680724IN.MON

Prabhupada: [prayers for fire sacrifice-devotees responding]

Now take banana, each one. Stand up. [prayers for fire sacrifice continue-devotees responding]

Hold this. Slowly, very good. [prayers for fire sacrifice continue-devotees responding]

Now bow down.

[devotees offer obeisances] Now chant Hare Krsna.

[break] [prayers for fire sacrifice continue-devotees responding]

So, put this small [indistinct]. You give me that [indistinct]. Now you chant, those who are initiated, Hare Krsna. [japa] Chant loudly [devotees chant japa]

[break] So, beginning from this big bead, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, 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.

So following? Yes. Then continue 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 Jayapataka. Bow down. You know the mantra?

Jayapataka:

Prabhupada: That's all. Take it.

[aside:] You have got that copy of these ten kinds of offenses? Where is that?

Devotee: We have a copy...

Devotee (2): In the kitchen.

Prabhupada: Bring it. Bring it. Now in order to chant... What is that? You read. What is this copy?

Devotee: Prayers, different prayers.

Prabhupada: Prayers. That's all. There are ten kinds of offenses in chanting Hare Krsna. 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'll take it. The first offense is sruti-sastra-nindanam [Padma Purana].

No scripture of the world should be blasphemed. Sruti, especially Vedas. Sruti means Vedas.

Actually, Vedas are the original scripture. Gradually many other scriptures have developed. They are called smrti. Sruti smrti.

This is the definition given by Srila Rupa Gosvami, that to become a devotee of the Lord, Krsna, one has to follow the principles of sruti and smrti, and pancaratriki-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 brahmana father. Otherwise... Or the higher caste, the brahmanas, the ksatriyas and the vaisyas, they were offered initiation, and the sudras were not offered. That was the Vedic system.

But in this age the sastra says that kalau sudra sambhava. In this age of Kali practically there is no more any brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya. Maybe by name, but in qualification they are not existing. Everyone is supposed to be sudra. So in Kali-yuga the pancaratriki-vidhi is accepted. This pancaratriki-vidhi is also Vedic vidhi, corollary, given by Narada Mahamuni. But it is accepted by the Vedic followers, pancaratriki-vidhi.

Pancaratriki-vidhi means if anyone has a little inclination for spiritual development, he should be given chance. This initiation means to give chance. The Bhagavata says that kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah [SB 2.4.18]. These are the list of the candalas, or less than the sudras. So Bhagavata gives open road for everyone. Even one is kirata... Kirata means... Generally they are called aborigines, or the very black aborigines living in the jungles, they are called kirata. In our country it is called hanta[?]. So anyway, Hun, Hun, a class of people in the hill side of north Arctic [indistinct], they are called Huns. So kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha... There are very great list of the candalas, less than the sudras.

The Bhagavata says ye 'nye ca papa, not these classes, even less than them, even they are born in the family of sinful tribe, they can be also purified. Sudhyanti: they can be also purified. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah, ye 'nye ca papa..., ye 'nye ca papa sudhyanti [SB 2.4.18]. They can be purified by association of Vaisnava. Ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah. Upasraya means just like a person who is a devotee of Krsna, and if anyone takes shelter of such devotee, he can be purified. This is called parampara system.

So for this bhagavata-dharma, there is no restriction. Anywhere, any part of the world, they can accept this bhagavata-dharma. On that principle in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's life also He accepted many Muhammadans also as His disciple. Just like Thakura Haridasa, he was born in a Muhammadan family; and He took many Pathans as His disciple when He was coming back from Vrndavana. So in this system, disciplic system of Vedic process, there is no restriction. Anyone can come.

And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita also. Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says that mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg 9.32]. Never mind, even one is born in a family which is considered to be sinful. Striya sudras tatha vaisya. Even woman, the sudra, and the mercantile class of men-anyone. Mam... Ye 'nye ca papa.

They can also be elevated to the highest platform of perfection by the process of initiation. And kim punar brahmanah punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha [Bg 9.33]: Even such persons can be elevated, and what to speak of the brahmanas, bhaktas, those whom are devotees, and rajarsaya, and great ksatriyas. There is nothing to speak about them. Even these people can be elevated.

