Preparation for Mantra-Diksha

[Girish]

Preparation for Mantra-Diksha (Spiritual Initiation)

Swami Bhuteshnanda
(Swami Bhuteshananda was the President of the Ramakrishna Order from 1989 to 1998. This lecture, originally in Bengali, was delivered by
Swami Bhuteshananda on 4 August 1995 at Ramakrishna Ashrama, Sylhet, in Bangladesh and had appeared in the Bengali monthly Udbodhan, 7th
issue, 1406 Shraban, from where it has been translated by Swami Hitakamananda. )


Many desire to have initiation. Some show great interest. But before initiation, unless one is familiar with the ideal which we want to
present before you, the initiation will not be fruitful. That is why it is our practice that one must be familiar with the life and
teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, the Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda. Hence one seeking initiation is asked to prepare himself. Those who
are found underprepared are advised to wait. Only the eligible candidates are advised to take initiation. This preparedness helps us
to do our duty properly. Besides, the recipients also are able to grasp easily what we instruct.

According to scriptural injunction, whosoever approaches a guru for initiation must have certain qualifications. Let me cite an example.
Narada went to Bhagavan Sanatkumara for initiation. Sanatkumara said, `Tell me first what you know; then I shall decide what is to be
taught.' At this Narada gave a detailed list of what he had studied. None of the principal scriptural texts were left out. He had come to
Sanatkumara after finishing the studies of all the major scriptures.He said he had read Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda, the
six Vedangas; also all the principal puranas (eighteen), and many texts dealing with secular branches of learning. In spite of so much
learning he said, `I am not in peace, neither am I satisfied. I still feel discontented. This sense of unfulfilment is probably the cause of
my mental unrest.' `Well, Narada,' said Sanatkumara, `I understand that you have studied quite a lot. But what you know are only some
words. You have become a master of words; but you do not know yourself. You are not an atmavid. Only a knower of the Self overcomes
grief. Since you are not an atmavid, a knower of one's Real Nature, you have been overpowered by grief.' Then Narada humbly said,
`Bhagavan, kindly impart me that knowledge by which I can get rid of all misery.'

What does this story suggest? It suggests that it is necessary to prepare the ground of one's mind before initiation. It is no use
sowing seeds without preparing the soil. The soil must be properly tilled, and manure must be spread beforehand. If the seed is sown
after that, it grows well. But if we sow the seeds without tilling the soil and without adding manure, will there be a good crop? No.
Similarly, careful preparation is required before receiving mantra-diksha. This preparedness conduces to success. This must be
kept in mind. 

Most humbly, I want to touch another point. There is no end to this preparation. Before taking the name of God, before receiving the
mantra, the soil of our mind has to be processed. Unless the mind is pure, the mantra will not be effective. The mind has to be prepared
through the practice of good conduct, humility, shraddha, and true yearning. If there is a genuine urge in the mind for taking the name
of God, the result of initiation will be highly rewarding. There is a beautiful simile given by Sri Ramakrishna. The oyster eagerly awaits
with its mouth open. If a drop of rain falling during the ascendancy of the Swati constellation enters, the oyster closes its mouth, goes
to the bottom of the ocean and turns it into a pearl. Mantra-diksha is just like this drop of water in association with the star Swati.
Before having initiation, one must keep one's heart open to receive that Truth with great yearning like an oyster. Only then will the
mantra be effective in life. 

We always say, even at the time of initiation, that without devotion and faith it does not become fruitful. Hence we must have faith. One
has to receive the mantra with shraddha. Only then the mantra, like a seed, will sprout and flourish into a full grown tree, bearing flowers
and fruits. Hence it must be borne in mind that prepared-ness before receiving the mantra-diksha is mandatory. In fact, nothing in
spiritual life can be achieved without preparation. The scriptures recommend that a spiritual seeker must approach the Guru for learning
the ideal by being serviceful, humble, with selfless devotion, making himself pure and blemishless. Why is so much importance laid in the
scriptures on preparedness? The reason is, the moment is an invaluable one, when the name of God is presented to us. Receiving that holy name
in our heart with faith and devotion and concentrating our mind on it, if we can dive deep into our being, like the oyster, and remain
engrossed in it, the most valuable gem will take shape within us. This is to be especially borne in mind. We get this lesson from the
teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. In the Bhagavad Gita (18.67) also it is said,

Idam te natapaskaya
nabhaktaya kadachana
Na chashushrushave vachyam
na cha mam yobhyasuyati.

