Diksha/Initiation

Hare Krishna,

I would like to know about diksha/initiation. My wife and I  are fairly new (approx 10 months) to ISKCON. However, we have been devotional/spiritual for many years. We are vegetarians since birth and follow the other regulations prescribed by Srila Prabhupadaji for many years as well. At present, we chant 20 rounds of maha-mantra. We intend to focus the rest of our lives (and our childrens lives) to Krishna's devtional service.

 

I'd like to get information -- what diskha is all about? Why do we need it? What is the significance? Who is authorized to give diksha? What are the qualifications? What are the commitments? What is the process?

 

Hare Krishna

Vikas

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  • Firstly welcome to the iskcon family Vikas and Ritu Pathak,there are two aspects of spiritual initiation which are generally offered by the guru and the association of senior devotees.Diksa or spiritual initiation is usually emphasized ,when we accept the hare krishna mantra,we attempt to surrender to him  and accept the words of our spiritual master as our guiding light and inspiration.Second initiation(brahmana) is generally regarded as essential to progress further if you are wishing to be progressive spiritually!Within iskcon we universally accept the siksa of Srila Prabhuppada also as our fundamental guiding ''instructing'' spiritual master also.

    Because in essence  we  accept two forms of guru,siksa and diksa....instructing and initiating, both together represent the original spiritual master Sri Balarama prabhu,it is important to see both as essential and important .In other words ,yes you will accept an elevated guru,however hopefully you will develop the association of older devotees,usaually his godbrothers.Those whom hopefully will be very merciful to you....those whom will practically train you in the intimate passage of serving Sri krishna chaitanya's devotees and his mission.I have seen that when many devotees suffer inadequate guidance especially in a daily fashion ,they simply fall of the rails when hurdles and obstacles appear.

    text 34....and text 35 adi lila...page 44 sri chaitanya caritamrita....
    vande gurunisa-bhaktan
    isam isavatarakan
    tat-prakasams ca tac chaktih
    krishna caitanya samjnakam
    I offer my respectful obeisances unto  the spiritual masters,the devotees of the lord,the lords incarnations,His plenary portions,his energies and the primeval lord himself,Sri Krishna Caitanya......the purport reads...Gurun is plural in number because anyone who gives spiritual instructions  based on revealed scripture  is accepted as a spiritual master.Although others give help in showing the way to beginners,the guru who first initiates one with the maha mantra is to be known as the initiator,and the saints who give instructions for progressive advancement in krishna conciousness are called instructing spiritual masters.The initiating and instructing spiritual masters are equal and identical manifestations of krishna,although they have different dealings..........

    mantra-guru ara yata siksa-guru -gana
    tanhara carana age kariye vandana....
    translation....
    I offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my spiritual master and all my instructing spiritual masters.....The purport suggests and i directly quote ''Srila JIVA GOSWAMI directly ....devotional service is the objective of pure Vaisnavas and that one has to execute such service in the association of other devotees.By associating with other devotees of Lord Krishna,one develops a sense of Krishna conciousness and thus becomes inclined towards the loving service of the lord.......but he who trys to understand god  simply by logical arguments will not succeed,nor will he get a taste for unalloyed devotion.The secret is that one must submissively listen to those who know perfectly the science of god,and one must begin the mode of service regulated by the ''preceptor.''.......A devotee must only have one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is forbidden.There is no limit ,however to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept.Generally  a spiritual master who constantly instructs  a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on........a person who is reluctant to accept  a spiritual master  and be initiated is sure to be baffled in his endeavour to go back to godhead.One whom is not properly initiated may present himself as a great devotee,but in fact he is sure to encounter many stumbling blocks on his path of progressive spiritual realisation......If one thinks that he is above consulting anyone else,including a spiritual master ,he is at once an offender at the lotus feet of the lord!Such an offender  can never go back to godhead.it is imperitive  that a serious person accept a bonifide spiritual master in terms of sastric injunctions.

    Whom is a qualified guru...?Whom is qualified to represent Srila AC BHaktivedanta swami PRABHUPADA ...?Well iskcon has recommended many superb devotees ,as representing our parampara.However our disciplic succession is a siksa-bhagavat line in essence,apart from the fact of initiating gurus.It is not simply a succession of gurus and disciples,but is dependent on both disciple and guru becoming vibrant and progressive.In other words it is a process where you have to voluntarily assimulate the mood and instructions of our previous acharyas,not just the one guru whom you personally surrender to,one should not become aloof from the association of devotees or infact the previous acharyas instructions and mood.


    • Hare Krishna Prabhu. Thank you very much for your detailed explanation.

       

      HARI BOL!!!

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