So this bhagavata-dharma is very nice, it is universal, it can be accepted by everyone. Unfortunately, so long there was no preaching of this bhagavata-dharma. Now, by the grace of Krsna, Lord Caitanya, the bhagavata-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 regulation. So I think Krsna will be very...

So initiation means this is the beginning. Now you have to follow the rules and regulation. What are the rules and regulation? Only four principles: Don't have any illicit sex life. Don't have any food besides prasadam, or foodstuff offered to Krsna. And Krsna does not eat anything beyond the vegetarian group. Because in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg 9.26]. So you cannot offer Krsna anything beyond this scope. So there is no question of nonvegetarian diet, including fish, eggs, even onions and lentils. What is called? Lentils? That dal, pulses? So you have got from your Godbrother, you will know. And you are eating here krsna-prasadam.

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. Satam ninda. 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 Muhammad, Hazrat Muhammad, he also preached God consciousness. Similarly, in India there was several acaryas, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, 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. Kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare [Sri Dasavatara-stotra 9]. 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 ahimsa paramo dharma. So that is a great story.

Anyway, we accept, we Vaisnavas, we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation. That is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. He is incarnation of Krsna. Kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira. 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, Muhammadanism 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 Bhagavata, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma, what this dharma, religion, means the codes given by God. That's all. Just like Krsna says in the Srimad-Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. Now Krsna in the beginning said that dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge: "I come, descend, in order to establish religion."

Now again at the end He says sarva-dharman 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 Krsna. That is religion. If there is no such principle... Surrendering unto God, that is religion. Not the rituals. Rituals are superficial. The Bhagavata says, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [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 Krsna consciousness. That is the test. If that is lacking, then you have simply wasted your time.

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. Srama 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 nityanam. Just like we are existing, similarly God is existing. And He is the chief amongst the eternal. We are also eternal. Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit [Bg 2.20].

So these are Vedic injunctions. God is there, I am here; God is eternal, I am eternal; He is sac-cid-vigrahah, I am also. At the present moment, my body is material. But when I am liberated I also become sac-cid-ananda vigrahah [Bs 5.1]. So these things gradually you'll learn from Srimad-Bhagavata, Bhagavad-gita. Now this Hare Krsna, 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. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg 18.61]. Krsna is sitting in everyone's heart. Simply we can see Him as soon as the heart is clean. Srnvatam... And God will help you.

As soon as with devotion and faith you chant this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, God will help you. Krsna 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 Krsna. Because it is said that as soon as you chant Hare Krsna you become freed from all sinful activity.

There is no difference between Krsna and Krsna name. Absolute. So if somebody thinks that "I am chanting Hare Krsna, therefore I can continue committing all kinds of sinful activities," that is the greatest... Namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhir [Padma Purana, Brahma-khanda 25.16].

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 samyam subha-kriya api pramadah.

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 'vyaktat sanatanah. Paras tasmad tu bhava anya [Bg 8.20]. As you get information from the Bhagavad-gita, 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, Krsna.

So gradually you shall 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 Krsna very faithfully, and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. Now chant Hare Krsna. [devotees chant japa]

Chant, loudly.

[break] [indistinct] When I say "svaha" you [indistinct]. Everyone take. [chants prayers for fire sacrifice, devotees responding].

There is another? No, that's all right. Stand. All stand up.

[continues chanting prayers for fire sacrifice, devotees responding]

Put this, like this. Slowly, yes. No. Fold your hands.

[continues chanting prayers for fire sacrifice, devotees responding]

Bow down, nama om visnu-padaya. [devotees offer obeisances]

Where is Nanda-kisora? Nanda-kisora, you can chant Hare Krsna. Chant Hare Krsna. Play harmonium. Chant. [indistinct] [devotees leads kirtana]

[break] [japa] Now you can distribute prasadam.

[break] Distribute that. [Hindi to guest]

You can stop it [referring to tape recorder]. [end]