Question: If a devotee who is initiated falls down…? Question: If a devotee who is initiated falls down due to enjoying sense gratification and breaks his regulative principles and has lost the holy name and vaishnava devotees, how can such devotee advance in devotional life ahead and what is his duty towards his spiritual master and how can he be sincere enough to get back to Krishna prema and serve Srila Prabhupad’s instructions again?  

Guru maharaj: If one is initiated and breaks the principles, they are guilty of one of the offences to the holy name – disrespecting the order of the spiritual master. So there is no higher atonement than devotional service. So in that case one should repent for their misdeed and then again take up the practice of devotional service, as sincerely as possible, and gradually they can regain their status. But of course they have ceased their progress for some time, but they can start again and there is no other way recommended by the shaastras.

HH JAYAPATAKA SWAMI
19th February 2019
Kolkata, India