This is never to be spoken by thee to one who is devoid of austerities or devotion, nor to one who does not render service, nor to one who
cavils at Me. 

Why have these categories of people been excluded? Because the field (of their mind) is not prepared. The criteria mentioned earlier are
only preparatory steps. Once the field is ready, one develops love for the name of God. This is to be remembered by boththose who are seeking
diksha and also those already initiated. Hence it is said in the scriptures that one must be humble, inclined to serve and must keep
one's life as pure and stainless as possible. Many people have an opposite notion. They think that their body and mind will be purified
after mantra-diksha. This is a wrong concept. Before being initiated, our hearts are to be purified to receive initiation. Before installing
the deity, the temple and its surroundings must be well cleaned. Then only can we think of the installation ceremony. Receiving mantra
signifies installation of God in one's life. All preparations are aimed at this only. Without compliance to these conditions, or even
being indifferent to them, we cannot really install God in our heart. This must be especially borne in mind.

We do not want to initiate young boys and girls. But at times devotees insist on initiations of boys and girls of ten to twelve years or even
less in age. They feel hurt when we reject their request. They repeatedly request us. These people do not realise the significance of
mantra-diksha. Are these young ones ready for initiation? Are their minds mature enough to grasp the importance of initiation? Not at all.
`Please initiate, please initiate' etc. is nothing short of childish insistence. Maybe some guardians put such requests with true faith and
in all seriousness. But they also do it due to lack of understanding of the importance, meaning, and gravity of mantra-diksha. There is an
appropriate time for mantra-diksha. When the mind becomes restless for initiation, then it must be understood that it is capable of receiving
the mantra. To keep this fact in mind is beneficial.

We should not forget that mantra- diksha is a very significant event in life. So, it should be taken with all seriousness. Here I like to
point out one thing not only for the initiated but for everyone. Let not initiation be looked upon as a status symbol or as a means to
attain a status either. Let us not forget that it is a means of God-realization only. Those who come to take initiation should be
serious about it. That the moment of initiation is a unique one should be borne in mind. Suppose the guru is speaking something that requires
close attention but some are not attentive and are thinking of something else. It clearly suggests that they have not understood the
importance or seriousness of mantra-diksha. I have no intention to criticize anybody. I mention it to drive home the point that one must
have a reverential attitude towards initiation. One must remember that it is an important event in one's life. Otherwise, one will not feel
the worth of this event. At times, we are forced to pass through a number of adverse situations. They must be overcome. From where shall
we get the strength and motivation to overcome them? If we get initiated after due preparation, that initiation itself will provide
us with that strength.

There is another point to be remembered in this context. Our conduct should be in tune with our state of being initiated. I recommend
following five codes of conduct at the time of initiation. There is nothing secret about it. Everybody should know it. Hence I speak for
everyone. No one can move towards God, unless he is pure in conduct. To proceed towards God the conduct must be pure. We often hear about
the necessity of taking pure food. Does it mean that our diet should include sufficient clarified butter? Not that. Pure food implies
sattvika food, nourishing food. This is the scriptural injunction. The food that is beneficial both for the body and the mind and for
building them up is to be consumed as much as the body needs it, i.e., one must not eat to satisfy one's greed. We must partake of the food
with the idea that it will nourish our body and mind, and we shall use the nourished body and mind for contemplation of God. We have to be
particular about food, not merely that `I shall not take this, I won't take that' and so on; these are not the criteria of aharashuddhi or
consumption of pure food. It implies consuming food in appropriate quantity that ensures sound body and mind.



Purification of one's conduct is even more important than purification of food. We shall state here the five types of good conduct.

1. We should pray for the welfare of all. We should behave in such a manner that no one's feelings are hurt and no harm is caused to
anyone. We must not do anything by which anyone is hurt physically or mentally or whereby evil befalls anyone. The scriptures speak of
Ahimsa or non-injury. It not only implies not hurting physically or mentally anyone, it also means not to think ill of others or harm
others. This must be practised in thought, word and deed.

2. We must hold on to truth always in such a way that under no circumstance should we deviate from it. We should never have recourse
to falsehood. We must honour our commitments. Sri Ramakrishna used to say, `One who holds on to truth rests in the lap of God.' He further
says, `Truthfulness is the austerity for Kaliyuga.' I am not saying that it is easy to stick to truth. It is not at all easy. We will have
to make a lot of sacrifice in life to observe truthfulness. Hence, it is never an easy job. But we should not forget that holding on to
truth is our ideal.

3. Let us not cheat anybody or deceive anybody in any way. Let us not get anything by cheating somebody. Let us be satisfied with what is
due. This is honesty in our dealings with others. It is of great help in the spiritual path.

4. We have to bring all our sense organs under our control. Let us not be guided by them. Control over one or two sense organs will not do.
All the senses are to be brought under control. It is a must for spiritual life.

5. Life is meant for thinking of God and for realising Him. Lead a simple, straightforward and natural life. We should not seek luxury. I
do not mean that all should wear clothes like beggars or live miserably. I mean we should strive to maintain ourselves with minimum
requirements. We should be absolutely free from greed. The man who earns thousand rupees a month wants to earn five thousand instead.
Another one earning five thousand a month wishes for ten thousand monthly. In a similar fashion others are after a target of one lakh
from ten thousand and even one crore from one lakh and so on. This is how our desires are continuously increasing. Such ever increasing
cravings keep the mind constantly restless.

Hence it is advised to control the mind. No one's mind feels satisfied or peaceful even after getting all the treasures of the world. That is
mind's very nature. The more one gets, the more he wants. Our craving for objects of enjoyment goes on increasing with the supply of objects
to the senses just as the addition of clarified butter to fire further kindles it instead of reducing it. These desires cause mental unrest.
They confuse the mind too.

Some people say, `We want peace'. I say, free your mind from desires, you will get peace. As long as desires are there, there will be no
peace. For, we nourish so many desires that it is impossible to satisfy all of them. So the mind gets disturbed. Why don't we get
peace? Because our mental desires are not being fulfilled. It is not easy to fulfil all these desires and expectations. While satisfying
one desire ten more desires crop up. He who has enough to eat and clothe thinks, `Do I simply want food and clothing? Is it enough to
have mere sustenance? I don't have a scooter and car--no horsecoach!'How then can we enjoy life?

On the contrary, if someone has all the objects of enjoyment, but is physically unfit, he cannot enjoy even with everything available.
Hence desires don't subside. King Yayati enjoyed life in all possible ways in his youth. As he became old he no more had the strength to
enjoy but he observed that the desire for enjoyment was intact. What to do? He prayed to God, but He said, `You have passed your youth. All
right, if any of your sons agrees to give his youth to you, you will be able to enjoy again.' Yayati called his sons and asked them if they
could give him youth. None except Puru, the youngest one, agreed.

Getting back his youth Yayati again indulged in sense enjoyments. Then it occurred to him, `I have enjoyed life for such a long period but
the desire for enjoyment has not decreased at all. It is growing all the more just as the flames of fire leap with the addition of fresh
fuel. The mental unrest is increasing hundredfold.' 

