# The Process of Initiation *The process of initiation: surrender, inquiry and hearing from the spiritual master.* ← Back to [[wiki/compile/spiritual-master-disciple|The Spiritual Master and the Disciple]] --- ## Surrender and Initiation ### Lord Kṛṣṇa accepts the initiate to be as good as Himself > *dīkṣā-kāle bhakti kare ātma-samarpaṇa* > *sei-kāle kṛṣṇa tāre kare ātma-sama* > > "At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa accepts him to be as good as Himself." —Cc. [[cc/antya/4/192|Antya 4.192]] --- ### At the time of initiation, the devotee becomes situated on the transcendental platform > "At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa accepts him to be as good as Himself. When the devotee's body is thus transformed into spiritual existence, the devotee, in that transcendental body, renders service to the lotus feet of the Lord..." > > PURPORT: At the time of initiation, a devotee gives up all his material conceptions. Therefore, being in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is situated on the transcendental platform. Thus having attained knowledge and the spiritual platform, he always engages in the service of the spiritual body of Kṛṣṇa. When one is freed from material connections in this way, his body immediately becomes spiritual, and Kṛṣṇa accepts his service. —Cc. [[cc/antya/4/192|Antya 4.192-94]] Purport --- ### By surrendering to the guru, one is freed from sinful reactions > "The hunter then admitted that he was convinced of his sinful activity, and he said, 'I have been taught this business from my very childhood. Now I am wondering how I can become freed from these unlimited volumes of sinful activity.' The hunter continued, 'My dear sir, please tell me how I can be relieved from the reactions of my sinful life. Now I fully surrender unto you and fall down at your lotus feet. Please deliver me from sinful reactions.'" > > PURPORT: By the grace of Nārada Muni, the hunter came to his good senses and immediately surrendered unto the saint's lotus feet. This is the process. By associating with a saintly person, one is able to understand the reactions of his sinful life. When one voluntarily surrenders to a saintly person who is a representative of Kṛṣṇa and follows his instructions, one can become freed from sinful reaction. Kṛṣṇa demands the surrender of a sinful man, and Kṛṣṇa's representative gives the same instructions. The representative of Kṛsṇa never tells his disciple, "Surrender unto me." Rather he says, "Surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." If the disciple accepts this principle and surrenders himself through the representative of Kṛṣṇa, his life is saved. —Cc. [[cc/madhya/24/252|Madhya 24.252-54]] Purport --- ### In the process of initiation, the disciple must surrender to the spiritual master, inquire, and hear from him > "The hunter replied, 'If I break my bow, how shall I maintain myself?' Nārada Muni replied, 'Do not worry. I shall supply all your food every day.' Being thus assured by the great sage Nārada Muni, the hunter broke his bow, immediately fell down at the saint's lotus feet and fully surrendered. After this, Nārada Muni raised him with his hand and gave him instructions for spiritual advancement." > > PURPORT: This is the process of initiation. The disciple must surrender to the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master, being in the disciplic succession stemming from Nārada Muni, is in the same category with Nārada Muni. A person can be relieved from his sinful activity if he surrenders to the lotus feet of a person who actually represents Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni gave instructions to the hunter after the hunter surrendered. —Cc. [[cc/madhya/24/257|Madhya 24.257-58]] Purport --- ## Other Important Instructions Concerning Initiation ### It is essential for a disciple to change his name after initiation > "My dear Sākara Mallika, from this day your names will be changed to Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Sanātana..." > > PURPORT: Actually this is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's initiation of Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika. They approached the Lord with all humility, and the Lord accepted them as old servants, as eternal servants, and He changed their names. It is to be understood from this that it is essential for a disciple to change his name after initiation. > > *śaṅkha-cakrādy-ūrdhva-puṇdra-* > *hāraṇādy-ātma-laksaṇam* > *an nāma-karaṇaṁ caiva* > *aiṣṇavatvam ihocyate* > > "After initiation, the disciple's name must be changed to indicate that he is a servant of Lord Viṣṇu. The disciple should also immediately begin marking his body with *tilaka* (*ūrdhva-puṇḍra*), especially his forehead. These are spiritual marks, symptoms of a perfect Vaiṣṇava." > > This is a verse from the *Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa.