Initiation of Her Grace Danakeli Dasi

Giriraj Swami: The first in the list of do’s is to guru-pādāśraya, to accept the shelter of the lotus feet of a spiritual master. Then sikseti dīkṣeti, one should take instruction from him and one should take initiation. So these are the first three items, but to come to that stage one must begin the preliminary practice of bhakti-yoga. And then when the prospective disciple feels ready and the guru feels the perspective disciples ready, and the Vaishnavas, the other instructors and authorities recommend the candidate, then she can be initiated. But as the word initiate means, there are different meanings of initiation, one meaning of initiate is to begin something. So as our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada said, initiation doesn’t mean that one has become perfect but initiation means that one is beginning officially. Before initiation one has begun but not officially. It is like one is auditing a class in the university, so one is learning, but when one is officially enrolled then one gets formal credit. 

So it is a very momentous occasion. The example is given of a turtle in the ocean just being cast about by the waves of the ocean. And in that ocean is a board and in the board there is a hole and the chance is of getting a spiritual master compared to the chances of a turtle in the ocean just coming up under that board through that hole in the board onto the safety and security of that raft. Some people are fortunate enough to come into the association of devotees at an early age, some devotees have children and their children are introduced to bhakti-yoga and the association of devotees from the beginning. But as our dear friend His Holiness Rtadhvaja Swami sometimes says, these children they are born into the Hare Krishna movement but they haven’t joined the Hare Krishna movement. They have to decide for themselves but still it is very fortunate for them. And others of us and Dana herself is an example, others of us undergo a tortuous journey to come to a bona fide spiritual master. Dana told us a little about her journey yesterday at the gonian. I am also one who met, I am sure, at least a dozen gurus or so-called gurus and I have almost become hopeless and then finally I met Srila Prabhupada. So it is a very fortunate occasion when someone comes in touch with the bona fide spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada and his faithful servants. So the responsibility of the spiritual master is to guide the disciple and the responsibility of the disciples to follow the guidance. 

I recently gave the example, one may know that one is diseased, one may know that one needs a doctor, one may find a competent doctor and know it, and one may be given the appropriate treatment by the doctor and know it, but still one has to take the treatment; one has to take the medicine. No one can do that for you. So it is a reciprocation, a loving reciprocation. There is also an element of fear. Tamal Krishna Goswami was one of the stalwart disciples of Srila Prabhupada and pioneers of the Krishna consciousness movement, he often commented that our relationship was based on a combination of love and fear; fear of envy of displeasing him. It could be fear of being chastised but really more fundamentally, fear of just displeasing him.

So the initiation is considered a contract. The spiritual master agrees to guide the disciple back to Godhead and the disciple agrees to follow the guidance. And during Srila Prabhupada’s presence he was the only spiritual master in his khan who gave the initiation. But even then, as I mentioned, in one letter Srila Prabhupada said that initiation doesn’t mean that one has become perfect and therefore one needs further training. And so any devotee who gives that training can also be accepted as a spiritual master, like a spiritual master, an instructing spiritual master, and honor as Prabhu, as a master. Sometimes they say it takes a village to raise a child, so spiritually it is like that also it takes the village, it takes the society of devotees to raise a child, a spiritual child to maturity. Of course in this process when one could take birth, yes it is a very nice statement that everyone is born with a father and a mother but it is a very rare and fortunate person who gets a spiritual father, that the Vedas are considered the mother and the spiritual master is considered the father. 

So Dana, I don’t know exactly how old she is but the first birth is the birth from once biological mother and father the second birth is the initiation, so this is like her birthday. Hare Krishna. There have been others, there was one lady in Carpentaria, I think she was ninety-five when she took her initiation, so it is never too late. It is never too soon and never too late. So in this community here in Tucson and the greater area extending to Patagonia, of course there are so many wonderful devotees and it said that every Vaishnava is a guru, śikṣā-guru, but in particular here we have Jiva Nanda Prabhu and Mother Sandamini. And because they have been a guiding Dana and most of us here, I thought it would be most appropriate for them also to speak, and also because they are very knowledgeable and realized. Generally at initiations Srila Prabhupada would speak about initiation of spiritual master and disciple and about the holy name, being officially initiated into the chanting of the holy name and he would speak about the ten offenses. So I thought we could call on Jiva Nanda Prabhu to speak whatever he feels appropriate but perhaps touching on spiritual master and disciple. And then Mother Sandamini, she is the temple president, she is the authority, we don’t suggest to her she suggests to us so she can speak as her heart moves and I am sure it will be beautiful. And I will speak on the holy name and the offenses to be avoided while chanting.

So thank you, we welcome you. It is a very encouraging to see all of you here and, yes, Dana you can look around and know everyone who is here today to support you. I am sure that they will welcome you to approach them for any help or support that you feel you need along the way.