This is human life. We say, we want peace. We also think that we shall get it by praying to God. But we pray to Him only for obtaining
objects of sense enjoyment. There is no other need to call on God. If God grants us enough wealth and prosperity, if we can live happily
with friends and relatives, we say, `God is gracious'. On the contrary, if we fall into tragedy, like the falling of a thunderbolt,
we label Him as bad. Suppose a young man in the family dies or some such mishap takes place, we say it is a conspiracy of God. We say,
`Look, what has God done!' God loses His credibility. Our main objective in praying to God is to get our desires fulfilled. The
moment we fail to get them fulfilled, our devotion vanishes. We can never have peace of mind through contemplation of God with such an
attitude. Whether He keeps us in happiness or misery, does us favour or disfavour, under all circumstances we must accept all as His benign
will. We must accept happiness or misery, whatever comes to our lot, with willingness. We should receive them with a grateful heart. We
should not only not dread death, we should accept and welcome it without the least resentment. Such an attitude comes from
self-surrender. It is written in the scriptures: he who has been able to surrender himself gets peace of mind. All the sense objects and
enjoyments of the world become insignificant to him who wants God from the core of his heart. As a result of constant remembrance of Him his
mind becomes so much concentrated on God that it loses attraction for everything else, just as the man who has a philosopher's stone in his
possession does not care for petty things. Other objects of enjoyment become insignificant.

Rabindranath Tagore has depicted a beautiful incident in his poem Sparshamani (literally meaning `philosopher's stone').
A poor brahmin used to worship Lord Shiva with a desire to become wealthy. The Lord said, `Go to Vrindavan, meet Sri Sanatana Goswami
there and learn from him how to get wealth.' The brahmin went to Sri Sanatana Goswami with the hope of getting rid of poverty. Sri Sanatana
said, pointing out a particular spot on the bank of a river, `Under the sand a philosopher's stone is embedded. Dig it out and take it.
All your poverty will be removed and you will get infinite wealth.' The brahmin hastily single dug the spot and obtained the stone. The
moment he touched his iron amulet with it, it instantly turned the amulet into one of gold. Astonished, the brahmin now thought that in
spite of such a precious object close by, how undisturbed was the Goswami. He went to Sanata and asked, `Please give me a fraction of
that treasure, having which you don't consider this precious stone as precious.' Saying this, the brahmin threw away the philosopher's stone
into the river.

In the words of Rabindranath:
`Je dhane hoiya dhanee,
manire manona mani,
tahari khanik,
Magi ami natosheere,'
eto bali nadineere felilo manik.

Srimad Bhagavatam (11/2/53) says:
That person of confirmed faith and experience is the greatest among the devotees of Vishnu, whom all the wealth and resources of the three
worlds will not detract even for a trice from his firm grasp of the holy feet of his Lord, which is yet only a distant aspiration even for
celestials seeking it.

He becomes so contented with the joy of communion with God that all worldly possessions and treasures become insignificant for him.

Here it must be noted that this dispassion for everything worldly has not to come out of disgust following failures or blows. The attraction
for God is so strong that everything else becomes insignificant. Sri Ramakrishna has given the illustration of the attraction of iron by a
magnet. If two magnets, one small and the other big, are placed on the two sides of a piece of iron, which magnet would pull the piece of
iron? The bigger one, for sure. God is the biggest magnet, as it were. His attraction is irresistible. When once His attraction is
experienced, then nothing of the world will be able to attract the mind any more. Then nothing can take us away from His lotus feet. Our
progress towards the Lord is also the test of attraction for Him. If we want God as well as worldly riches, then it means that our love for
God is a mere pretence.

