Five Hours at the Russian Border

Even though we had proper passports and visas, on Friday 10 April it took us five hours of waiting at the Russian border at Sovetsk to go through the process of being allowed into Russia. The entire planet is the property of our father, the Supreme Lord. So why have the modern day governments all over the world made these artificial boundaries restricting the sons and daughters from utilizing their father's property? Governments have a duty and a right to make sure that the Lord's resources are not used for sense gratification but are used instead for His service. But they are doing just the opposite. They engage the Lord's resources for sense gratification and restrict those who are trying to use the Lord's resources in His service. So what can be done? While tolerating the inconveniences and obstacles placed upon us by these modern day world governments, we must carry on with our work of trying to engage all of the Lord's resources all over the world in His service. This and only this will bring about the much desired peace and prosperity of the human society.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Russian Border at Sovetsk, Russia

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Do I Need to be Initiated?

Dear Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

Thank you for your previous answer. I would like to ask you one more question.

I am not yet initiated though I have been chanting for 14 years and have always taken Srila Prabhupada to be my spiritual master. His books are always guiding me and he is with me always. As I already have a spiritual master, do I need to be initiated ?

Hare Krishna

Your student

Answer: Yes, Initiation is Required

I am very happy to learn of your wonderful dedication to the process of Krishna consciousness as taught by Srila Prabhupada. Thank you very much.

Accepting Srila Prabhupada as one's spiritual master means that you have to follow his instructions. Since he gave the instruction that after his disappearance the new devotees who join this movement should become the disciples of his disciples, this is what you will need to do if you are actually going to be counted as a fully surrendered follower of Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada makes it very clear in the Nectar of Devotion that initiation is required:

"The connection with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Krishna and a person cultivating Krishna consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Krishna consciousness is never performed.
--From Nectar of Devotion Introduction

You have Srila Prabhupada as your eternal guru or instructing spiritual master. Of this there is no doubt. But diksha or initiation must be accepted from a spiritual master who is physically manifested on this planet and who thus gives you a spiritual name and chants on your beads. Departed spiritual master's do not do these things. So kindly try to understand that to perfect your relationship with Srila Prabhupada you now need to take your initiation from one of his disciples, and do the needful.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari