Question: My sister and I have been receiving instructions for some time from a very nice devotee. Now we want to approach him for initiation. However his guru is also present in body and we are not sure what the protocol is in such a situation. Also should we take the initiative and approach him or wait for his approval and desire to initiate us?
Answer by Romapada Swami: To respond to your specific question, I would like to first give some general vaishnava principles from which you may benefit. According to vaishnava teachings, there are two equally respected kinds of guru – diksa guru or initiating spiritual master, and siksa guru or instructing spiritual master. One may have many instructing spiritual masters, but the initiating spiritual master is one; the siksa gurus instruct the disciple either in consultation with the diksa guru or along the general guidelines given by the diksa guru.
One may accept instructions in Krishna consciousness from a siksa guru, and submit to the instructor and to his instructions; such a very significant relationship is extremely important. Such relationships may be many, while accepting diksa, likewise, is another serious consideration. The general etiquette or protocol is that a devotee does not accept formal disciples and initiate in the presence of his own spiritual master, although he may be instructing many students. When the spiritual master departs from the planet, then the disciple may begin to accept initiated disciples under the authorization of his own spiritual master and the sanga of senior vaishnavas. During Srila Prabhupada’s time, many devotees did not get Prabhupada’s personal association very much; they were being trained by and working under Prabhupada’s disciples but formally they accepted Srila Prabhupada as their eternal spiritual master and were initiated by him.
From the information you supplied, it seems that you have been very fortunate to have a siksa relationship with the devotee who you wrote about, and etiquette dictates that you should continue to cultivate the relationship in that manner. Diksa should be sought elsewhere.
It is an approved vaishnava principle and is welcome that a disciple approach the spiritual master, take shelter of his lotus feet and request initiation, as recommended by Krishna in Bg 4.34.
Dear Maharaja,
Please accept my humble and prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Maharaja,
Recommendation to this devotee (questioner of the question in this Digest 00025A) is to seek Diskha else where. Now, if the would-be Diksha guru contrasts with the already formed devotee’s relation with the Siksha guru then the devotee may be puzzled in his future devotional relations. So What are recommendations for this devotee in choosing Diksha guru?
Your servant,
Sri Nivasa Sri Hari dasa.