When one, after being freed from all designation, when one is actually engaged in the activities of Brahman, that is called bhakti, or devotional service.
So initiation means to be engaged in that Brahman activities. How Brahman activities? The same example can be cited, that Arjuna remained active, engaged in the battlefield, but in the beginning his identification was with his country, family and so many other things. But later on, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, he identified himself with Kṛṣṇa. This identification with Kṛṣṇa means beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So ādau śraddhā (Brs 1.4.15), when one becomes firmly convinced that, "By becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, or being engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, my life is successful, life will be successful," that is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or initiation. It is a stage. We have to go further and further till the stage of perfection. But initiation is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. When one is firmly convinced, then he makes association with the devotees. Just like we have got this Society, International Society for Krishna Consciousness. We are picking up persons who desire to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is a Society.
So firm conviction, then association. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 23.14-15). Unless there is good association, you cannot be strong enough. In every field of activities you must have good association, either in business field, or if you want to be licentious, then you have to mix with persons who are drunkards. So association has got some strength. If you want to become scholars, then you have to associate with scholarly persons in the university. And if you want to be a thief, then you have to find out the association of the thieves. Similarly, if you want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you have to find out persons who are Kṛṣṇa conscious. So firm conviction, then association.
After association, the next stage is regulative life for following the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is called initiation. Or initiation from the very beginning, this is called dīkṣā. The Sanskrit term is called dīkṣā. Dīkṣā means . . . di, divya-jñānam, transcendental knowledge; and . . . ikṣā. Ikṣā means darśana, to see, or kṣapayati, explains. That is called dīkṣā. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga. First faith, then association, then beginning of regulative principles. And if one follows, then the next promotion is to the stage of anartha-nivṛtti, disappearance of all misgivings.
Just like in our association we don't allow four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, intoxication and gambling. So by following the regulative principles one becomes freed from all these sinful activities. He does not any more indulge in illicit sex life, he does not indulge in nonvegetarian diet, he does not indulge in intoxication and he does not indulge in gambling. That is called anartha-nivṛtti. Unless one is above these four kinds of anartha, or sinful activities, one cannot be fixed up. When one is freed from these four kinds of sinful activities, then he becomes fixed up. Ruci. Niṣṭhā, fixed up, and then ruci. Ruci means he increases the taste.