Initiation by a Bona Fide Spiritual Master
BY: RASAPREMA DASA
Aug 07, 2010 — AUSTRIA (SUN) — Hasti Gopala dasa, Kurma dasa, and George Smith proudly proclaim themselves as "followers of Srila Prabhupada", as if such impassioned public declarations were enough to make them so. But what is the actual proof? Does twisting the Vaisnava siddhanta make one a follower of Srila Prabhupada?
In our previous article, "Simple or Simpleton", there is not the slightest hint that one should take initiation from an unqualified person. But that is all they saw in the posting. Quite amazing! One quotes Krsna in the Gita that one should approach, enquire submissively and render service to a qualified spiritual master, but in the minds of the aforementioned, that means one is recommending initiation from a bogus personality. It appears the title of the previous posting was quite apt.
Is it hard to divine the reason, or lack of reason, behind such dissasociated and illogical reactions? Not at all. Our truculent trio apparently all have their own non-sastric version of initiation, and when they see the sastric version presented, then that alone is quite enough to draw their tamasic vitriol.
Do real followers of Srila Prabhupada become irrational and illogical when they hear that one should approach a qualified spiritual master, enquire and render service accordingly? In fact, does any reasonable and balanced personality freak out upon hearing the sastric stripulations?
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains diksa in his Bhakti-sandarbha (283):
divyam jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sanksayam
tasmat dikseti sa prokta desikais tattva-kovidaih
"Diksa is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as diksa."
The regulative principles of diksa are explained in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.3–4) and the Bhakti-sandarbha (283). As stated:
dvijanam anupetanam svakarmadhyayanadisu
yathadhikaro nastiha syac copanayanad anu
tathatradiksitanam tu mantra-devarcanadisu
nadhikaro ‘sty atah kuryad atmanam siva-samstutam
"Even though born in a brahmana family, one cannot engage in Vedic rituals without being initiated and having a sacred thread. Although born in a brahmana family, one becomes a brahmana only after initiation and the sacred thread ceremony. Unless one is initiated as a brahmana, one cannot worship the holy name properly."
According to the Vaisnava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a brahmana. The Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.6) quotes the following injunction from the Visnu-yamala:
adiksitasya vamoru krtam sarvam nirarthakam
pasu-yonim avapnoti diksa-virahito janah
"‘Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species.'"
Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.10) further quotes:
ato gurum pranamyaivam sarva-svam vinivedya ca
grhniyad vaisnavam mantram diksa-purvam vidhanatah
"‘It is the duty of every human being to surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. Giving him everything—body, mind and intelligence—one must take Vaisnava initiation from him.'"
Yes, be a follower of Srila Prabhupada – but one can only be a follower of Srila Prabhupada on his terms – not by one's own imaginary initiation concoctions. In this case, that means searching out a bona fide guru and surrendering at his lotus feet. Trying to throw out initiation from that surrender is not the teachings of Srila Prabhupada and the Vedas, irrefutably. Similarly, it is simple idiocy to imagine that Srila Prabhupada is now giving diksa for the next ten thousand years, or whatever.
Srila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion:
"This relationship [with Krsna] is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master who is the direct representative of Krsna in disciplic succession.... The connection with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Krsna and a person cultivating Krsna consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Krsna consciousness is never performed."
Even the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna Caitanya took formal diksa to illustrate the essential nature of the diksa process. Those that concoct different imaginary, non-sastric initiation processes will only fail in the attainment of transcendental consciousness and are liable to fall into the lower species. Their stupid ideas and demoniac activities should be known and exposed.
The misinformed and scoundrels propagate the dull-witted idea that by "being a follower of Srila Prabhupada", then one has received formal diksa from Srila Prabhupada, or that by "being a follower" the necessity of formal diksa is obviated. This is complete nonsense and a fool's paradise.
As regards taking initiation from a bogus person, then the person at fault may be found in any mirror. And the existence of such bogus persons does not invalidate the sastric stipulations regarding the importance of formal diksa. One should not throw out the baby with the bath water. Thus one should search out a bona fide guru, enquire submissively and render service accordingly. That is the method for pleasing Sri Krsna, taught by Himself.
Aum Tat Sat
