Prabhupāda: ...material benefit, śubha-kriyā. So the initiation is not like that, that "I am taking to the process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra for some material benefit." No. Because people become religious mostly for material benefit.
- ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
- jñānī ca bharatarṣabha
- (BG 7.16)
Ārtaḥ means distress, and artha-arthī means one who is in need of money. Generally... Just like in Christian church, they go to the church for some material benefit: "O God, give us our daily bread," asking some material benefit. Similarly, Hindus also, they go to the temple, pray to the Lord, "My Lord, I am very much distressed. I have no money. Kindly give some money." So harināma, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, should not be taken like that, that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra so that my material condition will improve." Not like that. Chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means to come in contact with the Supreme Lord and increase my love for Him. That is the point. Prema pumārtho mahān. So if we think that it is śubha-kriyā—śubha-kriyā means something auspicious—no, that is also offense. We have already described so many offenses; this is also one of offense.
And next offense is nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa Brahma-khaṇḍa 25.16). Anyone who thinks that "I shall counteract the resultant action of my sinful life by chanting, atonement," prāyaścitta... Just like one… Somebody commits some sinful activity, and according to different śāstra, scripture, there are atonement. Just like in Christian religion, if they admit, then it is all right. No. Harināma should not be taken like that, to counteract my sinful activities, or, "Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra I can go on committing all kinds of sinful activities. It will be neutralized by my chanting." This is offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Pāpa-buddhiḥ means the desire for committing sinful activities.
The sinful activities are summarized in four principles: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. If I think, "Now I am initiated, I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, even if I commit some sinful activity it will be counteracted, because harināma is so strong that immediately it vanquishes the resultant action of all sinful..." That's a fact. But if I think, "Now I have got an instrument to counteract my sinful activities, so let me go on committing sinful activity and then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; it will be neutralized," this is the most grievous offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. (aside:) You should sit properly. Not like that. Mother should take care.
So don’t accept Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as a counteracting agent. No. The... We have to come to the pure chanting. Of course, in the beginning, because we do not know, we may commit offenses. But by chanting, chanting, as we become purified, we must have our aim to become offenseless. Nāma-aparādha. Nāma-aparādha. In the beginning we should not give up chanting, even there is offenses, because by chanting, chanting, we shall be purified. So if one is able to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offenses, he becomes immediately liberated. This is the result. He is mukta-puruṣa, liberated person. He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense. And when pure chanting will be there, then he awakens his original dormant love of Kṛṣṇa. This is the result. In this way.