680310 - Lecture Initiation - San Francisco
So this initiation means purification. In this material world we are all impure. Because we are impure, therefore death, disease, old age and pangs of birth overcome us. Just like in diseased condition—we have experience—there are so many painful conditions, similarly, in this materialistic way of life these symptoms, birth, death, disease and old age, they are different kinds of miseries. The rascals, materialist, they are thinking that they're making advance, but they have no solution for these things.
The solution is by tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some rules and regulation to purify myself. That is called tapasya. Just like in diseased condition, one has to voluntarily accept the rules and regulation enforced by the physician, "You should not eat this. You should not do this. You should not go out. You should take rest." You should not, should not, should not, so many. Similarly, if we want to purify ourselves, then four principles of purificatory process, namely illicit sex life and intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, these four things must be . . .
These four things are paraphernalia of your civilization. In the Western . . . not only Western; Eastern, everywhere. The Kali-yuga is spreading very rapidly, and wherever the Kali-yuga is very prominent, these four items are very prominent: unrestricted sex life, gambling and meat-eating and intoxication. When people become practiced to all this nonsense, they think, "Oh, what is wrong there?" But it is the most abominable part of human civilization. Anyone who are indulging in these four things, they cannot imagine when and how he will be free from this conditional life. So this is the purificatory process.
So as you are being initiated, initiation means beginning of your purificatory process. So if we are serious about purification, then we must follow these four principles, if we want to be cured. Of course, this chanting of hari-nāma will make you purified. That's nice. But just like this fire I am going to ignite. This is dried firewood. But if I help it, to keep it dry, then the fire will be very nice, blazing fire. But if I pour water on it, then it will be difficult to ignite. Similarly, the fire of Krishna consciousness will keep you always progressing, but at the same time, if we also voluntarily do not pour water on that fire, then it will be nice.
Similarly, Krishna consciousness or chanting Hare Krishna will keep you progressing. At the same time, voluntarily, if you do not commit all these nonsenses, then it will be very nice. And if you continue this water-pouring, then . . . just like a man is taking medicine, at the same time doing all nonsense. Then his disease will not be cured, or may take very, very long time. So we should not be irresponsible in that way, because life is very short. We do not know when death is coming, especially in these days. We are moving in the street, we are moving by plane, we are moving . . . every step, there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). It is a place of danger.
So our life . . . we should consider this human form of life, especially Krishna conscious life, is very important life. We should not be inattentive. So we should be very careful. Krishna will, of course, protect you, but at the same time, we have got consciousness.
We should also take care that before the next death comes, we must be fully prepared for being transferred to Krishnaloka. And it is very simple thing. If you keep yourself constantly in Krishna consciousness, that's the only thing. Then you are sure to be going transferred next life. As I was explaining last night, simply by understanding Krishna.
Krishna is not like us. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How He is Supreme Personality of Godhead? That He proved when . . . while He was present. The history is there, Krishna\s pastimes, Krishna's activities, Krishna's wisdom, lecture, Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. They are the proofs.
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