What if a devotee prefers two gurus to take Diksha (initiation)?
A Woman devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Prabhu, I want to take initiation but I am confused with two gurus in my mind… how to decide from whom I should take initiation… Both are very close to my heart. But one guru is from ISKCON and another is from …………..Srampradaya from …………..
I am confused how to decide because I don’t want to make myself or any one fool with my unclear decision. Before I take initiation I want to be 100 % clear with myself.
Plz guide me.”
REPLY:
This is not to be confused.
Any decision will be justified.
How?
Let me tell you.
There are four Bonafide Vaishnava Sampradhayas as explained in the following post:
(FOUR SAMPRADHAYAS – ESSENTIAL DETAILS! READ HERE!)
All these four Vaishnava Sampradhayas are considerd to take one to the Lord thru different routes.
Target is one – routes are different as explained in the above post. Let me not repeat them again.
Therefore, a devotee is expected to choose any one of those four paths and follow that chosen path sincerely.
There is a funny, but genuine fear among many devotees!
One might have been worshiping Durga devi. When the devotees convince him to follow Krishna/ Vishnu/ Narayana, that devotee develops a fear:
“Will my Durga devi get angry if I choose and worship Krishna as my Supreme Lord?”
So, he will be oscillating between Durga devi and Krishna for many years.
He should understand that he has to worship Krishna to get relieved from material clutches and repeated rebirths.
Durga devi, as the controller of material planets, is related to material benefits/ blessings.
Just because we start to worship Krishna, it does not mean we should treat Durga devi without respects.
We should offer all respects to all the deities because all of them too are serving Krishna and they are greater in the position than us.
(Types Of Tilak the System Followed By Different Sampradhayas! READ HERE!)
Moreover, a devotee of Krishna has the nice quality of respecting others irrespective of their status.
So, though a person is worshiping another god, he need not feel that he will be punished if he starts to worship Krishna as Supreme Lord.
Because the god whom he was worshiping earlier is also a servant of Krishna.
Why this example?
Similar sentiments exist in the case of accepting a Guru also.
One may have great regards for multiple gurus.
It is not wrong, but natural.
He may like one aspect in all gurus.
But the guideline is that one should accept ONLY ONE diksha guru.
So, should we reject all other gurus after accepting one guru out of them?
Not so.
Accept one from among them based on what your heart prefers among them, and offer your pranama mantra for him.
Keep him as your sole diksha guru.
(Is Shankara Sampradhaya a bonafide Sampradhaya? How? READ HERE!)
Give all due honours for all other gurus treating them as your siksha gurus or great Vaishnavas.
For example, in ISKCON, there are multiple number of diksha gurus.
A devotee can accept only one diksha guru. However, when other gurus come to our temples, we give all honours for them, get his blessings and hear his lectures.
And we consider Srila Prabhupada as our eternal siksha guru.
Just because we accept only one diksha guru and skip all others, we should not think that we can’t go back to Krishna.
You can go back to Krishna if you accept any of the approved gurus, provided, you follow all the instructions given by your guru and Srila Prabhupada for initiated devotees.
It is not right that only the disciples of this guru will go back to Krishna, but not the disciples of another guru.
Surrender is very important in accepting any guru who is a bonafide guru who comes in the bonafide guru parampara and follows the expected purity.
Let us now come to your case:
You prefer two gurus – One from ISKCON and another from another bonafide sampradhaya (hidden).
You are confused whom to accept as your diksha guru.
You can get Krishna if you accept any of the two gurus mentioned by you.
However, I like to give a clear suggestion for you to narrow one.
(Is joining ISKCON by abandoning our Sampradhaya by birth sinful? READ HERE!)
Choosing a guru in ISKCON has many advantages:
(i) ISKCON is the most active, vibrant spiritual organization among all others that is distributing the devotion and scriptures to crores of people all over the world including Islamic and communist countries.
(ii) It is backed by Srila Prabhupada’s pure preaching contents.
(iii) It is absolutely free.
(iv) ISKCON has all the facilities for us to get btrained in Krishna Consciousness thru books, regular programs, etc.
(v) ISKCON has the presence of a temple in most of the districts of our country and all over the world. Wherever you go, you can get a temple to attend and follow. ISKCON offers the regular opportunities to associate with hundreds of other devotees. No other Sampradhaya gives REGULAR, WELL ORGANISED WEEKLY OPPORTUNITIES to associate with hundreds of devotees. Therefore, after accepting guru, you are not alone. You can take the association of hundreds of devotees every day in ISKCON and particularly on Sundays and festivals. This greatly reduces the chances for fall down from our devotional path.
(vi) ISKCON has the facilities to serve in hundreds of ways for the Lord. Eg: Cleaning the temples, distributing prasadam, making garlands, book distribution, etc.
(vii) ISKCON is fully backed by the support of the bonafide scriptures. It does not manufacture new concepts. It strictly follows the bonafide scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, etc.
(viii) Every ISKCON devotee, ie, disciple of a guru in ISKCON can get whatever he/ she wants from the organization for their upliftment. The temple is very eager to support the aspiring disciples.
(ix) ISKCON has reporting channels – right from temple managers and till the governing body commission if you have any issues within ISKCON that prevents you follow devotion. Redressal mechanisam is there. So, you will not be helpless.
(Is chanting many manthras of other sampradhayas correct? READ HERE!)
(x) No guru in ISKCON manufactures his own concepts. He just preaches what his Guru preached him. They use only the bonafide scriptures.
(xi) No guru in ISKCON claims that he is God or avatar of God. He claims that he is the servant of the servant of the Lord.
(xii) ISKCON has strict regulations such as No meat, No onion-garlic, No Gambling, No intoxication and No Illicit sex. It makes definite changes in the consciousness and activities of every devotee thru Vigorous trainings and satsanghas.
(xiii) ISKCON has stage by stage advancing facilities like commitments called Siksha from a single rounds of chanting, then 4, 8, 16 rounds and then to accept a guru and again accept Gayatri mantra thru second initiation. This stage by stage evolution makes one a devotee strong in the principles and devotion.
(xiv) All the above facilities are available in your town or any nearby town itself. You need not go to the place mentioned by you for everything. Local
Therefore, in all considerations, my advice to you is to take diksha from a bonafide guru in ISKCON.
And continue to offer all honours to that another guru who you considered. You can meet him whenever you go to his place and get his blessings.
Accept a diksha guru in ISKCON and respect the gurus from all the other sampradhayas.
It is a good culture and matured approach.
Hope you are relieved now in the matter of a devotee prefering two gurus to take Diksha (initiation)!
(Is joining ISKCON by abandoning our Sampradhaya by birth sinful? READ HERE!)