Information to Harinam and Brahmin initiation candidates
To be eligible to take Harinam initiation, the candidate has to ensure the following things:
- Following the 4 regulative principles (namely No meat-fish-egg-onion-garlic eating, no gambling, no intoxication and no illicit sex) and chanting 16 rounds Japa for minimum last 12 months without any fail).
- Have taken shelter minimum 6 months before of applying for initiation (please call us to check if your name is recorded in JPS office database)
- Serving continuously under or favorably connected to a ISKCON approved temple/Bhakti Vriksha/Namahatta/Gurukul etc for minimum last 12 months.
- Completion of ISKCON Disciples’ Course.
- Official recommendation letter from the temple president/authorized official authority.
- Filled documents (recommendation letter, IDC certificate, Essay, Oath and bio-data) has to be submitted to the JPS Office prior the initiation exam and interview.
- Candidates have to write the answers of the GBC Harinam initiation philosophical questions. This can be done at your local ISKCON authorized center. If you wish to write the philosophical test at JPS office please let us know beforehand. However, you have to bring the assessed answer sheet (if you are writing the philosophical answers at your local center) while coming to JPS office for your oral interview.
- Appear on the oral interview test at JPS office before the deadline provided by the office.
Books to be studied for being eligible to apply for 1st initiation:
- Bhagavad Gita – minimum 2 times
- Srimad Bhagavatam (1st canto) – minimum 1 time
- Nectar of Devotion (1st part) – minimum 1 time
- Life and teachings of Lord Caitanya – minimum 1 time
- Srila Prabhupada’s biography (brief version) – minimum 1 time
Note: Candidates will be tested with relevant questions to check whether they have thoroughly studied the books. Therefore they have to ensure that they have read the books (or heard properly, if illiterate) and able to answer the questions.
To be eligible to take Brahminical initiation, the candidate has to ensure the following things:
- Harinam initiated for at least 12 months from an ISKCON authorized guru.
- Completion of Bhakti Sastri is mandatory to be eligible to apply for 2nd initiation.
- Completion of ISKCON Disciples’ Course (those who didn’t take this course before).
- Devotees who are actively engaged in temple deity worship or temple deity kitchen dept. will be considered to apply for 2nd initiation. Guru Maharaja says, there is no need to take 2nd initiation if someone is not engaged in any temple deity worship or deity kitchen. For worshiping home deity, 2nd initiation is not mandatory. Just by chanting Harinama without any offense one can go back to Godhead.
Therefore the temple presidents or eligible authorities are requested to recommend only those who are needed for temple deity worship/deity kitchen and not to encourage everyone to take 2nd initiation. - Serving continuously under or favorably connected to a ISKCON approved temple/Bhakti Vriksha/Namahatta/Gurukula etc for minimum last 12 months.
- Official recommendation letter from the temple president/authorized official authority. Please keep a note of the above mentioned point #4.
- Filled documents (recommendation letter, IDC certificate, Essay, Oath and bio-data) have to be submitted to the JPS Office prior to the initiation exam and interview.
- The candidate should write and qualify the written test (only Bhakti Vaibhava certificate holders may opt to be exempted from the descriptive written test). This can be done at your local ISKCON authorized center. If you wish to write the philosophical test at JPS office please let us know beforehand. However, you have to bring the assessed answer sheet (if you are writing the philosophical answers at your local center) while coming to JPS office for your oral interview.
- The candidates of lower education (below 5th standard) need to write a lesser number of questions in the descriptive test. (available at our website in the ‘form’ section.)
- All candidates have to answer the multiple choice questions and appear in the oral interview.
Note: Understanding of philosophical concepts is being examined through the written test and multiple choice questions from the subjects of the 2nd initiation philosophical test.
Books to be studied for being eligible to apply for 2nd initiation:
- Bhagavad Gita – minimum 3 times
- Srimad Bhagavatam (1st canto) – minimum 2 times
- Srimad Bhagavatam (2nd canto 3rd canto) – minimum 1 times
- Nectar of Devotion (1st part) – minimum 2 times
- Nectar of Instruction – minimum 1 time
- Teachings of Lord Caitanya – minimum 1 time
- Srila Prabhupada’s biography (brief version) – minimum 1 time
Note: Without the completion of all the above mentioned books, no candidates will be considered for 2nd initiation, even if they pass the initiation test at local temple/yatra/BV. Candidates will be tested with relevant questions check whether they have thoroughly studied the books. Candidates have to pass this test to be eligible to take 2nd initiation.
Process:
- Complete the ISKCON Disciples Course (if you had not taken this course yet)
- Download (click http://www.jayapatakaswamioffice.com/?page_id=3) and fill out the required documents of aspiring/shelter/Harinam initiation/Brahmin initiation.
- Get the recommendation letter from your local temple president to which you are connected to.
- Fill in the initiation form. Attach the recommendation (if in separate letter head) letter and copy of ISKCON Disciple course certificate.
- Send the whole package (IDC certificate, signed recommendation letter, comprehensive checklist and essay, bio-data and initiation oath) to us to this email id (jpsofficedatabase@gmail.com) and we will guide you what is to be done next.
For any clarification please contact us at (+91)03472-245277 or email at
jpsofficedatabase@gmail.com