The Path of Discipleship: Connection with the Guru and the Foundations of Spiritual Practice

Question: Guruji, for those attending this meeting for the first time, I would like to introduce our precious master, Sri Guru Swami Vishnudevananda Giri. Guruji is a Mahamandaleshwar, an awakened master who has been teaching Advaita Vedanta, Shaivism, and Sahaji for about 28 years. He has around 10,000 disciples worldwide and is the founder of about 10 ashrams in different countries. Guruji teaches the philosophy of Advaita, bhakti yoga, karma yoga, jnana yoga, and various methods. Today, we would like to hear about the path of discipleship, the guru-disciple path. How does the Guru perceive this mystical, divine guru-disciple connection? What are its particularities and challenges, and how can a disciple understand it?

It is impossible to explain what the guru-disciple relationship is in this format. It is a section of the Teaching that is comprehended over an entire lifetime. Just as it is impossible to present a short course in algebra in a 15-minute conversation—scholars study mathematics throughout their lives and conclude that it is infinite—so too is the guru-disciple principle infinite. It is an art and a science that forms part of Sanatana Dharma, a very important part of it. It is set forth in various shastras. Among them, I recommend independently studying the text “Sri Guru Gita.” There are also Shaivite Agamas, such as the “Chandrajnana Agama,” which set forth the principles of the guru-disciple relationship.

When we study the guru-disciple principle, we understand that in Sanatana Dharma it is not about two people. It concerns guru-tattva as a principle of the universe and shishya-jiva—the disciple and their soul. Through guru-tattva, divine will, divine grace, and divine wisdom are transmitted so that the disciple can receive them. Of course, on the relative level, the guru is a person and the disciple is a person, but this is rooted in the divine, not in the human. Therefore, when we speak of guru yoga and the guru-disciple relationship, we speak precisely from the perspective of Sanatana Dharma, which describes the relationship between God and the soul.

It is believed that God sends His guru-tattva in the form of a guru to a jiva—a soul that needs help on the path to liberation, the path to moksha. The guru is regarded as the bearer of divine wisdom, divine will, and divine deeds. Through diksha, the disciple connects to the principle of divine wisdom, divine will, and divine action—the divine play.

The pivotal point here is diksha. Diksha—in both the Vedic and Tantric traditions—is the disciple’s second birth, like baptism among Christians or conversion to Islam. It is believed that our parents give us our first birth: they give us a body of flesh and blood. Our spiritual teacher gives us our second birth. During this second birth, we are born as spiritual seekers and spiritual practitioners, and the seed of a future deity is planted within us.

Finally, the third birth comes from the sadguru, from our inner deity. The inner, chosen deity of our tradition is Bhagavan Sri Avadhuta Dattatreya, who embodies the three gods: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. To follow the spiritual path means to be born several times. When we are born, the old within us also dies—the old passes away and the new is reborn. Here the guru is both a father and a midwife who helps the disciple to be born.

There are numerous teachings on the guru-disciple relationship, its metaphysics, ethics, and culture. All of this is an art of yoga that must be mastered just as one masters the art of hatha yoga, kundalini yoga, and jnana yoga. This is called the art of guru yoga—a yoga through which you move toward perfection in order to be born a second time and then a third. When you are born for the third time, one of the forms of liberation comes.

How to Choose Your Teacher and Tradition

Question: Guruji, how can a person understand that they are ready for discipleship? There are so many methods, different courses, and training programs today. To choose a tradition or a particular guru, one probably already needs to feel some affinity with it. But when does the moment come when a person truly understands that they are ready to choose one teacher and follow them for their entire life?

There is no point in discussing how to understand this. If we take a mature stance, we do not ask, “How am I supposed to know?” It is the same as when you get married and choose a woman—you do not ask anyone for advice: “How can I know that she is the right woman for me?” Or when you choose a job or an educational institution. You are the one who chooses, and the heart within you chooses. Advice would only be superfluous here.