* A member of the *sahajiyā-sampradāya* does not change his name; therefore he cannot be accepted as a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava. If a person does not change his name after initiation, it is to be understood that he will continue in his bodily conception of life. —Cc. [[cc/madhya/1/208|Madhya 1.208]] Purport --- ### If after accepting initiation one does not follow the rules and regulations of devotional service, he is again fallen > Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī warns that if a person is properly initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, he should not think that simply by the acceptance of such initiation his business is then finished. One still has to follow the rules and regulations very carefully. If after accepting the spiritual master and being initiated one does not follow the rules and regulations of devotional service, then he is again fallen. One must be very vigilant to remember that he is the part and parcel of the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, and it is his duty as part and parcel to give service to the whole, or Kṛṣṇa. If we do not render service to Kṛṣṇa then again we fall down. —The Nectar of Devotion --- ### As soon as a bona fide guru is encountered, one can be initiated without waiting for a suitable time or place > As far as the time of *dīkṣā* (initiation) is concerned, everything depends on the position of the *guru.* As soon as a bona fide *guru* is received by chance or by a program, one should immediately take the opportunity to receive initiation. In the book called *Tattva-sāgara,* it is stated:..."If by chance, one gets a *sad-guru,* it doesn't matter whether one is in the temple or the forest. If the *sad-guru,* the bona fide spiritual master, agrees, one can be initiated immediately, without waiting for a suitable time or place." —Cc. [[cc/madhya/24/331|Madhya 24.331]] Purport --- ### By following brahminical behavior, one may be offered sannyāsa initiation > According to Vedic injunctions, only a *brāhmaṇa* may be offered *sannyāsa.* The Śaṅkara-sampradāya (*ekadaṇḍa-sannyāsa-sampradāya*) awards the *sannyāsa* order only to caste *brāhmaṇas,* or born *brāhmaṇas,* but in the Vaiṣṇava system even one not born in a *brāhmaṇa* family may be made a *brāhmaṇa* according to the direction of the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa* (*tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām*). Any person from any part of the world may be made a *brāhmaṇa* by the regular process of initiation, and when he follows brahminical behavior, observing the principle of abstaining from intoxication, illicit sex, meat-eating and gambling, he may be offered *sannyāsa.* All the *sannyāsīs* in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, who are preaching all over the world, are regular *brāhmaṇa-sannyāsīs.* —Cc. [[cc/adi/17/266|Ādi 17.266]] Purport --- ### The importance of puraścaryā-vidhi for spiritual initiation > The *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa* (17.11-12), in discussing the *puraścaryā* process, quotes the following verses from *Agastya-saṁhitā*:..."In the morning, afternoon and evening, one should worship the Deity, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra,* offer oblations, perform a fire sacrifice, and feed the *brāhmaṇas.* These five activities constitute *puraścaryā.* To attain full success when taking initiation from the spiritual master, one should first perform these *puraścaryā* processes."... In the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa* (17.4-5, 7) it is stated:..."Without performing the *puraścaryā* activities, one cannot become perfect even by chanting the *mantra* for hundreds of years. However, one who has undergone the *puraścaryā-vidhi* process can attain success very easily." —Cc. [[cc/madhya/15/108|Madhya 15.108]] Purport --- ### After initiation, the disciple should engage in tapasya in devotional service > To achieve success in life, one should follow the example of Lord Brahmā, the first living creature in the beginning of creation. After being initiated by the Supreme Lord to execute *tapasya,* he was fixed in his determination to do it, and although he could not find anyone besides himself, he could rightly understand that the sound was transmitted by the Lord Himself... After being initiated by the proper spiritual master in the chain of succession, one should engage himself in the discharge of *tapasya* in the execution of devotional service. —SB [[sb/2/9/8|2.9.8]] Purport