Text Five 53

are very interested in inquiring about mundane subject mat-
ters, but when one has lost such interest and is simply in-
terested in transcendental subject matters, he is quite fit for
being initiated. When one is actually initiated by the bona
fide spiritual master and when he seriously engages in the
service of the Lord, he should be accepted as a madhyama-
adhikari.
The chanting of the holy names of Krsna is so sublime
hat if one chants the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra offense-
lessly, carefully avoiding the ten offenses, he can certainly
be gradually elevated to the point of understanding that
there is no difference between the holy name of the Lord
and the Lord Himself. One who has reached such an under-
standing should be very much respected by neophyte devo-
tees. One should know for certain that without chanting the
holy name of the Lord offengelessly, one cannot be a proper
candidate for advancement in Krsna consciousness. In Sri
Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.69) it is said:

yahara komala sraddhd, se ‘kanistha’ jana
krame krame tenho bhakta ha-ibe ‘uttama’

“One whose faith is soft and pliable is called a neophyte, but
by gradually following the process, he will rise to the plat-
form of a first-class devotee.” Everyone begins his devo-
tional life from the neophyte stage, but if one properly
finishes chanting the prescribed number of rounds of hari-
nama, he is elevated step by step to the highest platform,
uttama-adhikari. The Krsna consciousness movement
prescribes sixteen rounds daily because people in the