When you feel that a guru is presenting a teaching that resonates with your understanding, that is a sign. When you feel inspiration awakening in your soul, that is a sign. When you feel that you would like to follow this path for your entire life, that is a sign. But there is no need to think too much about it. “How can I know?”—this excessive reflection is a hallmark of modern society and the modern, hyper-reflective person. It is like asking, “How do I know that I like cheese?” You like cheese, so you eat it. If you do not like it, you do not eat it. You do not need to understand; you need to taste the cheese. Your tongue itself will say, “Oh, I’ll eat this,” or your body will say, “Oh, I won’t eat this.” This is a crude material example. It is the same with a guru, except that it is not your body that will tell you, but your heart, your soul. It will say, “I will follow this person, I will follow this teaching, I will follow this path.” Or it will say, “No, I will not go this way.” There is no need to understand; you need to feel.

Understanding is important, but it exists in a parallel reality. It follows the heart when you study intellectually: “This is what this sacred scripture says, this is what the Yoga Vasistha says, and this is what the Avadhuta Gita says.” But the scriptures merely confirm the choice of your heart. The choice itself is not made by the mind. Therefore, there is no point in discussing how to understand it.

Question: Guruji, if a person does not feel with their heart, can they then follow logic and clarity—for example, reasoning that this is a respected person or a respected system of teaching—and gradually open their heart?

Yes, you can develop some kind of logical framework and clarity for yourself. But I will put it this way: if you have doubts, then doubt; follow the path of doubt. Explore all the doubts you need to explore. Choose the path of doubt and keep doubting. And when you have traveled this path and grown tired of it, when it has exhausted you and brought your hopes and illusions to complete ruin, and when you realize that life is moving on, the years are passing, you are growing older, and that the path of doubt has helped you, but you need to move on—from the path of doubt to the path of faith—then come to us.

There are many paths in this life. The main thing is to understand which path I need right now. Sometimes logic, clarity, and intellect will help. As long as we live at the level of the mind, doubts will always remain. I want to speak with people who have already traveled this path. I want to give diksha to those who have traveled this path, who have come to recognize the need for faith and practice. Those are the people I want to speak with.

Of course, intellectual study is very helpful. We need to study texts; we need to understand the teaching of Advaita for ourselves—what the acharyas say, what the saints say on this subject; we need to study the perspective of the traditions and the sacred scriptures. Tradition helps eliminate many doubts. We should turn to traditional sacred texts. They give us models of thought and models of behavior. And we understand that by following these models of behavior and relying on these texts and models of thought, many saints of the past—thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions—attained enlightenment and liberation. Well, this deserves attention; it deserves respect.

As the saying goes, statistics are stubborn things. If you understand that by following this tradition, many saints attained liberation, samadhi, enlightenment, and siddhis, and became saints, then statistically your chances of attaining the same are much higher than in traditions where such things are not even mentioned, or than without any tradition at all. If your mind is satisfied by this kind of logic, then apply the logic of philosophy, scriptural study, and analysis. Doubts can be eliminated this way as well.

But the real issue is something else. Doubt is only the beginning. We must move from doubt to faith. The spiritual path must rest on something positive. Doubts are useful when we reflect on the flaws of samsara, on whether I am in the right place and following the right path. But the spiritual path does not rest on doubt—it is only a small part of it. The spiritual path rests on faith. We need to ask: What is faith? Do I have faith? What do I want to believe in, and do I want to believe at all? Why do the saints and the sacred scriptures speak of the importance of faith, saying that the whole world consists of faith and that without faith, there is nowhere to go?

And here we come to the realization: “It turns out that I am a beginner when it comes to faith. I do not understand the phenomenon of faith in religion or in this world in general. What exactly do I believe in? What is my belief system?” There are concepts known as a “pathogenic belief system” and a “negatively limiting belief system.” Which belief system do I belong to? Identity is connected with faith. Scratch just a little beneath the surface, and the most profound metaphysical and theological questions arise. You understand that it is not easy to make sense of all this. I need to learn to rely on someone, on certain objects that will help me. I need to learn to trust them. This is where the first sprout of faith is born. This is called faith based on trust. Then comes faith based on understanding, followed by faith based on experience, and then faith based on direct knowledge. We must travel this path. We begin from a certain point, and we will have to go through all of this. We are beginners when it comes to faith, and that is normal. If we were not beginners when it comes to faith, perhaps we would not have been born in this material world. Perhaps we would be gods in luminous, radiant bodies.

