Hari-śauri: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you were saying that only if one can understand the nature of God, then he can go back home.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: But we have the case of the four Kumāras, who were wandering in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, and yet they had not become fully God-realized at that point, and yet they were allowed to enter. . .
Prabhupāda: Those who are going to Vaikuṇṭha planets, they are not fully realized of God? What does he say?
Madhudvīṣa: He was citing the instance of the four Kumāras, who were traveling through the gates of the Vaikuṇṭha world, but actually they were not completely God-realized. . .
Prabhupāda: Therefore they are on the gates of Vaikuṇṭha, not within. You cannot enter the kingdom of God without full understanding. So you have to be trained up. This is the life. You become trained up to understand God, and you will enter the kingdom of God. Hmm?
Devotee (6): Śrīla Prabhupāda, how does one associate with the devotees?
Prabhupāda: Hmm? What is that?
Madhudvīṣa: "How does one associate with the devotees?"
Prabhupāda: Oh, you do not understand? You can come and live with these devotees. Where is the difficulty? You can live here, you can take prasādam, and without any charge. Still you are asking? This is the way. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14-15). You have to make your association with the devotees. Then you will learn. Hmm.
Devotee (7): How much more difficult is it for one born in a family of nondevotees to become a devotee than a person who has been born in a family like Prabhupāda's?
Prabhupāda: Sādhu-saṅga means you have to give up the association of nondevotees. This question was asked to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by a devotee. He was householder. So he inquired, "My dear Sir, what is the real standard of behavior of a devotee?" He immediately answered that asat-saṅga tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87): "Vaiṣṇava devotee, his first behavior is he should give up unwanted association." That is first. Now, the next question will be: "What is that unwanted association?" He answered, asat eka strī-saṅgī kṛṣṇābhakta' āra: "This unwanted association means people who are too much attached to sex life, they are unwanted. And the another: nondevotee of God. They are unwanted." So you be careful not to mix with these people and come to the devotional service, then your life is perfect.
Devotee (8): Śrīla Prabhupāda, does a disciple first accept his spiritual master within the heart when he takes initiation?
Madhudvīṣa: What is the question again?
Devotee (8): When a disciple takes initiation, does he first take initiation within the heart?
Prabhupāda: Initiation is the third stage. First stage is that. . . Just like you have come. This is called śraddhā, faith, little faith, not full faith. Then you have to increase this faith by association of devotee. That is required. And when the faith is increased, then the question of initiation. Initiation should not be immediately offered. That will be misused. Therefore when we initiate, we inquire from the head of the temple, "How long he is coming? What is his behavior?" If he certifies that "Yes, he is doing nice," then we initiate. Our initiation is not so cheap, "You come and be initiated." No, we do not do that. We must test you first of all. Then we initiate.
Madhudviṣa: His question was that can you take initiation by accepting the spiritual master in your heart without actually taking. . .
Prabhupāda: These are bogus proposition. It has no meaning. (laughter) (laughs) It has no meaning. If you think within yourself, "I am eating," will you be satisfied? You starve, and simply think, "I have eaten everything." (laughter) Is that very practical proposal? You must eat. We don't say all these bogus proposition. (laughter) All right. Thank you very much.