Welcome to our ongoing question and answer series. Today, we have a question from Oriol
who lives in Barcelona, Spain. He asks, "Is it necessary to take formal initiation from a guru?
Or can you take instruction from several teachers on YouTube without formal initiation?"
That's a really good question. Apparently, Oriol knows that some spiritual organizations
require their followers to undergo certain rituals of initiation.
One of those organizations is Iskcon, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
It was founded by Swami Prabhupada, an orthodox Vaishnava guru who taught a highly structured
system of devotional practice. The main focus of that practice is the recitation of a mantra,
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.
In some religious and spiritual traditions,
sacred mantras like that are imparted only through a process of formal initiation,
a process called diksha. For example, young Hindus often receive the venerated Gayatri mantra from
their own fathers through an ancient ritual of initiation called upanayanam. Such rituals
are said to endow mantras with a special power called mantra shakti. Many believe that, without
formal initiation, mantras are deprived of that power, and their recitation will be useless.
Another well-known organization that requires formal initiation to receive
a mantra is Transcendental Meditation, or TM, which was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Their initiation ceremony is quite simple and is conducted by a senior Transcendental
Meditation practitioner. Mostly, it involves a short puja, a ritual of worship performed at
an altar dedicated to the guru of Mahesh Yogi. After the puja, a specially-selected mantra is
given to the initiate along with instructions for how to use it properly in meditation.
In contrast to TM, the process of initiation in Iskcon is quite elaborate. Before being initiated,
you first have to read Swami Prabhupada's books and complete a course of instruction. Then you
have to pass an examination and be approved by your guru. Then in the initiation ceremony itself,
you take certain vows and you receive neck beads, chanting beads, and a new Sanskrit name. Finally,
a series of rituals are performed that include the offering of many oblations into a sacrificial
fire. Because of all this complexity, initiation becomes a momentous and highly transformative
event in your live, almost like getting married in wedding ceremonies spanning several days.
But, it's important to know that Iskcon and TM are not typical in their insistence on initiation.
Back in the 1970's, I didn't need to be initiated before practicing Siddha Yoga
meditation with followers of Swami Muktananda, or before practicing Integral Yoga with students of
Swami Satchitananda, or to attend Vedanta classes taught by swamis from the Ramakrishna Mission.
None of those organizations required formal initiation, nor did my own guru, Swami Dayananda.
Generally speaking, spiritual organizations and teachers in
India and elsewhere might sometimes require formal initiation for receiving a mantra,
but rarely do they require any kind of initiation to receive spiritual instruction.
Let me add something here. According to the scriptures, a guru is supposed to give
spiritual instruction freely, without payment, to any sincere student who asks to be taught.
No fees should ever be charged, like the fees required by Transcendental Meditation.
But those same scriptures also say that it's the responsibility of students to pay
for their guru's living expenses and personal needs. So, sometimes donations are required.
Oriol also asked, "Can you take instruction from several teachers on YouTube without
formal initiation?" Well, scriptures don't forbid receiving instruction from more than one guru,
so in general, it's not a problem. But, if you chose teachers who contradict each other,
as is often the case, you might get confused. On the other hand,
teachers can sometimes complement each other and help you gain more clarity. That's often
the case for teachers who belong to the same spiritual organization or teaching lineage.
But, trying to find suitable teachers on YouTube can be a huge problem.
Among the millions of channels on YouTube, there are many that can lead you down a bogus spiritual
path and fill you with misinformation that can actually harm your practice. You'll find many
charismatic teachers on YouTube who produce slick, eye-catching presentations. Those presentations
might look really appealing at first, but they can mislead you and cause lots of confusion.
Those of you who have already undergone extensive study with proper teachers can
easily evaluate the quality and authenticity of teachings you find on YouTube. A few minutes of
watching is usually enough to make an accurate judgement. But if you lack that background,
here are a few things you might want to consider when watching a new channel:
First, is the teacher associated with a trusted and respected spiritual
organization or teaching tradition? Have there been any public accusations
of financial impropriety or mistreatment of followers? Also, who is the teacher's guru?
A teacher who is self-taught might lack the profound spiritual wisdom that was
originally taught by the ancient rishis and passed on from generation to generation.
Next, is the teacher properly trained? Has he or she undergone a traditional process of training
that includes deep self-inquiry, scriptural study and meditation? Most good teachers
spend many years engaged in personal study and practice before beginning to teach others.
And, if a Sanskrit scripture is being taught, does the teacher actually know the language?
Surprisingly, many teach from translations, and those translations often have significant
mistakes, in addition to the bias or sectarian inclinations of the translator.
In my experience, even the best translations fail to convey the author's original intent.
You certainly don't need to know Sanskrit to get enlightened,
but for those who teach Sanskrit texts, good command of the language is essential.
Next, does the teacher explain everything clearly and thoroughly,
or does he or she speak in generalities or appeal primarily to your emotions?
Some teachers say that you shouldn't use your intellect; you should use your heart instead.
But the problem is, our intellects and emotions both need to be engaged in spiritual practice.
Good teachers want you to thoroughly understand what they say, and not
mindlessly accept or blindly believe anything. Good teachers encourage students ask questions.
In fact, question/answer dialogues are found in ancient scriptures and have
always been an important part of spiritual instruction.
And finally, what is the teacher's motivation? Are they promoting a particular organization? Are they
promoting themselves? It's sad that many teach to increase the size of their following. And it's
even more sad that many teach for personal gain. On the other hand, good teachers are motivated by
love for what they teach, love for the act of teaching, and love for their students.
I hope this will help you the next time you watch new channels on YouTube.
For all the reasons we've discussed, it's important to be a discerning viewer.
If you'd like to submit a question for a future video like this one, please send it to me at
the email address shown at the end. Be sure to indicate Video Question in the subject line.