Is taking diksha (Initiation) from two gurus allowed?
A devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“I was initiated in Shri Sampraday by my parents when I was just 5 years old but I never took association n was living in animal Consciousness. Then I got introduced to ISKCON and now I m Chanting and attending daily morning programs…Can I get initiated in Gaudiya Sampraday…or it would be leaving my Guru from Shri Sampraday…I m very confused n stressed,,,I love ISKCON Association. Please hide my name Prabhuji. Hare Krishna.”
REPLY:
Taking diksha (Initiation) from two gurus is possible and allowed if you had taken just brahmacharya diksha from a kulaguru through father during the Sacred thread wearing ceremony.
There are two types of dikshas in the Brahmana Communities. First case is given by an acharya through a representative (father) while wearing the sacred thread for the first time as taken by me and you.
(RITVIK INITIATION (DIKSHA) AND LIVING GURU INITIATION – DIFFERENCES! READ HERE!)
Second case is the direct diksha from a guru/acharya in that bonafide sampradhaya. This second case, ie, if you had taken Direct diksha from a guru in Sri Sampradhaya, no need to take from Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradhaya again as it will become double initiation. In this case, taking diksha (Initiation) from two gurus is not recommended.
If you had already taken diksha directly from a bonafide sampradhaya, you need not take diksha (Initiation) again from another guru.
Let me explain the first type in which the brahmanas by birth take diksha. I hope you had not taken directly from a guru.
Almost all the brahmanas including me wear a sacred thread around their chest. This means, they have got official initiation as a brahmana in which the father acts as a representative of the Kula guru of that sampradhaya and give the Gayathri Manthra into the ears of the boy. Thus, we are declared as if entering into the Brahamacharya Ashrama as an initiated brahmana.
(DOES A DIKSHA GURU OR SIKSHA GURU ACCEPT THE KARMA OF DISCIPLES? HOW? READ HERE!)
Thus, in actual brahmana communities, there is only one initiation, that confirms our brahmana status and taking vows to follow the brahmacharya ashrama strictly. Here, the acharya is the kula guru for us. The father and the purohit are the representatives of that acharya (kulaguru).
I too am already initiated as a brahmana in my Sampradhaya and am wearing the sacred thread. As per my sampradhaya by birth, Sri Chandrasekarendra Swami Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakodi Mutt, of Kancheepuram, near Chennai is my kulaguru and acharya. Of course, I am really happy that a highly respectable and pure acharya happened to me as my guru. He lived the simplest and purest life and even great leaders like Mahathma Gandhiji, Indra Gandhi, many presidents, Prime ministers, Chief minsiters, Governors, etc, came to him and got blessings from him. Though he gave blessings to those leaders and discussed with them, he strictly stood away from politics.
(I find no Guru in my locality to accept him as my guru. What to do? READ HERE!)
Thus, as per my Advaita sampradhaya by birth, I already had a kulaguru like other brahmanas.
I was introduced to ISKCON by a dedicated devotee in my twenties, ie, after I had taken initiation as a brahmana in my parent sampradhaya that follows advaita.
Though Sri Chndrasekarendra Swami is an advaita guru, he has clearly said that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and there is no other vrata greater than Ekadasi vrata. This has been recorded in the collection of his speeches called VOICE OF GOD. The greatness of that acharya was that he spoke strongly advocating the unity among different sampradhayas and respecting all gods. He never ill-spoke about any god or acharya or guru. His speeches have always been in the positive tone spreading only positive vibrations, not the hatred.
Since I had read the speeches of Sri Chandrasekarendra Swami, I too developed as a guy who respect all gods, gurus or acharyas. Therefore, when the ISKCON devotees met me and gave Bhagavad Gita As It Is and other books of Srila Prabhupada, I got convinced that ISKCON is the organization that works sincerely for re-establishing Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not just as a god among hundreds of gods. This aspect attracted me.
Since all the Advaita and Vaishnava Sampradhayas did not deny that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I had no difficulty in supporting the primary concept of ISKCON that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A GURU AND A DISICPLE – FROM THE SCRIPTURES! READ HERE!)
Therefore, I naturally accepted those devotees and associated with them. Then, Srila Prabhupada’s books helped me to ascertain Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, I got a realization that Srila Prabhupada and his movement is also important for me. I have come from a background that my first acharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Swami respected every sampradhaya and acharyas. He also had good regards about ISKCON and he even sent his stapathi to carve Narshimma Dev deity established in Mayapur. Therefore, I too was comfortable when I associated with ISKCON to practice Krishna Consciousness.
Then, I got Harinam diksha from a revered guru in ISKCON. This does not mean I have violated my sampradhaya by birth. I have great respects with the acharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Swami and his successor present acharyas. They are my kulagurus and every brahmana will have his kulaguru. However, since I wanted to dedicate my life for Krishna who is our real master, I thought that I should accept ISKCON that is working exclusively for Krishna.
(How to increase the faith in our Guru (Spiritual Master)? READ HERE!)
Thus, I do not feel any guilt in accepting ISKCON and its gurus. In fact, I am very happy to have taken birth in a brahmana family, and at the same time, got the association of ISKCON because following the four regulative principles is easier for brahmanas than meat eaters. This is the double mercy of Krishna towards me, I think.
In my view, we should not insult or disrespect any guru of any sampradhaya. There may be differences in their concepts, but, everyone is working with some good objectives for the betterment and elevation of human society.
Therefore, my reply to you through my life experience and the general custom is: Though you are from another sampradhaya, there is no barrier for you to accept ISKCON and a bonafide guru from it.
A devotee can take diksha (Initiation) from a guru in ISKCON if he had not taken diksha directly from a guru of another bonafide Vaishnava sampradhaya.
Had he got just Sacred thread wearing diksha called brahmana diksha in brahmana communities, he can definitely take Harinam and other dikshas in ISKCON.
If he had not yet got direct diksha, or, if his previous guru has fallen down, he can take diksha again from another guru of a bonafide sampradhaya.
In ISKCON, if a devotee is a Harinam disciple of a guru, but his guru has gone back to the Godhead or fallen, he can take Second initiation, ie, brahmana diksha and Sanyasa from another living guru within ISKCON itself.
Hope you are clear about taking diksha (Initiation) from two gurus.
(How can I accept a guru without ascertaining his eligibility? READ HERE!)