The first thing is ādau śraddhā, faith that, "If I become Kṛṣṇa conscious, I will be happy. That is my goal of life." This is called śraddhā. If you have no śraddhā that, "By loving Kṛṣṇa, by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, my life will be perfect, that is perfection of life," then there is no beginning of bhakti-yoga. So first thing is this. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So, "You give up all other engagement, just surrender to Me." So if you have got faith actually, then you can devote yourself fully, cent percent, in the service of, that is the beginning, ādau śraddhā: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa says that by surrendering to Him I shall be free from all sinful reaction." If you have got faith, then you surrender, and actually you will be free from all sinful reaction. Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa is not making any bogus propaganda. He said, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), "I shall get you released from all reaction of sinful life." We are suffering because there is reaction of sinful life, but if you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then your all reaction of sinful life is immediately nullified, squared up.
So this is the process of bhakti-yoga. You surrender and, in the past, whatever sinful activities you have done, that is squared up, now account closed. Now you begin a new life, devotional life, and if you stick to the principle as it is instructed, that do not have illicit sex life, do not have intoxicants, do not eat meat, do not play gambling, speculate, you promise before Kṛṣṇa and before the spiritual master, before the Vaiṣṇavas, so many witnesses, and if you violate, then you can understand what you are doing. You promise with . . . before the Deity. Kṛṣṇa is not different, so when the initiation takes place we promise so many things. But if we do not follow, if we do not keep our promise, that is a great fault. If you, by chance, by mistake, you violate the regulative principle, that is excused, but if willingly, if you go on committing sinful life—so just like in the churches they go to confess and again begin—that kind of business will not help you. That kind of business will not help you. "Now I have confessed, now I begin new chapter of sinful life. Again I shall confess." Kṛṣṇa is not so fool that you can cheat Him by this process. No, that is not possible. You can be executing the process of your advancement; unwillingly if you commit some mistake, that will be excused.