Depth of Practice Within a Tradition

Question: Gurudev, could we ask you to tell us about the importance of practicing within a tradition? Today we see many new movements emerging literally in our own time and based on psychology, quantum mechanics, modern achievements, and research. Why is practicing specifically within a tradition so important after all?

Practicing within a tradition guarantees you depth. Practicing within a tradition introduces you to the bearers of that tradition. And the bearers of that tradition are not only ordinary people, but also yogis, sadhus, saints, jnanis, siddhas, mahasiddhas, and gods. Tradition is apaurusheya, non-human. The descending type of knowledge is apaurusheya: from God, from the gods, through the siddhas and rishis to human beings. When you enter a tradition, you become part of something that has existed for billions of years or more—even quintillions of years, for as long as the universe has existed. After all, Sanatana Dharma is the eternal divine Teaching. It never becomes obsolete, just as the universe, the Sun, and the Moon cannot become obsolete.

New movements are a good thing; they help people look at the world from a new perspective. That is better than consumer culture. Quantum psychology is a form of support from science. These movements prepare a person to enter a profound tradition. After studying them a little, a person thinks: “Now how can I apply this in my life? How can I practice it?” There is a tradition in which people have long been living this way—they have been living this way for thousands of years. Of course, it is important to practice within a tradition, because you cannot practice quantum psychology. There is no tradition or practice of quantum psychology. It is something now being born in the minds of certain people as a philosophy, as reasoning based on the study of texts. But there are no asanas, pranayamas, or mantras of quantum psychology. Even if they adopt certain meditations, they take them from New Age culture or from traditional yoga filtered through the lens of their own experience.

Whichever way you look at it, you will have to turn to a tradition if you want depth. There are no alternatives, because tradition provides depth. Nothing else can provide depth simply because it does not have enough people who have immersed themselves in that tradition for thousands of years. How old are all the modern forms of science and scientific psychology? A couple of decades. Quantum physics itself is only 100 years old, and it became widely known only a couple of decades ago. The Bhagavad Gita, on the other hand, is approximately 5,000 years old; the Yoga Vasishtha and Shiva Purana are several thousand years old. This is logical. Psychology and quantum psychology are wonderful things at their own level that transform a person’s worldview. They play the role of preliminary practices.

The Importance of Refuge in Practice

Question: Om, Guruji. Tradition is indeed something authoritative that it is important to follow. But what is Refuge? Guru very often says that Refuge must never be abandoned, regardless of any circumstances in life, and that it is very important for a sadhu. Could we ask you to tell us about this?

Refuge is translated as “ashraya” or “sharanam.” It is a support—that in which we seek protection and to which we turn for protection, support, and blessings. It is customary to establish a proper relationship with Refuge:

• to pray to Refuge for protection and support and ask for blessings;

• serve the Refuge Tree by establishing a connection and discerning how the divine will manifests itself;

• make offerings to the Refuge, glorify and praise it, and treat it with reverence;

• remain in close spiritual contact with the Refuge, rely on it when necessary, and stay constantly connected with it.

What is the Refuge in the Shaivite tradition and in our tradition? There is the concept of “pancha-ratna”—the Five Jewels, and we take Refuge in these Five Jewels. In brief, there is “tri-ratna,” the Three Jewels. These jewels are:

• Shiva—the universal divine consciousness that gives rise to everything;

• Shakti—his vibrational energy;

• Guru—the conduit of Shiva and Shakti in this world;

• Dharma—the teaching that descends in vibration in the form of sacred texts, sounds, mantras, transmissions, satsangs, lectures, bhajans, and mystical practices;

• Sangha—the community of gods, saints, and the people with whom we live, who practice and with whom we share a common spiritual connection and relationship.

All this is called the Five Jewels, pancha-ratna. In Shaivism, when we accept the Five Jewels, we take Refuge.

It is very important to realize that this truly is a treasure. Refuge should be taken in something profoundly magical, something extremely precious—for life—in something that changes our destiny. We see that throughout human history, people who lacked an inner spiritual core often took refuge in different things: money, power, family relationships, some kind of ancestral karma, or an ideology—for example, communism. These, too, were different kinds and forms of refuge. And someone may say: “I do not need any ideologies; I take refuge in myself, in my ego. I am my own measure of all things and values; I make myself my own support.” These, too, are various forms of refuge.

