The other day I was talking to one senior devotee the conversation moved onto initiation; the sad thing they noted that out of 5 mataji’s initiated she remained the only one still in the movement.

This is not a new thing and is not only identified but also discussed within management circles as shown in this short quote:

The Congregational Committee of the Bhaktivedanta Manor has noticed that there are varying standards of practise amongst the initiated congregation. In fact it is often observed that initiated devotees have strayed from their previously good practise and slipped into bad habits with no-one even asking them how they were faring. We want to reverse this increasing trend. There is also growing expectations by gurus of temple and congregational leaders to ensure their disciples are maintaining standards and serving appropriately.

Without a minimum standard set and a continual development of devotees then we see a lacing of standards or fall down, and so procedures are now in place in order to address this.

However there is a number of issues that ISKCON UK management have failed to address leading to a frustration of aspiring devotees, some leaving ISKCON to join other vishnava groups. Others give up on trying to work towards initiation feeling that the hard and fast rules do not take into account time, place and circumstance.

The problem is not the four regulative principles, nor the minimum Japa but that of geographical location to a temple and the minimum requirements to do a set number of hours per week in service. Also some are on minimum wage and although their desire is to contribute financially are unable to as they can only as the old saying goes “keep the wolf from the door”.

There is a feeling that the rules are not individualised but hard and fast a one size fits all not an individual plan of action to help gain first initiation.

Even with all the rules and checks we see by my opening notes that there is still fall downs, Srila Prabhupada understood this so does those initiating spiritual masters; it is a risk they are willing to take it is a trust that they have in others, even a small advancement in Krishna Consciousness is better than none.

As I was explaining to one individual we do not want a two tier system if you live within this radius of a temple we require this, but if outside we require this making the whole thing a nonsense this would make the whole thing confusing and pointless, but a practical individualised approach.

Srila Prabhupada makes it sound far much easier than the overbearing rules we see today:

The sannyasis of the Krsna consciousness movement are bona fide. All the students of the Krsna consciousness movement have undergone the regular process of initiation. As enjoined in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa by Sanatana Gosvami, tatha diksa-vidhanena dvijatvam jayate nrnam: by the regular process of initiation, any man can become a brahmana. Thus in the beginning the students of our Krsna consciousness movement agree to live with devotees, and gradually, having given up four prohibited activities — illicit sex, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication — they become advanced in the activities of spiritual life. When one is found to be regularly following these principles, he is given the first initiation (hari-nama), and he regularly chants at least sixteen rounds a day. Then, after six months or a year, he is initiated for the second time and given the sacred thread with the regular sacrifice and rituals. After some time, when he advances still further and is willing to give up this material world, he is given the sannyasa order. At that time he receives the title svami or gosvami, both of which mean “master of the senses.”

 Adi 17.265