Initiation means the first beginning, how to become purified. This is initiation. Because this devotional service means the process of purification. Now every one of you, individually you can understand how you are becoming purified from your past life. That is practical. Yes.

How you are becoming purified. So this initiation means the beginning of purificatory process. And the purificatory process, what is that? This mantra, yah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahyabhyantaram sucih. Anyone who always remembers, or whenever he remembers, if not always, as soon as he remembers, pundarikaksam sa bahyabhyantaram sucih, he becomes immediately purified internally and externally.

So those who are going to be initiated today, they should remember that… Not only they; all of us should remember. It is not that we have passed all examination. No. Maya is very strong. Any moment she can catch up. [chuckles] Just like a virulent type of disease, as soon as there is little negligence, there is relapse immediately, typhoid.

So the doctors take very much precautionary steps in the convalescent stage of cure, because there is chance of relapse. Similarly, we are trying to be purified. This initiation means, do accept the path of purification. Now we have to continue that path of purification, and then, if you are strong enough, then we can very easily make progress to achieve the ultimate result. There is no doubt about it.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on initiation – December 1, 1968, Los Angeles