When our sampradaya is of shiksha, why are diksha-gurus deemed so important and shiksha-gurus deemed unimportant?
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Sampradaya is a sampradaya of shiksha primarily and at the same time in our movement we give a lot of importance to diksha and because of that importance the shiksha gurus are not given due importance. So how do we explain to people how they should be conducting themselves in the light of the tradition, in the light of current realities? Yes, it is firstly true that for all practical purposes most of the mentoring, most of the educating that is done primarily by shiksha gurus and we all have many shiksha gurus and we will have many shiksha gurus. So there are now there are many different examples to understand the dynamics of the relationships between shiksha and diksha gurus.
One statement fundamentally is that that Chaitanya Chaitanya Ambedkar said that shiksha and diksha gurus are non-different. They are all essentially one. Now what does it this is not in terms of impersonal oneness, it is oneness in purpose.
The diksha guru's purpose is to take us towards Krishna, shiksha guru's purpose is also to help us move towards Krishna. So to give an educational metaphor, when we enter into university, there may be we apply for the admission, there is a whole process waiting process happens and then there's a registrar who signs. Now we are admitted into university and after we are admitted to university, now if you say somebody is doing PhD in university, the PhD guide may be quite different from the person who approved the admission.
The approval of the admission may be the registrar, maybe the dean or the principal, whoever, but the person who works with them may be a different person on a down to earth level. Now if the student thinks that oh my relationship is only with the principal or the principal signed my form, then the principal will limit the avenues for growth in the university. For from a functional point of view, the principal may, the student may learn much more from the PhD guide than from the principal or the HOD or whatever.
So similarly in our case, it is the diksha guru who sort of signs by performing diksha ritual, we get admission into the sampradaya, which is like a university. But within that sampradaya, our shiksha gurus are like our PhD guides. So most of the time the learning that happens is through shiksha gurus, not through diksha gurus.
So that's why our tradition focuses primarily on shiksha. Now diksha is given importance because it is a formalization of our commitment to the process of bhakti. So we take vows, which is few things can be as seriously formalizing.
We may be standing here, I like devotees, I like to come to temple. But once we start taking a vow, we understand this is what I have to do. So it is, we could say something like, it's like a marriage.
A man, woman may like each other, they may be courting each other, but marriage is a serious commitment forward. So now this is a completely different metaphor, because marriage implies there are only two partners, the husband and wife. So in some cases, the spiritual relationships cannot be reduced to any single metaphor materially.
So in terms of the formalization of the connection, we can compare a decision to a marriage. So the marriage ritual is important. It is not just a ritual in that sense.
It is formalization of a relationship after which the relationship goes to a whole different level. So similarly, the formalization of the relationship is extremely important. So diksha is important.
And a diksha guru is important in that sense. At the same time, to think that the diksha guru and the shiksha gurus are different, are disconnected, that is wrong. So the ideal situation should be that the shiksha gurus increase our faith in the diksha guru, and the diksha guru increases the faith in shiksha gurus.
That means that if we are conducting a bhakta duksha where we are cultivating people, and people, they get exposed to different diksha gurus in ISKCON, and then whoever they feel inspired by, we encourage, yes, it is good. And we encourage them to take shelter and to take initiation. And the diksha gurus, what they should also do is, if some people come to them, some diksha guru visits to a particular place, and their disciples come there, the diksha gurus also, now they also do this, and they are also being told by the gypsy gurus, that they should not work contrary to the local temple channels of authority.
They should work complementary to that. That means the spiritual masters should encourage devotees to work cooperatively with the management, and to, not just management, but the overall temple structure, to assist in the temple structure. So that way, the diksha guru and shiksha guru, that works out symbiotically.
Now in some cases, there might be conflict. So then we have to see according to time, place, circumstance. If the conflict happens from the disciple's point of view, and the shiksha guru says, local temple authority tells you to do one thing, and the spiritual master is telling, you do another thing.
Then it is best to somehow get the two in contact with each other. And if they are very busy, then it's a little difficult situation. Then we have to do what is the best for us.
Usually, if the spiritual masters are not ready to give time, then they cannot also usually demand too much submission. They are not available at all, and then they say that, no, you have to do only what I am telling you. It doesn't work like that.
So usually, yes, the amount of connection with the spiritual master may be less. But then the demand is also very less. The spiritual masters may not have time to, you do this for me, you do this for me.
