“My dear Lord, a person who has received a little favor from You can understand You very quickly. But those who are trying to understand You by the ascending process may go on speculating for millions of years and still never understand You.” (Lord Brahma, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.14.29)

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अथापि ते देव पदाम्बुजद्वय-
प्रसादलेशानुगृहीत एव हि ।
जानाति तत्त्वं भगवन् महिम्नो
न चान्य एकोऽपि चिरं विचिन्वन्

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na cānya eko ’pi ciraṁ vicinvan

Due to the amazing influence of the acharya and their ability to penetrate through otherwise inauspicious conditions, achieving success while facing odds strongly in favor of failure, a question that sometimes arises is initiation. This is the formal acknowledgement of the relationship between the guru and the disciple, often with an accompanying ceremony.

In the simplest understanding, that relationship is nothing more than instruction. A teacher and a student. If a teacher has established a mechanism for the systematic transfer of knowledge, in what is known as a curriculum, then any person has the potential to be a student of that system.

Whether they are young or old. Whether they belong to the right caste or not. Whether they have familiarity with the subject matter or have only accidentally stumbled upon it. Whether they are eager to learn or only happen to be casually passing by while the transfer is taking place to a different audience.

To understand the potential within that relationship, to see exactly what is important in the connection with the guru and what is not, we can study formal education as it is commonly practiced. We take the example of university education and the steps typically followed for satisfactory completion.

1. Enrollment

This is locating the institution and making a formal request for interaction. I want to be a student at the university. There may be certain requirements for entry. I must be a certain age. I must prove a minimum level of proficiency. The institution also has limited capacity and they will not just accept any person. There is an application process.

2. Attending classes

I submit my application and gain formal entry. The next step is to attend classes. These could be given by an assortment of faculty members. It might also be that a single professor teaches all of the classes. The location might be in a longstanding building which has its own history and reputation. Due to advancements in technology, the location might also be a computer screen situated within the home of the student. Regardless, showing up is key.

3. Accepting the knowledge

I might be sitting in the classroom, but my mind is elsewhere. I need to pay attention for the interaction to have value. The teacher in this case is the guru. The student is the disciple. There is not a magic touch that takes place or some mystical event that leads to enlightenment. I need to hear. I must put in the time and the effort.

4. Applying the knowledge

The knowledge has to be applied in some way. I have to put the principles into action. Even if it is only through responding to questions on a formal examination, I have to show that the principles are somewhere inside of me. There has to be some display showing that I have retained the knowledge and know when to apply it.

5. Selecting a faculty advisor and progressing through the higher stages

The professor gives a passing grade, based on their assessment. This is the formal acknowledgment that I am ready to proceed to the next stage. In the university system, it might be four years of the same process. Official validation also might be dependent upon the approval of a faculty advisor. I have to pick someone from a list, even if there was no prior relationship. At the end, I receive a certificate. This is to mark my achievement, to prove to others what I went through, in case they should ask. The degree from the university vouches for my ability in the field of study.

…

Now let us take the example of a person following the exact same steps, but without formal affiliation. This informal student audits all of the classes. They sit with the other students. They accept the knowledge. They can demonstrate that knowledge, if asked.

The only thing lacking is approval. They have no direct connection to the teachers or to faculty advisors. This person cannot claim to have attended the university. They cannot gain entry to events reserved only for alumni. If they are honest, they will not mention any of the interaction on a job application. They have no degree or diploma.

At the same time, are they not sufficiently qualified? Have they not had the same interaction with the source of the knowledge? Are they to be considered doomed because for one reason or another they did not receive institutional approval?

What if the teachers left behind recorded instruction? What if the entire curriculum is based on textbook learning? What if the knowledge transfer took place only a single time, where the members of the audience, the potential students, had that brief moment to take everything in? The teacher then moved on, hoping that the words they spoke resonated with the students.

With respect to the science of self-realization, Lord Brahma explains that the favor of the Supreme Lord is the necessary component. No amount of education, formal or informal, will lead a person to the proper conclusion. They cannot understand God on their own; they need some help. Otherwise, they will keep climbing in their ascending process, but never reach perfection.

तथेत्यवात्सीद्देवर्षेरन्तिके साकुतोभया ।
यावद्दैत्यपतिर्घोरात्तपसो न न्यवर्तत ॥

tathety avātsīd devarṣer
antike sākuto-bhayā
yāvad daitya-patir ghorāt
tapaso na nyavartata

“After accepting the instructions of Devarishi Narada, my mother stayed in his care, without fear from any direction, as long as my father, the King of the Daityas, had not become free from his severe austerities.” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.7.13)

We have the historical example of Prahlada Maharaja. He received the instruction while within the womb. He was essentially forced to sit in the classroom; he had no say in the matter. He never received a degree. He did not have a certificate of verification from the teacher. The guru had only that short window of time to teach.

But we see that the interaction made such an impact that Prahlada was undeterred in his allegiance to the Supreme Lord, Shri Hari, in spite of the greatest antagonistic forces opposing him. At a mere five years of age, without the direct interaction to support his standing, Prahlada was able to effectively teach the same knowledge to his fellow classmates. Though they were the students in the school run by the gurus of the Daitya kingdom, it was Prahlada who stood tall as the acharya.

In Closing:

Acharya only briefly came,
But that knowledge to retain.

Since degree or certificate lacking,
Others my standing attacking.

But only blessings of Hari through,
Reach enlightened position to.

Though in kingdom by demons ruled,
Prahlada in ways of devotion schooled.

Categories: the five

Tags: college, diksha, god, guru, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, religion, spiritual master