Is Chanting without initiation (diksha) offensive for the devotees?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna prabhu ji, Dandavat pranam. I am thankful for the articles you provide. I have been in association since 7 years, but didn’t tell my parents about Krishna Consciousness as they are averse to it, non-vegetarian also. Many senior devotees asked me to take initiation or become a bramhacari in temple. I am studying as well as serving whatever I can, One senior devotee told me that If I am chanting and not taking initiation that means I am doing offense to increase material attachment and not taking shelter of Krishna. I am perplexed on this, please guide me.
Is there any particular punishment of particular sinful activities . Hare Krishna.”
REPLY:
No. Absolutely not.
Chanting without taking initiation is also effective.
Krishna’s names are independently potential to elevate a person who chants them.
(How to follow initiation (diksha) vows in spite of challenges? READ HERE!)
How can those devotees say that not taking diksha is offensive? I don’t know whether they actually meant so, or you took it in wrong meaning.
Krishna’s Names do not depend on anyone or anything to give its effects.
Taking Initiation is advisable & recommended if your situation is favourable to follow the initiation rules.
However, getting initiation increases the chances of getting the full effects of chanting the names of the Lord and getting Krishna earlier.
How?
Devotion requires a bhava of Surrender. A devotee should surrender to a Guru and submissively enquire him with the questions to know the truth, as advised by Krishna Himself in Bhagavad Gita in Ch-4, Verse-34.
So, Surrendering to a guru is the standard expected by Krishna from a devotee.
It is to fasten your elevation in Krishna Consciousness without much hurdles.
Since all of us are packed by karmic reactions thru many births, those karmic reactions cause barriers in going closer to Krishna.
(DUTIES OF A DISCIPLE TO HIS GURU – PART-4! READ HERE!)
So, it is necessary to clear those karmic barriers first.
It will fasten our growth in our devotion to Krishna.
This can be learnt from Bhagavad Gita itself in Ch-2, text-7.
There Arjuna who had been severely confused about how to proceed further in the war field in front of his relatives and gurus, he chose to SURRENDER TO KRISHNA AS A DISCIPLE.
Arjuna says to Krishna in B.G (2-7):
“I am confused about my duty; I am anxious; Now, I am your disciple. I am surrendered to you. Please guide me”
This is the expectation from a devotee.
A guru is able to cleanse us from our previous karmic reactions and also from confusions.
So, we will be able to go closer to Krishna faster than before.
Our karmic reactions are in fact the actual barriers on the path of our devotional growth.
When we surrender to a guru, he takes control of our karma. So, our devotional growth gets activated.
(Is the system of appointing the gurus beneficial and effective? READ HERE!)
If we don’t get a guru, we will have to grow slowly fighting with the barriers caused by our karmic reactions.
Where comes offense in not accepting a guru? If we don’t accept a guru, we will take more period or births to get Krishna.
That’s all.
So, Surrendering to a guru is very important for faster devotional growth; But Not accepting a guru but chanting is not an offense.
If you miss in this birth, you may accept a guru in the next birth. That’s all.
So, don’t get tensed thinking Chanting without initiation (diksha) is an offense.
Accepting a guru is advisable and recommended, but not accepting is not an offense.
(Taking initiation (diksha) before or after marriage – Which is good? READ HERE!)