The Process for Accepting a Spiritual Master

Srila Prabhupada spoke and wrote consistently both on the vital importance of accepting a bona fide guru for one’s assured progress in spiritual life as well as on qualifications essential for a devotee to serve as spiritual master, such as:

 

tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam

sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam

 

"Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken complete shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters." (SB 11.3.21 quoted in SB 4.29.55 purport)

 

and

“The expert spiritual master knows well how to engage his disciple's energy in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and thus he engages a devotee in a specific devotional service according to his special tendency. A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden. There is no limit, however, to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept. Generally a spiritual master who constantly instructs a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on.” (CC Adi 1.35 purport.)

 

Having developed some faith in the process of Krishna consciousness and prior to accepting a devotee as his or her spiritual master, a person should have scrutinized Srila Prabhupada’s teachings on this essential topic in the association of ISKCON devotees and, when available, have taken the ISKCON Disciple Course.

 

According to the instructions of Srila Prabhupada and the previous acaryas, a person who has developed some faith in the process of Krishna consciousness, should further strengthen it by associating with one or more devotees and hearing from them about devotional service. Such devotees of varying levels of realization and maturity in Krishna consciousness give knowledge about devotional service. One or more of these may come to be a source of substantial instruction vital for one’s ongoing progress, along with providing an inspiring personal example and a shelter for that person, thereby becoming his or her instructing spiritual master(s).

 

By regular association with, and service to, such instructing spiritual masters, the spiritual aspirant may develop a particularly strong reciprocal connection with one of the siksa-guru s, who demonstrates both willingness and practical ability for the ongoing guidance of the spiritual aspirant. After testing this connection for an extended period of time by further association, inquiries, and service, the candidate may desire to solidify that relationship by taking initiation from this siksa-guru.

He or she should then approach the local ISKCON authorities for further guidance as to accepting this devotee as one’s diksa-guru.

 

6.2.1 First (Harinama) Initiation

Qualifications for First Initiation

One Year Preparatory Period

In order to receive first initiation one must have been engaged favorably in devotional service, strictly following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds a day, for at least one year without interruption.

 

First Six-month Period

During the first six months of following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds daily, a new devotee who is aspiring for initiation should not commit himself to a particular initiating guru. Rather, he should chant Srila Prabhupada's pranama-mantra and worship him as Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and as his siksa-guru.

 

Second Six-month Period

After successfully completing the first six-month preparatory period, and after passing the required examination, the candidate may choose his future diksa-guru. Receiving permission from that guru, and notifying the local Temple President, the candidate should take shelter and begin to worship that guru as his own spiritual master and chant his pranama-mantra. Actual initiation may take place only after a minimum six-month period from the date shelter was taken and the local Temple President notified.