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Diksha

Satsvarupa das Goswami during ISKCON dīkṣā ceremony (1979)

Diksha (Sanskrit: दीक्षा, IAST: dīkṣā) also spelled diksa, deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony",[1] is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru (in Guru–shishya tradition) of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Diksa is given in a one-to-one ceremony, and typically includes the taking on of a serious spiritual discipline.[2] The word is derived from the Sanskrit root dā ("to give") plus kṣi ("to destroy") or alternately from the verb root dīkṣ ("to consecrate").[3] Diksa can be of various types, through the teacher's sight, touch, or word, with the purpose of purifying the disciple or student. Initiation by touch is called sparśa dīkṣā. The bestowing of divine grace through diksa is sometimes called śaktipāt.[3] Another type of diksha, into a monastic order, involves a vow of celibacy, renunciation of all personal possessions and of all worldly duties, including family ties. Diksha has the same meaning in Jainism. Diksha is also called Charitra or Mahanibhiskraman in Jainism. Initiation in Hinduism involves performing one of several rituals depending on the person being initiated and the Hindu group involved.

Vishnu Yamala (tantra) says: "The process that bestows divyam jnanam (transcendental, spiritual knowledge) and destroys sin (pāpa), the seed of sin and ignorance, is called diksha by the spiritual persons who have seen the Truth (desikais tattva-kovidaih)."[4]

Tantra mentions five types of initiation or diksa: initiation by a ritual or samaya-diksa; sparsa-diksa is an initiation by touch and is done without a ritual; vag-diksa is done by word or mantra; sambhavi-diksa is arising from perception of external appearance of the guru; mano-diksa is when initiation is performed in the mind.[5] Various tantric works enumerate different types of diksha rituals:[6]

  • Kriyavati
  • Kalavati
  • Varnamayi
  • Vedamayi

Living examples

Different traditions and sects treat diksa in various ways.

  • ISKCON members first diksa, or harinama-diksa initiation, is performed as part of a fire sacrifice where grains, fruit, and ghee are placed on an open fire of the sacrifice.[7]
  • The Bengali saint Anandamayi Ma often gave sparśa dīkṣā (divine touch) or drik diksa (through her look), in which she would bestow śaktipāt (divine grace).[8]
  • Transcendental Meditation (TM) began initiation under the guidance of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the late 1950s. New members were initiated through a "devotional ritual (puja) whose focus was Brahmananda Saraswati and the Shankarcharya lineage. Initiates were given a specially suited mantra, and taught how to practice meditation."[9]
  • The Pushtimarga Sampradaya initiates its devotees in a two-step process. The first part, known as śaraṇa mantropadeśa, is administered in infancy or at a later age if requested. A descendant guru of Vallabhacharya has the initiate repeat the aṣṭākṣara mantra 3 times, and is given a kaṇṭhī. The second part, known as Brahma-sambandha, occurs before the initiate is married or as soon as they are considered mature enough to understand its significance. The guru administers the brahma-sambandha mantra, completing the initiation.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary". University of Cologne. pp. d. Archived from the original on January 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  2. ^ Coward, Harold G.; David J. Goa (2004). Mantra: hearing the divine in India and America. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-12960-2.
  3. ^ a b Grimes, John A. (1996). A concise dictionary of Indian philosophy. SUNY Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-7914-3067-5.
  4. ^ Pandey, Vraj Kumar (2007). Encyclopaedia of Indian philosophy. Anmol Publications. ISBN 978-81-261-3112-9.
  5. ^ The madness of the saints by June McDaniel, University of Chicago Press, (1989) p. 106 ISBN 0-226-55723-5
  6. ^ Jnana Sankalini Tantra by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda
  7. ^ Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America [Five Volumes]Eugene V. Gallagher, W. Michael Ashcraft (2006) Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 23 ISBN 0-275-98713-2
  8. ^ Hallstrom, Lisa Lassell (1999). Mother of Bliss: Ānandamayī Mā (1896-1982). Oxford University Press US. pp. 140–144. ISBN 978-0-19-511647-2.
  9. ^ Humes, Cynthia. "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Beyond the TM Technique". In Gurus in America, ed. Cynthia Humes and Thomas Forsthoefel. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005.
  10. ^ Bennett, Peter John (1983). Temple Organisation and Worship Among the Puṣṭimārgīya Vaiṣṇavas of Ujjain (PDF) (PhD thesis). University of London. p. 130-131.
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