.
—-Śrī Guru-Tattva and the Secret of Dīkṣā (By: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda)
Hare Krishna. Please find attached the above mentioned article.
“Great scholars who are expert in spiritual science call the process by which divine knowledge is given and sins are eliminated as diksa.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.7) (Page 21)
Important points:
Rajen Babu: If one does not accept spiritual initiation, is it possible to be aware of any type of spiritual truth (tattva)? Prabhupada: There will be no sravana, and the opposite result of such beneficial things will be attained instead. The duty of light is to remove darkness. If one remains in the midst of darkness, how will it be possible to attain light by allowing darkness to prevail?Acaryatrika Prabhu: A mundane guru considers the mantra only as shabda (sound) and not as sabdi (He who is known by sound) Prabhupada: The mantra is non-different from the sabdi. There is no difference between the aprakrta-sabda (transcendental sound) and sabdi. Sri Guru Tattva and the Secret of Diksa (Part 3) Rajen Babu: Isn’t the kanistha-adhikari qualified to give initiation into the mantra? Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada: Where is the kanishtha-adhikari coming from? Who gave him the adhikara? A kanishtha-adhikari can never become a guru.
Rajen Babu: Can a madhyama-adhikari give diksa?
Prabhupada: He can only perform the initial duties of diksa. It is the uttamaadhikari maha-bhagavata Vaisnava who is actually the diksa-guru. There are two types of Vaisnavas – the ragatmika and the raganuga. Those who are from the eternal realm offer service to Sri Krsna directly. These ragatmikas serve Sri Varshabhanavi and Her direct expansions. Those who perform direct service to the ragatmikas and take shelter in them through the performance of smarana are raganugas. These are spiritual gurus.(Page 15)
Rajen Babu: Can’t a kanistha Vaisnava become a guru? Prabhupada: Kanistha, madhyama and uttama are the gradations amongst Vaisnavas. In the kanistha stage of Vaisnavism, only non-Vaisnavism is absent– this I shall explain in detail a little later. How can we deliberate upon adhikara and define who is a Vaisnava without taking shelter of a sad-guru? Only Gurudeva can explain adhikara. How can one who has never entered the domain of a devotee, who cannot himself understand anything, explain such things to others? If a non-Vaisnava sits on the seat of the guru, it amounts to sheer contempt of gurutattva. guror apy avaliptasya – kāryākāryam ajānataḥ utpatha-pratipannasya – parityāgo vidhīyate If the guru becomes attached to sense gratification, loses his sense of duty, and follows a degraded path, a path other than devotional service to the Lord, he should be rejected. (Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva 179.25)(Page 6)
Sri Guru-Tattva and the Secret of Diksa (Part 2) Srila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada: A materialistic Smarta who is opposed to devotion to Krsna should never be considered as a guru. Only one who is most dear to Krsna – krsna-prestha (beloved of Krsna), can be Gurudeva. Externally it may seem to be the same as being under the influence of a mundane guru (laukika) or hereditary guru (kaulika), but in actuality one is never deceived when he seeks refuge at the lotus feet of the guru who is krsna-prestha.
(Page 8)
Rajen Babu: Can we not listen to another Vaisnava? Prabhupada: He should be respected if he is actually a disciple of a real guru. One may listen to those who have heard from a genuine spiritual preceptor. But wherever it is found that there is a conflict in opinion between him and my guru, then to see him as a ‘Vaisnava’ is a sure path leading to hell. mannathah sri jagannathah mad-guruh sri jagad-guruh “My Lord is Sri Jagannatha and my guru is the universal teacher.” It is not proper to associate with a person who has deviated even minutely from the suddha-bhakti-siddhanta preached by my Guru-Pada-Padma.The basis of hearing from him is that he himself has heard from Sri Nityananda Prabhu. (Pages 18-19)
Rajen Babu: Can we fall down even after having taken diksa? Prabhupada: Yes, if we become indolent. Rajen Babu: After diksa, will I notice that the tendency to enjoy material pleasures has decreased? Prabhupada: Of course. divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt – kuryāt pāpasya saṅkṣayam tasmād dīkṣeti sā proktā – deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ “Great scholars who are expert in spiritual science call the process by which divine knowledge is given and sins are eliminated as diksa.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.7) This diksa never ends.There is also no end to the attacks of bad association. It is not simply a question of receiving the mantra in the ear: viśrambheṇa guroḥ sevā sādhu-vartmānuvartanam “One must serve the spiritual master with intimacy and affection and follow the path of the sadhus.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.74) (Pages 20-21)