But when the goal is liberation rather than sensual pleasure and the attainment of worldly goals, one needs a true Refuge connected with Divinity, one capable of raising the soul to a supranational, transcultural, transindividual, superhuman level. We find Refuge in Shiva as the universal cosmic consciousness, in Shakti—his energy—and in their manifestations: Guru, Dharma, and Sangha. These are their materialization in this world. All this is called the Fivefold Refuge, and every day we take Refuge:

Om Shivam sharanam prapadyam

Om Dharmam sharanam prapadyam

Om Sangham sharanam prapadyam

Om Shaktim sharanam prapadyam

Om Sadgurum sharanam prapadyam

Every self-respecting sadhu in our tradition takes this Refuge while visualizing a descending stream of light. The very act of taking Refuge is already a powerful purifying practice. When you take Refuge, if you have not yet done so, it will be explained to you in greater detail.

The Refuge Tree

There is also the concept of the “Refuge Tree.” The Refuge Tree is a visual image in which you visualize the many gods and saints of your tradition. You learn to see them clearly before your mind’s eye in order to establish personal, mystical, telepathic contact with them and pray to them. The central figure of the Refuge Tree is Bhagavan Dattatreya, with Shiva above him. Below are the Guru and the guru-parampara. Together, all of this forms the great Refuge Tree that we visualize.

You should always keep the image of the Refuge Tree before you, on your mental screen, so that you can recall it even in your dreams, so that in any difficult situation you can address prayers and requests to the Refuge Tree, and so that it is always connected with you. When a person wakes up in the morning, what is their first thought? To wash, then go check their email and messages on their phone or computer. A yogi’s first thought is to visualize the Refuge Tree, establish a connection, and only then do everything else. In other words, the Refuge Tree is your mental computer, which you are always working with.

Just as, on the physical level, a yogi has an altar instead of a computer—like an operating system with which he is always doing something, practicing—so on the inner level, this altar is a visualization within him, in his heart. Therefore, in this context, Refuge is the yogi’s inner, personal altar within his consciousness, which he recreates himself. When you practice the path of Refuge, Refuge opens up the possibility of liberation for you, protects you, and blesses you. Refuge teaches you how to live rightly in this world. The guru, sadhus, teachings, and gods are parts of the Refuge Tree.

Question: Gurūji, how does one take Refuge in your tradition?

From a purely technical standpoint, it is not difficult at all. Write to the monks in charge and arrange a date, time, and place for taking Refuge—they will tell you what to do. You make the choice, you submit the request to take Refuge, and the monks explain the ceremony and how to go through it.

Ashta-Avarana Diksha: The Eight Protections of Shiva

Question: After the Creed, the Guru now transmits Ashta-Avarana Diksha. This is the first diksha in our tradition, the conferral of a spiritual name, as well as the transmission of the guru mantra. Gurūji, please tell us a little more about this diksha.

Ashta-Avarana Diksha is an initiation that bestows the eight mystical protections of Shiva. In the Shaivite tradition, there are eight precious objects that the guru transmits to the disciple. They are like a family treasure. Imagine that you join a family, and it possesses treasures that are also passed down to you as an inheritance—as something extremely valuable that will guard and protect you throughout your life. These are eight mystical protections that enter our subtle body, our surroundings, and our aura. For example, why do I wear rudraksha? Why do I wear three stripes on my forehead? I wear these protections on myself; I, too, am part of this. Rudraksha is one of the protections. Tripundra is another protection.

The First Protection: The Guru

It is believed that Shiva gives the disciple a guru—a spiritual teacher—as protection, support, and help.

The Second Protection: The Shivalingam

Shiva gives his image—a formless image—to which the disciple can recite mantras, meditate, worship, wear on the body, and keep nearby.

The Third Protection: Jangama

Jangama refers to priests, sadhus, the guru’s more experienced senior disciples, his dharma brothers, and his friends. These are tantric priests, avadhutas, and yogis from his close circle. For example, they are sannyasis and monks who help, give instructions, conduct pujas, and so on.

