How to get initiation if there are no Gurus nearby in your Locality?
A male devotee (name hidden) asked like this:
“I follow Krishna–have studied the Bhagavad Gita and Swami Prabupada’s writings–I still do. Literature tells me I need to have a Guru–I live in an area where none is available. What do you suggest I do? By the way, you have a great site, very helpful. Thank You …………….”.
REPLY:
In this kaliyuga, getting a guru from a bonafide sampradhaya itself is very fortunate.
The ancient model of Guru Sishya Parampara was revived by Srila Prabhupada that is helpful for thousands of devotees to come under the shelter of a guru.
(Courses and Exams for initiations (Diksha) in ISKCON for different levels! READ HERE!)
We are getting the model of 5000 years back, even now, that too with the strict rules, thanks to Srila Prabhupada.
Only negative is that some devotees, out of curiosity, get diksha even before they become fit to get a guru. So, there are many violations.
Anyway, for genuine devotees who need a guru, there is a system to get a diksha guru from a bonafide sampradhaya. We should be happy about it.
However, at present, Gurus are not available in every town or village. Practically, it may not be possible at present.
Presently, the gurus have a headquarters and visit all the ISKCON centers/ temples in regular intervals.
So, we can not expect a guru whom we can serve directly in our small towns all the time.
(WHAT IF A DISCIPLE IS UNABLE TO SURRENDER TO GURU? READ HERE!)
If there is a center in your town, gurus may visit now and then. You can get direct contact with him. Or, if you happen to go to the city where a guru is there, you can meet him.
These are the only possibilities.
There are two ways of serving our guru:
(1) VAPU: Directly serving our guru.
(2) VANI: Serving our guru indirectly.
How can we serve our guru indirectly?
If you are in Australia and your guru is in New Delhi or Mayapur, you can’t serve your guru directly. Because, he may not need hundreds of disciples for his direct service. He may need just 4-5 confidential disciples for fulfilling his direct needs.
(Should a disciple get instructions from Spiritual master after getting purity? READ HERE!)
So, all the disciples can’t serve a guru directly. It is always impossible for any guru to arrange for direct service to all his disciples.
If you take any sampradhaya or spiritual organization, there are many gurus and disciples living in different places. Most of the disciples live away from their gurus physically, but, they are spiritually connected with their gurus.
When we follow what our guru said, that means, we are connected with our guru and following that guru.
Since you have mentioned about the ISKCON, let me guide accordingly. Just visit the nearest ISKCON center in your nearby locality in your country.
Attend the programs regularly on every Sunday and during the festivals.
Start chanting hare Krishna Maha Manthra gradually and come to the stage of 16 rounds.
Strictly follow the four regulative principles such as No Meat, No Gambling, No intoxication and No illicit sex.
After six months of chanting 16 rounds and following the four regulative principles, talk to your temple manager/ president about getting diksha from a guru of your choice in ISKCON.
If he feels that you are prepared, he will recommend you for SHELTER from your choice of guru and after six months of SHELTER, you can get diksha from that guru.
But, honestly review yourself whether you will follow the rules of diksha sincerely without any violations because any serious violations will affect the health of your guru and also affect your spiritual growth.
So, decide after the thorough evaluation of yourself.
(Read this post and this post to know the procedure of getting diksha from a guru in ISKCON.)
After getting diksha, talk or mail your guru narrating your interest areas in devotional services. He may request you to take a particular service in which you have interest and eligibility and do well.
Getting his advice, thank him, come back to your living place and start serving as advised by your guru.
When you perform the services as instructed by your guru properly, that means, you are serving him and you are always connected to him.
When you are doing what your guru instructed you, you do not need to be in front of him all the time and you need not worry for having no gurus nearby.
This Vapu service is not inferior; Instead, it is the better one because you can serve the devotees only if you go here and there, without being in the same place.
Hope you are clear about how to get initiation if there are no Gurus nearby in your Locality.
So, stop worrying for having no gurus nearby and also about the location of yourself and that of your guru.
(Why don’t you recommend to us which Diksha Guru to choose in ISKCON? READ HERE!)