Generally people remember God with the intention of getting wealth and happiness. They do not want Him for His own sake. Our real objective
is wealth and prosperity. And God is one of the means of acquiring them. If the means does not work up to our expectation, we do not
hesitate to throw that means away. In other words, we shall give up even God! We must remember that to get only happiness from God is an
impossibility. Misery, poverty, obstacles, accidents also come from Him only. People just forget God in their happy days but remember Him
when they are in trouble. While others go on lamenting in distress, a devotee holds on to Him all the more firmly in such a situation. He
remembers Him more intensely in the midst of suffering. We know the life of Kunti. Her entire life was filled with continuous suffering.
She roamed about from one forest to another with her husband. Then her husband died and she came to Hastinapura with her minor children. Even
after getting the kingdom the Pandavas, her sons, were deprived of it by the conspiracy of the Kauravas. This was followed by Pandavas' long
life in the forest and one year of anonymity. Next they had to roam about in the forest with the mother. Kunti led almost the whole of her
life in danger and suffering. Then came the war of Kurukshetra. At the end of the Kurukshetra war when Sri Krishna came to take leave of her,
she prayed to Him, `O Madhava, when we are in the midst of happiness we forget you. But we invariably remember you in danger. I therefore
beg sufferings from you so that I may remember you constantly.' How large must be the heart to ask for suffering from God? Although such
prayers are rare amongst us, we must not forget that such prayers alone are the ideal ones.

We simply mutter the name of God verbally but remain steeped in worldliness. We ought to seek Him because He is our greatest
benefactor under all circumstances, our all in all, the Soul of our Soul, nay, our very Real Nature. Man loves himself the most. He loves
other objects because they are dear to the Atman. In other words man loves Atman alone. It is from this standpoint that God is called
Paramatman, i.e., Atman of one's atman. We should love God because He is our true Self and not for any other reason. This is called ahaituki
bhakti, unselfish devotion. Sri Ramakrishna has talked about this type of bhakti time and again. The devotee in this kind of devotion does
not seek anything from God because he has no other cravings. He feels completely satisfied by whole hearted surrender to God with love and
devotion, without seeking anything in return. Such an ideal devotion towards God is the ideal of Sri Ramakrishna. If we fail to raise
ourselves to such a high level, we should at least remember that thirst for worldly possessions and sense pleasures should not be
allowed to shift our attention from God, the centre of our life. Petty desires will be there, body and mind would like to fulfil them. Let
them be and let them do it, but they should not cloud our power of judgement to such an extent that we forget God and make enjoyment and
worldly possessions as the very purpose of life. 

Another key point in Sri Ramakrishna's teachings is that we should be sincere in repeating the name of God. It is not important how many
thousand times we chanted the name of God or how long we meditated. Someone may eat vegetarian diet and undertake severe austerities
wearing a single piece of cloth and so on. These are of least importance if they lack sincerity of purpose. The important thing is
whether we are able to love God wholeheartedly. Due to such a love for God, all other worldly attractions would fade into insignificance. We
should always keep it in mind.

Srimad Bhagavatam says, `A genuine love for God reduces all other attractions of the world.' We are to tread the spiritual path with
this standard. One may lose consciousness while singing of God, one may meditate the whole life sitting in one place, one may perform
lakhs of japam for years, one can go on pilgrimages one after another. None of these really matter. Feeling the constant presence of God in
our heart is what really matters. There will be no space left for anything else, or any other person or even any other thought in such a
heart. We ought to offer all our love and adoration to Him. We shall have to surrender ourselves completely at His feet. This is the gist
of Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual teachings.

And if we succeed in loving God with our whole heart, we will be able to feel His presence in all the creatures of this universe. I
sincerely pray that all of us may be able to live our lives holding fast to this ideal. May this ideal influence our lives to such an
extent that everything of the world becomes insignificant. By His grace everything is possible. I pray to Sri Ramakrishna that all of us
may have such intense love for God.

[Ranajoy]

Thank you for posting this lecture. This is such a beautiful lecture
with lot of examples and illustrations.
Ranajoy

On Jul 26, 7:49 pm, Girish <giris...@gmail.com> wrote:
> *Preparation for Mantra-Diksha (Spiritual Initiation)
> *
> *Swami Bhuteshnanda
> **(Swami Bhuteshananda was the President of the Ramakrishna Order from 1989

> to 1998. This lecture, originally in Bengali, was delivered by
> Swami Bhuteshananda on 4 August 1995 at Ramakrishna Ashrama, Sylhet, in
> Bangladesh and had appeared in the Bengali monthly Udbodhan, 7th
> issue, 1406 Shraban, from where it has been translated by

> Swami Hitakamananda. )*