Title: 2nd Initiation

User: Swami Gaurangapada Date: 2007-03-13 15:13:04

 

Nityananda, Gauranga, Hare Krishna!

 

My dearest Swamiji Gaurangapada,

 

I've recently read that in order to deserve the 2nd initiation (Brahmana initiation), one needs to have followed the MIHE Bhakti Sastri exam. However, according to Vaishnava tradition, what are the criteria for a devotee to become eligible for 2nd initiation? Does the same principle apply for a devotee when he accepts to be sanyasi? Hope to read Your answer very soon. Haribol!

 

Answer by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! The only actual qualification of a devotee for receiving any level of initiation is the causeless mercy and desire of the Shri Guru. Shri Guru can impart initiation on any level to any soul irrespective of whether one has passed an exam or not. This should always be remembered and the process of initiation should never be made beaureaucratic in any manner.

 

Shrila Prabhupada desired that the a devotee should be well-versed in the scriptures for receiving the second initiation and his Gurudeva Shri Shrila Prabhupada would ideally require the devotee to chant 100,000 Holy Names daily to receive the 2nd initiation or diksha in Gaudiya Math.

 

Our criteria for 2nd initiation is that a devotee should be ideally on the Gaura Hari Naam stage of chanting daily 64 rounds each of the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas and 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra or at least on the stage of Hari Naam of chanting daily 16 rounds each of the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas and 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and following the five regulative principles including the Ekadashi vow for at least 6 months to 1 year without fail. In addition, I request that such a devotee wanting 2nd initiation should have read or heard at least one time the holy books of Nityananda Gauranga Naam, Navadvipa Dhaam Mahatmya, Chaitanya Chandramrita, Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chaitanya Mangala, Chaitanya Bhagavata, Chaitanya Charitamrita and the book the Science of Self-Realization by Shrila Prabhupada.