I am tasting transcendental bliss because I have so much facility for teaching the local people how to be truly happy by reviving their dormant Krishna consciousness. This brings the greatest joy to my heart.

My main concern along with keeping up with my daily lecture assignments is how I can catch up on my email correspondence so that my sincere students and disciples throughout the world can as soon as possible get the guidance they seek for their spiritual advancement.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Lima, Peru Air Pollution

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Strict Initiation Requirements...

I would like to know from you why any person wishing to get initiated from you or any other guru in ISKCON is subject to pre-conditions for getting initiated. A person who is showing interest in Krishna bhakti should be trusted by the guru outright and be immediately accepted as a disciple. By such a policy many newcomers will come to Krishna consciousness. With tough pre-conditions in place a real devotee is discouraged from Krishna bhakti.

Your servant,

Rajendra
Mumbai, India

Answer: An Inspiration for the Serious...

Just as every university has entrance requirements, similarly there are also certain requirements for becoming initiated by the bona fide spiritual master. The candidate must be solidly fixed in chanting at least 16 rounds of Hare Krishna japa mala daily and following these four regulative principles:

1. No illicit sex life
2. No intoxication
3. No meat eating
4. No gambling

These above items must be followed strictly throughout the entire life of those who have taken initiation. Therefore those who want to be initiated must clearly demonstrate their determination to remain fixed in these for life.

Most so-called gurus nowadays give initiation very cheaply without requiring their disciples to observe a daily vow of chanting God's names or following the above-mentioned regulative principles. Such so-called initiation is cheap and meaningless and does not enable the students to attain spiritual perfection. Sometimes ISKCON is criticized for its strict requirements, but actually ISKCON is to be glorified for having such strict requirements because this is a symptom of ISKCON's legitimacy.

Those who are sincere enough to want initiation will also be sincere enough to demonstrate that they can follow their initiation vows for life. We could give initiation very cheaply to anybody and everybody, even to strangers who walk in off of the street. But such cheap initiation will not help the people to advance in Krishna consciousness. Therefore instead of cheap initiations we test those who request initiation to make sure that they are fit candidates for a lifetime of strictly following their initiation vows.

In this connection my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has explained:

"One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding."

So the only real requirement is a genuine desire for spiritual life. If one has that sincerity, he will be happy to demonstrate his ability to follow the regulative principles.

In a similar way as high-level universities like Harvard and Oxford with tough entrance requirements attract a large number of highly qualified applicants from all over the world, those spiritual masters who do not water down or cheapen the process of Krishna bhakti attract many sincere and dedicated disciples from all over the world.

If one is serious about a life of complete surrender to Lord Sri Krishna, he will humbly submit himself to what the Lord's representative, the spiritual master, instructs him to do. He will not find fault with the spiritual master, if the spiritual master asks him to wait for some time before the initiation ceremony.

If one is serious to take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master, the eternal bond between the disciple and the spiritual master begins from the first moment the disciple accepts the instructions of his spiritual master as his very life and soul.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari