Sitalatma Das: The following is a thread of quotes and ideas which ties together several aspects of approaching a guru and taking initiation. It\u2019s by no means complete, but if one insists on a different understanding it should be kept in mind that quotes given here should also be accommodated and not excluded as impossible. They exist and we have to deal with them.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the most basic definition of a guru given by Srila Prabhupada, as recollected by Hari Sauri Prabhu from a morning walk on December 20, 1975:<\/p>\n
\nIf there is no need of guru,\u201d Prabhupada said sharply, \u201cwhy are they writing books to tell people? As soon as you tell someone something, that is guru.<\/strong><\/p>\n
From Hari Sauri\u2019s Transcendental Diary, Vol 1<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Actual transcript differs in wording but it conveys the same idea and there\u2019s really nothing strange about it. That\u2019s how we get mother as the first guru, and then how things like trees, pigeons, and pythons can also become guru, not to forget the prostitutes (SB 11.7-8). The principle is very simple \u2013 every time we learn something, there is a guru. There\u2019s a guru who teaches you to write, there\u2019s a guru who teaches you to tie your shoes, play mridanga, cook, and so on.<\/p>\n
When talking about ISKCON, however, we clearly mean something more specific, something related to purely spiritual instructions. Here we can start with the often quoted Upanishadic verse: tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet<\/em>. That\u2019s the guru we are talking about. The second line tells us about qualities of such guru: srotriyam brahma-nistham<\/em>, and it tells us something about the disciple as well: samit-panih<\/em> \u2013 bring firewood, which immediately brings the question: \u201cWhat are you going to do with that?\u201d and then from possible answers we can figure out the dynamic of guru-disciple relationships. Previous line says something more about qualification of a disciple but that\u2019s before he tries to approach a guru.<\/p>\n
In Bhagavad Gita Krishna is a lot less cryptic and He gives us three components: pranipatena<\/em>, pariprasnena<\/em>, and sevaya<\/em>, and they form the basis of our understanding, thanks to Srila Prabhupada repeating them over and over again. One must surrender, one must inquire, and one must serve his guru. Srila Prabhupada himself attributed his success to unwavering commitment to fulfilling the order of his spiritual master to preach to English speaking audience, and then Prabhupada\u2019s disciples made it their life goal to further expand this mission to cover the whole world. Being part of this mission is what defines ISKCON as opposed to members of various other branches of Gaudiya tree. That\u2019s where we want to be \u2013 in Srila Prabhupada\u2019s mission, and that\u2019s also the goal of our surrender to guru and Krishna. There\u2019s nothing more we could possibly want, though there are plenty of lesser goals for us to settle. Would one be comfortable enjoying Krishna\u2019s company in Goloka while Srila Prabhupada continues the battle for lost souls in one material universe after another?<\/p>\n
This could lead to a potentially uncomfortable discussion but let\u2019s get back to the main topic \u2013 we still haven\u2019t heard anything about initiation yet. Well, let\u2019s take this quote from Srila Prabhupada, describing his own initiation process:<\/p>\n
\nSo anyway, from 1922 to 1933 practically I was not initiated, but I got the impression of preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu\u2019s cult. That I was thinking. And that was the initiation by my Guru Maharaja.<\/strong> Then officially I was initiated in 1933\u2026<\/p>\n
From, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Disappearance Day Lecture, Hyderabad, December 10, 1976<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It appears he considered the moment guru\u2019s order was given and accepted to be the moment of his initiation, though not official yet. One might say it\u2019s just one quote to stress one point, but look at the next one and see how serious Srila Prabhupada was about this understanding of initiation:<\/p>\n
\nStudent:: I came to New York from Detroit with a recommendation from Bhagavan dasa to be initiated. I have my letter with me.<\/p>\n
Srila Prabhupada: You\u2019ll be initiated. Any one of you\u2014when you agree to follow the regulative principles and you are recommended by our men, then you can also be initiated. Initiation is a formality.<\/strong> First of all you have to decide whether you will abide by the rules and regulations and become Krsna conscious. That is your consideration. You have to decide for yourself whether you are going to take this Krsna consciousness seriously. That is your decision. Initiation is a formality. If you are serious, that is real initiation. If you have understood this Krsna philosophy and if you have decided that you will take Krsna consciousness seriously and preach the philosophy to others, that is your initiation. My touch is simply a formality. It is your determination. That is initiation.<\/strong><\/p>\n
From a conversation published in Back To Godhead<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I don\u2019t know how to double bold the last three sentences \u2013 real initiation happens in the heart of the disciple when he becomes determined to accept Krishna consciousness seriously. This is not a mere recollection, these are instructions given to devotees just as they were about to be initiated themselves. Srila Prabhupada fully meant it there.<\/p>\n
Another quote in a similar vein:<\/p>\n
\nSo you take the bhakti-lata-bija from the spiritual master\u2014that is called initiation<\/strong>\u2014and develop it by pouring water of hearing and chanting. Then it will grow.<\/p>\n
From lecture on The Nectar of Devotion, October 29, 1972, Vrndavana<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Note that one has to \u201ctake\u201d the seed of devotion to become initiated. One might say that in order to take the seed it must be offered first and this offering of the seed happens during initiation procedure, but it would mean that the same words about Krishna consciousness spoken prior to the ritual do not carry the seed of devotion in them, which is obviously absurd. The offering is always there, from the very first moment of meeting with guru, and initiation happens when the disciple takes it. Of course some gurus do not always speak of Krishna in public and keep the \u201cgood stuff\u201d for private conversations, but Srila Prabhupada was not one of them. Any book you open, any class you hear \u2013 the seed of devotion is always there, ready to be accepted and ready to grow. Just take the advice to your heart and that will be your initiation \u2013 that\u2019s what Srila Prabhupada was saying there. There\u2019s further clarification in this quote:<\/p>\n
\n\u2026chanting Hare Krishna is our main business, that is real initiation<\/strong>. And as you are all following my instruction, in that matter, the initiator is already there.<\/strong> Now the next initiation will be performed as a ceremony officially, of course that ceremony has value because the name, Holy Name, will be delivered to the student from the disciplic succession, it has got value,<\/strong> but in spite of that, as you are going on chanting, please go on with this business sincerely and Krishna willing, I may be coming to you very soon.<\/p>\n
From letter to: Tamala Krsna, 19 August, 1968<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Here Srila Prabhupada first tells his prospective disciples (from the context it\u2019s clear he didn\u2019t mean already initiated Tamal Krishna) that real initiation is chanting of Hare Krishna mantra, but then he adds that the formality of initiation ceremony still has value because at that moment they would hear the Holy Name from the disciplic succession. This could mean that so far the disciples had heard the mantra from fellow devotees and hearing it from Srila Prabhupada himself would carry more potency, not that the Holy Name heard from Srila Prabhupada before initiation ritual is less potent. Still, the importance of \u201cofficial\u201d and \u201cformality\u201d initiation is undeniable and one should not forsake the ceremony when one eventually gets the chance. That would be silly, just as if Krishna appeared in front of one\u2019s very eyes and asked for an apple, but the devotee replied that in Kali yuga Krishna should be satisfied only with chanting.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s not forget how Srila Prabhupada pushed for initiations in the summer of 1966 when the devotees had only started developing their faith. It\u2019s wasn\u2019t a formality back then, certainly not for Srila Prabhupada himself and he, apparently, hoped that the ritual would make his disciples more serious. Some did, others didn\u2019t and drifted away, which, again, stresses the most important part of initiation \u2013 it should be accepted in one\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n
Now we come to the subject of the first initiation and it was the only initiation our devotees knew for almost two years, until brahman initiation was conducted in May 1968. Up to this day anyone who receives this first initiation is considered as \u201cinitiated devotee\u201d in ISKCON, but that wasn\u2019t the case in Gaudiya Math where this ritual was known as harinama-pradana <\/em> and devotee was then called harinama<\/span>\u2013asrita <\/span><\/em> as opposed to diksa<\/em> and diksita<\/em> \u2013 what is known to us as second initiation now. Only after that diksa<\/em> a devotee would be considered a fully fledged disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, not before. That was general understanding widely shared by all GM devotees, but there was one occasion where Srila Bhaktisiddhanta disagreed, perhaps to curb the pride of some diksita <\/em>disciples, but nevertheless:<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThe diksita<\/em> are inferior to the harinama-asrita<\/em>. They don\u2019t believe that the name and the named are nondifferent. For them deity worship is required.\u201d He then quoted Lord Caitanya\u2019s statements iha haite sarva-siddhi haibe sabara<\/em> (The holy name alone gives all perfection) and diksa purascarya-vidhi apeksa na kare<\/em> (With the holy name, one need not undergo initiation or purascarya<\/em> observances, as with other mantras).<\/p>\n
From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava by Bhakti Vikasa Swami<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The passage in the book continues to establish the main point here \u2013 chanting of the Hare Krishna alone is sufficient and perfect, but some devotees require help of deity worship and, correspondingly, diksa <\/em>initiation:<\/span><\/p>\n
\nIndeed, to some disciples he never awarded diksa<\/em>, deeming harinama<\/em> alone sufficient for their spiritual progress. And he stated, \u201cThe success of diksa<\/em> is inclination for harinama<\/em>. Whoever remains fixed in chanting inoffensively should be understood to have undergone diksa<\/em> and all other proceedings.<\/p>\n
From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava by Bhakti Vikasa Swami<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Speaking of ISKCON\u2019s first brahman initiation, this is how Hansadutta Prabhu remembers it:<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAfter the first Brahmin initiation ceremony (Boston 1968), I asked Prabhupada, \u201cWhat is the significance of this Brahmin Initiation?\u201d Prabhupada gestured dismissively and said, \u201cIt is not very important. My Guru Maharaja introduced this ceremony of Brahmin initiation, because in his time SMARTA BRAHMINS (caste conscious) were deriding Vaishnavas as not being qualified Brahmins, because they were not born into Brahmin families and had received no second initiation. So to counteract their belittling attitude towards the Vaishnava community, he introduced this policy, but it is not very important. One can become perfectly Krishna conscious simply by first initiation, Hare Nama initiation. Nothing else is required. It is a formality to satisfy the SMARTA BRAHMINS \u2013 CASTE CONSCIOUS community.<\/p>\n
About an hour later, still not being completely satisfied, I again approached Prabhupada and asked him, \u201cWhat is the meaning of this Gayatri mantra? What does it do?\u201d Again Prabhupada\u2019s reply was quite casual and dismissive. He said, \u201cIT IS A LITTLE AUXILIARY TO THE MAHA MANTRA. IT IS NOT VERY IMPORTANT, but it helps in chanting Hare Krishna. The main thing is chanting HARE KRISHNA. That is the main thing. So Gayatri mantra, it is a little helpful, but chanting Hare Krishna is sufficient. It is the main thing.\u201d<\/p>\n