Prabhupada: "...such things in devotion and love," asnami, "I eat." So one's purpose is served. If Krsna accepts something from a person, that is the perfection of life. So there are many things, but today we are observing this ceremony, and the other day we also observed. Six boys were offered this facility of this second initiation stage, and today also, they have come from New York because I'll be going to Montreal, Canada, next week. So they have come and they are... This second process of initiation will be performed as far as possible. Real basic principle is bhakti, devotional service. So far lengthy process, in this age it is not possible. And pancaratrika vidhim, just like quoted from Rupa Gosvami, it has made things very simplified. The Vedic vidhi is not possible at the present age. The pancaratrika-vidhim means... Vedic vidhi means one must be begotten by a brahmana and he must have followed the family tradition. Then, according to Vedic rites, he can be initiated or offered the sacred thread. But pancaratrika-vidhi is especially meant for this age, that anyone who has little, a slight tendency to become a devotee, he should be given all chance, all chance. That is Lord..., especially Lord Caitanya's special benediction. And He has actually performed this thing. Just like Haridasa Thakura. He happened to be born in a Muhammadan family, and Lord Caitanya made him the acarya, namacarya, the authority of chanting Hare Krsna, namacarya, by His grace. This Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami were rejected from brahmana society because they engaged themselves as ministers in the Muslim government.

Student: Is this the ceremony which is often referred to as mantra-diksa?

Prabhupada: Yes. Mantra-diksa. Yes. The first ceremony is hari-nama-diksa, and then mantra-diksa. Hari-nama-diksa, all these boys present, they were, one year before, they were initiated for chanting, and now they are being second time initiated by mantra-diksa, yes. Any other questions?

Student: Has there been a fasting or other preparatory...?

Prabhupada: No. According to Vaisnava tantra, we do not require to fast because we are taking Krsna's prasadam. Hare... Just like in Jagannatha Puri, there is no fasting, so long one is accepting Krsna's prasadam. The fasting means purificatory, one, one who is taking all nonsense things, at least one day fasting to become purified. But one who is eating simply Krsna prasadam and simple foodstuff, vegetable, grains, milk; they are not allowed to eat anything and everything. They are not allowed to take anything in the hotel. So practically, they are fasting. According to the general regulation, they are fasting every day. They are simply accepting Krsna prasadam. That is already accepted. And because this ceremony is Vaisnava smrti, so we do not require particularly to fast.

Student: Do the disciples take on new injunctions and prohibitions at this time? You mentioned that there were four nisidhacara (?) mentioned...

Prabhupada: No. This...

Student: ...at the earlier stage.

Prabhupada: Earlier, earlier stage, the injunctions were... They have already practiced those injunctions. They have already practiced and they now stand firmly situated in those practices and they have chanted. Therefore the second initiation. Just like in the school educationfrom one class to another is promotion stagesimilarly, it is like that.

Student: Are there any formal rules that they agree to accept at this stage? Over and above the earlier...

Prabhupada: Yes. Only form is that the mantra which will be given to him, he has to chant that mantra three times a day, morning, early in the morning, and in the noon, and in the evening. Tri-sandhya. Tri-sandhya means three times, junction of different moments. Morning, day and night, evening, day and night, junction, and the noon, afternoon and before noon. Three times.

Student: Does taking the initiation create a permanent bond between disciple and guru?

Prabhupada: Yes, that is already done. When they were initiated hari-nama, chanting Hare Krsna, that acceptance of... Tasmat gurum prapadyeta. Just like one has to enter himself into some educational institution for being educated more and more, similarly, one has to first of all accept a bona fide spiritual master. Then he gives him education one after another, one after another. So that initiation means that is the beginning. But that is not the end. There is no end. It will go on. It will go on. This is the second stage only. But the rules and regulations, they have already practiced, and they are doing them.

Student: The first mantra, Hare Krsna mantra, that's for, you say, that's to clean the mind of the material contam...

Prabhupada: Yes, that is the basic, that is the first principle. Lord Caitanya says, ceto-darpana-marjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] "By chanting Hare Krsna mantra, one becomes cleansed of the dirty things, material contamination."

Student: And this mantra. What's the purpose?

Prabhupada: This mantra is secondary. Of course, one who has purified himself by Hare Krsna, this mantra is not very important. But, according to the tradition of Vaisnava smrti, it is offered better, better, to make the position still confirmed and better. But even this mantra is not given, simply by chanting Hare Krsna, everything is done. This is extraordinary so that... In the other, other feature of this sacred ceremony, is that one may not commit offense at the feet of a Vaisnava by thinking him, "Oh, he's a mleccha, he's a yavana, or he's lower class, he's higher class," like that. Therefore this is offered. No, he's brahmana. He's brahmana. Otherwise, still in India, a person born in a brahmana family, the most wretched condition and most abominable habits, and he claims to be a brahmana. And a person who is highly elevated in Krsna consciousness, he's not accepted. So in order to save one from the injustice, this ceremony is required that it is bona fide. He's a bona fide brahmana. As it is prescribed and ordered in the Narada-pancaratra or Vaisnava smrti. So my Guru Maharaja, His Holiness Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, he introduced this, and we are following. So there is no question. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Follow the principles of a spiritual master who has come down in disciplic succession. That is very nice thing. If you have got a bona fide spiritual master and if you simply follow the instruction, the perfection is guaranteed. Just like a perfect engineer and a neophyte working under his instruction, however foolish he may be, all his work is perfect. Because following the instruction of the qualified man. Therefore it is said,