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So those who are going to be initiated, they should take it as a vow, not to fall down again. Catch Krsna's lotus feet very tightly and you'll not fall down. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. So be determined. Don't make it a farce, that "Today I am initiated and tomorrow I again I give up everything and again grow my hair and then go to hell." No. Don't do that. If you want to be serious, then the path is clear for going back to home.

So this initiation means by the mercy of Krsna though His agent, the spiritual master, you are getting the seed of bhakti-lata. So you have to take care of yourself by the instruction. Not that, "Now I have got a spiritual master and I have got the initiation, my business is finished. Let me do all nonsense." No. This initiation process, we take promise from you that no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication -- before the fire. The fire ceremony means, fire is also representation of yajna-purusa, and through fire, the yaj\ va-purusa eats, purusottama. So there is fire, there is spiritual master, there is sastra, there is Krsna, before -- they are all witness. Just like before the high court judge you promise, "Yes I'll speak... Whatever I'll speak in this court, it is all truth." So this promise the judge knows, and he gives his judgment on that. Similarly, these promises must be kept; otherwise it will be useless. That is your business, the same thing, guru-krsna..., that by the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Krsna, you get the thing. Now to use the thing properly, that will depend on you. Guru-krsna-krpaya bhakti-lata-bija. I can give you very nice thing, but you keep it locked up in your treasury and never use it, then what will you do? Mali haya sei bija kare aropana. You have to sow it and pour water and see that it is nicely growing. This..., that is very nicely described in rupa-siksa, mali hay sei bija kare aropana. So don't think that after the official ceremony of initiation your business and my business is finished. No. The business begins. It is not the finishing; it is the beginning. So if you don't go farther, adau guru-asrayah... The beginning is to take shelter of guru. That is the beginning. And, adau guru-asrayah, then the student must be very inquisitive, sad-dharma-prccha. Sadhu-marga-anugamanam. You'll find all these things, instruction, in The Nectar of Devotion. They are there.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.35
Hawaii, January 28, 1974
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