Queries about Harinama Initiation

Hare Krishna to all the Devotees. Please accept my humblest obeisances at your feet. All Glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and his disciples who are leading his mission today.

I am quite new to KC and am really desiring to accept initiation next year. Could I please humbly seek asnwers to the below questions?

1. How to choose a Diksha Guru?

2. what can I do if the Diksha Guru I aspire to be a disciple of does not come to my country?

3. what is the process of applying for initiation?

4. Is there a simple step to step procedure for a neophyte devotee like me to understand a good routine for sadahana at home?

I will be deeply indebted to all of you for your kind assistance.

Hari Bol

Replies

ISKCON Desire Tree December 3, 2014 at 6:47am

Please join this course or atleast watch the free course material available here - bhakticourses.com/iskcon-courses/

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- Sireesha Comply > ISKCON Desire Tree December 3, 2014 at 7:52am
  
  Hare Krishna.
  
  Many thanks for your guidance. You are Krishna's mercy personified. Jai Sri Sri Radha Krishna.
3f21ivo10p1mx December 2, 2014 at 5:40pm

SB 11.18.16 — A saintly person should step or place his foot on the ground only after verifying with his eyes that there are no living creatures, such as insects, who might be injured by his foot. He should drink water only after filtering it through a portion of his cloth, and he should speak only words that possess the purity of truth. Similarly, he should perform only those activities his mind has carefully ascertained to be pure.

SB 11.18.17 — One who has not accepted the three internal disciplines of avoiding useless speech, avoiding useless activities and controlling the life air can never be considered a sannyāsī merely because of his carrying bamboo rods.

SB 11.18.30 — A devotee should never engage in the fruitive rituals mentioned in the karma-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas, nor should he become atheistic, acting or speaking in opposition to Vedic injunctions. Similarly, he should never speak like a mere logician or skeptic or take any side whatsoever in useless arguments.

SB 11.18.31 — A saintly person should never let others frighten or disturb him and, similarly, should never frighten or disturb other people. He should tolerate the insults of others and should never himself belittle anyone. He should never create hostility with anyone for the sake of the material body, for he would thus be no better than an animal.

SB 11.18.35 — A sage should accept the food, clothing and bedding — be they of excellent or inferior quality — that come of their own accord.

SB 11.18.40-41 — One who has not controlled the six forms of illusion [lust, anger, greed, excitement, false pride and intoxication], whose intelligence, the leader of the senses, is extremely attached to material things, who is bereft of knowledge and detachment, who adopts the sannyāsa order of life to make a living, who denies the worshipable demigods, his own self and the Supreme Lord within himself, thus ruining all religious principles, and who is still infected by material contamination, is deviated and lost both in this life and the next.

SB 11.18.42 — The main religious duties of a sannyāsī are equanimity and nonviolence, whereas for the vānaprastha austerity and philosophical understanding of the difference between the body and soul are prominent. The main duties of a householder are to give shelter to all living entities and perform sacrifices, and the brahmacārī is mainly engaged in serving the spiritual master.
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Jagadatma das November 30, 2014 at 9:04am

Dear devotee. Hare Krishna. Krishna arranges a guru just suitable to that person.
As caitanya guru he knows all my desires and he helps me from within and when I want to serve Him he comes outside as a very advances devotee so I can serve Him.
Gurudev is Krishnas manifestation of mercy on me.
I must serve the guru and put all my inquiries to him.
Also we need the personal example of the pure devotee ie. You should spend time with Gurudev to study his character and behaviour.
You can have more than one guru but only one initiating guru.
If the initiator lives in another country then associate with the guru who is close by.
It is very important to associate with the guru and get that personal training.
To get initiated into the sampradaya in ISKCon you must approach a temple authority, namahatta etc and get advice as locally there may be some requirements.
Basically you should have been chanting 16 rounds and following 4rules for a minimum of 6 months.
The temple will give a letter of recommendation and you can give that letter to the guru you desire to receive initiation from.
Then it's up to the guru when and if he agrees to accept you.
If you stay at home you will need to regularly come to the temple and get some training.
Another family person who is a pure devotee is most suitable guru for you for personal training.
The initiator may be someone else if you like.
Hare Krishna.
- Sireesha Comply > Jagadatma das December 1, 2014 at 6:37am
  
  Hare Krishna Prabhu.
  
  Very nicely explained in simple steps. I am very grateful to you.
Sireesha Comply November 19, 2014 at 10:06am

Hare Krishna Prabhujis. all Glories to his Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

My humble obeisances and many many thanks for your replies. very grateful