Is Hari Nam Diksha enough? Is Brahmana Diksha Compulsory?

Is Hari Nam Diksha enough? Is Brahmana Diksha Compulsory?

Brahmana Diksha (Second Initiation) is not compulsory for all.

Only a devotee who is REALLY qualified to get Brahmana Diksha (Second Initiation) and also like to serve the deities and kitchen in the temples should take Brahmana Diksha (Second Initiation).

Only brahmanas can serve the deities.  So, when a temple requires brahmana devotees to serve in their temple for the deities and cooking, selects a few hari nam initiated candidates who are REALLY qualified.

If anyone is working somewhere, he is a sudra. Srila Prabhupada asks why a sudra should become a brahmana as he can get the same status attained by a brahmana if he serves the lord as sudra itself.

One thing is clear: Hari nam initiation itself is enough to go back to Krishna if you follow the diksha rules properly (Mainly, chanting and following regulative principles).

Those who are working somewhere or those who are not going to do deity services or cooking services need not take Brahmana diksha.

Brahmana diksha is there only because there are vedic rules that only the initiated brahmanas can do deity and kitchen services in the temples.

If you have deities at home, then you too is better to take Brahmana Diksha (Second Initiation).

To go back to Krishna, being a “brahmana devotee” is not the qualification.

Even a “Sudra devotee” can go back to Godhead.

Why?  Being a devotee, ie, vaishnava, is greater than being a brahmana or Sudra.

Prabhupada was worried in many places what if a wrongly brahmana initiated devotee acts like a chandala and ruin the name of the society.

So, think of brahmana diksha only if you are going to serve the devotees.

Whenever you need in future, you can take Brahmana Diksha (Second Initiation). Do not confuse yourself unnecessarily.

The above advices are not my advices.  They were the explanations for the statements given by Srila Prabhupada.

Let us read two samples from his views on this matter of Brahmana Diksha (Second Initiation):

(i) Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapur:

Hari-śauri: No need for even any Brahmana Initiation), then...

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Hari-śauri: ...unless one is...

Prabhupāda: No, brāhmaṇa must be there. Why do you say, generalize?

Hari-śauri: Unless one is particularly...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: ...inclined.

Prabhupāda: Not that a śūdra man is by force become a brāhmaṇa. You cannot improve. That is not possible. But even if he remains a śūdra and does accordingly, he will get the same position as devotee. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya sam... (BG 18.46). He'll get the perfection. At the present moment the idea is: if one remains a śūdra, then he cannot get perfection. No. Even a śūdra can get perfection provided he does the work of a śūdra perfectly.

Hari-śauri: For Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Therefore why a śūdra artificially should be a brāhmaṇa? Let them, let him remain a śūdra, and if he follows strictly the rules and regulation of śūdra, he'll also be as good as a brāhmaṇa. The same example: Just like head is as important as my leg. It is not that because it is leg, it is less important than my head. And if you ask the head, "Do the work of a leg," it is impossible. And if you ask the leg to work as a brain, that is impossible. Let him remain brain, let him remain leg, and do your duty and you become perfect.

 

(ii) Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago:

 

Devotee: There are even brāhmaṇas in our temple who have left the temple and they are acting just like karmīs.

Prabhupāda: So they were wrongly initiated. We want recommendation from the authority, whether one should be initiated, but they gave wrong information. That is the defect of the informer. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...Hari-nāma initiation can be a little more liberal.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But Brahmaana initiation should be strict.

Prabhupāda: Very strict. Very strict means he must be observed that he is actually chanting sixteen rounds, following the regulative principles. That's all

 

Hope you are clear now.