Then the devotee should be encouraged that you can work with the temple authorities. So if it is from the point of view of the disciple, the conflict is coming, then you should try to have some communication. And even if it is not possible on a regular basis, at least some principle one learns.
And usually the spiritual master will say, you follow the temple authorities. Or at least they will guide how to work with the temple authorities. Now, if it is happening from the point of view of the shiksha guru, that they feel that doing something will be beneficial for that particular devotee, but those devotees are not ready to do that because they are waiting for something from the spiritual master.
Then we have to discern the level of people. Some people may be genuinely very inspired by the spiritual master and whatever the spiritual master tells, they will do. And for some people, although we would like to help them, we would like to serve them, but some people may just, not in an offensive sense, but just in a practical sense, they may outgrow their feeling that they need our service.
Means they feel, yes, whatever I could learn from you, I have learned, but now let me move on. So if that is happening with some people, we just have to mature to let them go. So it's like, we could put it in a way that they were in a particular PhD guide in the university, or they have finished that, or at least they feel they have finished that, so they have become alumni.
So let there be a cordial, maybe a grateful relationship. But if people just feel, no, I don't need you, then we let them go. Because we cannot really hold people against their will for very long.
If we try to hold them, then they often create more trouble than it is worth. There is so much resentment, reluctance and all that. The second could be that they are genuinely confused.
So in the first case also, if somebody is very intellectual, somebody wants to study Shastra very deeply, then we can guide them up to a particular level. If after that they want to go to VIH, MIH, or they want to do some more senior devotees, we should not stop them in that. Second is, if they are genuinely confused, oh, this, this, what should I follow? Then it is best if at least once there is a meeting between all three.
And then questions are clearly asked and things are clarified. Then they will also know that, so usually the Diksha Guru will tell the Shiksha Guru, the disciple, that you should follow the Shiksha Guru. Or in some cases, Diksha Guru and Shiksha Guru may only have a discussion.
And if this he may not be able to do, this he can do, that adjustment can be done. So then in that case communication may be required between the two. Now in some cases, if the communication is not possible, or for whatever reason, the real problem comes when the Shiksha Guru and Diksha Guru, they have some difficulty in the relationship.
Then the whole thing becomes very strenuous. Now even in such a situation, then the decision should be left to the devotee. Sometimes devotees may take initiation from a particular spiritual master, but then afterward they find that, I don't find this so inspiring.
Or my spiritual master doesn't have time for me at all. So, or they are serving in a particular budget, I don't have any scope to serve there, so what should I do? So if they want to serve primarily under a Shiksha Guru, then again there is a facility required for that. Usually it may work out that, there are sometimes some devotees also, they are initiated by a particular spiritual master, but they feel very inspired by another spiritual master.
So then they take the blessings of their spiritual master and they feel, I would like to serve under so and so. And then that's perfectly fine. So that can also be done.
So then we have to see what inspires them the most. Sometimes they may want to just serve the spiritual master, sometimes they may want to serve the Diksha Guru. So usually, now we have a Prabhupada Disciples course in ISKCON, which does try to make things fairly clear.
Even if still there is some, philosophically there may not be clarity, but at least in the practical terms, a lot of ambiguity is being removed. Because now the parallel lines of authority, the spiritual and the managerial, and the way a devotee should not privilege one's own spiritual master above everyone and everything else. That so basically the current GBC understanding is, that is, we have Guru Sadhu Shastra.
That same thing applies within ISKCON in the dynamic that for all of us, Prabhupada is our Guru. Then Prabhupada's books are our Shastra. And Prabhupada's followers, our spiritual master, not our spiritual master, the same Prabhupada manifests through us as our Guru.
So he is Guru for us. Prabhupada's disciples who are initiating Gurus. The same Prabhupada manifests through us through his Vaani as his books, that is Shastra for us.
And that same Prabhupada manifests through us, through all our Shiksha Gurus within the movement, who are the Sadhus. So Guru, Sadhu, Shastra, all these three are also applicable within our movement, within the three ways in which Prabhupada's mercy manifests to us. So if we actually help people to understand this right in the beginning, not first day, but six months, one year, after, by the time when they are about to start taking initiation, if they understand these things, then later on after taking initiation, they will not get too confused or not become too rebellious or anything like that.
Does it address the question? That is one part of the question. The first part was also….