The initiation

 The initiation, by Haripada dasa

The process of Krishna consciousness or Bhakti-yoga is like a ladder that has nine steps, the first is faith, faith means having complete conviction that by chanting the Holy Name of God or Krishna you will automatically fulfill all spiritual duties and complete all pious activities. Those who do not have that faith are inept at chanting the Holy Name, the second step is the association with the devotees, the result of this is that faith increases, and the third step is the initiation, in the introduction to the Nectar of devotion. Srila Prabhupada says that the link with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the day the spiritual master initiates, the link between Kṛiṣhṇa and the person cultivating Kṛiṣhṇa consciousness is established. Without being initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, the true link to Kṛiṣhṇa consciousness never occurs.

On this point of initiation among the devotees of Krishna there is a schism, schism means different opinions in a group of people, some think that Srila Prabhupada authorized his disciples to be gurus in order to continue the guru parampara and others think that Srila Prabhupada On July 9, 1977, he sent a special letter to all the temples of his movement ordering his disciples to initiate in his name, the difference between these two groups is that those who say that Srila Prabhupada authorized his disciples to be gurus did not. They can show that Srila Prabhupada said that, and the other group that says that Srila Prabhupada sent on July 9, 1977 a special letter to all the temples of his movement ordering his disciples to initiate in his name, they can prove it because that letter it's there, this letter exists, and anyone can read it.

In 1986 I was initiated into Iskcon, that same year that guru fell, then in 1990 I was initiated with another guru, and when they informed me that Srila Prabhupada did not leave anyone as his successor but ordered his disciples to initiate In his name, in order not to be an accomplice in all the offenses that were being done to Srila Prabhupada, I left Iskcon, then in 2008 a disciple of Srila Prabhupada initiated me in the name of Srila Prabhupada, that has helped me a lot to feel the Srila Prabhupada's presence in my life and to purify myself from contamination by having been previously initiated by two false gurus. My humble opinion is that all the devotees who have been initiated by false gurus have never been connected to the guru parampara, a guru who is offending Srila Prabhupada because he does not want to obey the order to initiate in the name of Srila Prabhupada lives influenced by the modalities. Low from ignorance and passion, in that person there can be no goodness, that is why all those devotees must initiate with disciples of Srila Prabhupada who are obeying Srila Prabhupada's order to initiate in his name.

I share that a devotee sent me this about initiation: Lecture on SB 1.5.36 - Vrindavana, August 17, 1974: In many ways we can always remember Kṛiṣhṇa. That ... (Pause) ... if someone is chanting Hare Kṛiṣhṇa, that is fine, but chanting out of the need for initiation. Initiation means that the disciples accept the instruction of the spiritual master, and Kṛiṣhṇa accepts the disciple immediately to give him a spiritual body. This is the process. Otherwise, there is no need for initiation.