The Fourth Protection: Padodaka (Charanamrita)

The next protection is called padodaka, or charanamrita. It is sacred water. When the Shivalingam or deities are bathed, this water becomes consecrated. The water used to wash the guru’s feet, if the guru is present, or the padukas, if the guru is not present, is also consecrated. This bathing process is called abhisheka. Such water can be stored and used in the following ways:

• to sprinkle a room for protection from harmful forces;

• to use for healing and restoring energy;

• to drive out unclean spirits and attract benevolent spiritual beings;

• to help attain happiness, health, prosperity, and purity of mind;

• to use for the achamana ritual—rinsing the mouth before a ritual.

The Fifth Protection: Prasad

The next avarana is consecrated food, prasad. When we eat, we consecrate the food, transforming it into nectar—just as Christians believe that bread and wine are transformed into the blood and flesh of Jesus after prayer. In much the same way, consecrated food is transformed into nectar, which we consume as the deity. The principle of prasad is to nourish oneself throughout one’s entire life solely on nectar.

We must understand: what is nectar (amrita), and why should we nourish ourselves with it? The principle is this: we follow the path of self-deification. This means that everything worldly, everything human within and outside us, must gradually be purified and elevated to the divine level.

As our body is purified, it must transform into the body of a deity. As our speech is purified, it must become divine, transforming into the mantra of a deity. Our mind must transform into the enlightened, nondual mind of a deity. And, by the same logic, what we eat must also transform into something more divine. Gods do not eat potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, or drink milk—the gods nourish themselves with amrita, with nectar. And if we want to become divine, we must think: “As a future deity, I too must learn to nourish myself with amrita, with nectar.” But how? I must consecrate this food with a mantra, perform a visualization, recite the mantra, and imagine the food transforming into nectar.

Such food, offered as a sacrificial offering to Shiva, Shakti, divine beings, holy ascetics, teachers, and avadhutas, becomes a vessel of divine grace. In Sanskrit, “prasadam” means “grace.” Partaking of such food purifies the soul, psyche, and body, heals illnesses, and increases receptivity to subtle spiritual vibrations and to God’s shaktipat. We must learn to nourish ourselves exclusively with such food. Any vegetarian food that we ourselves enjoy may be offered as a sacrificial offering, as naivedya.

Food intended as an offering to God should not be tasted or smelled before it is offered: the gods must first partake of their share of the offering, and then, after it has been consecrated, we may eat it.

While preparing such food, one must remain in a state of ritual purity:

• perform a full or partial ablution;

• wear clean clothes;

• remove all extraneous objects from the kitchen;

• keep animals out of the kitchen, at least while the food is being prepared.

Sacrificial food must not be prepared from leftovers of previously consecrated food or from food that someone has already tasted. Nor should one offer God food that was prepared a long time ago—for example, 5–6 hours earlier—except for food specially prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Store-bought food prepared by others may also be offered to God as prasad, provided that we recite a purifying mantra.

“When all members of a family accept the practice of partaking of food offered to Shiva (naivedya), their home is sanctified and sanctifies others as well. When naivedya, Shiva’s consecrated food, is offered, it should be partaken of with joy, humility, and the thought of Shiva. If anyone, after offering naivedya to Shiva, delays partaking of it immediately, thinking that it can be done later, they are mistaken.”

— “Shiva Mahapurana”

That is, it should be consumed immediately after it has been consecrated.

Such consecrated food, when partaken of, serves as a protection, because what we consume creates and shapes us. When we continually consecrate our food, that which has been consecrated enters us and begins to transform us from within. Today, the modern world is greatly concerned with diets, healthy nutrition, balanced nutrition, vegetarianism, veganism, and so on. But Sanatana Dharma approaches nutrition on a much deeper level: food must not only be balanced in terms of diet and nutrition—it must also possess high vibrations, a subtle spiritual and material component. We imbue food with these high vibrations by offering it to the deities of the Refuge Tree and reciting a mantra.

The Sixth Protection: Vibhuti

The next avarana is sacred ash, vibhuti. In Sanskrit, vibhuti literally means “strength,” “power”—it is the sacred power of Shiva that he bestows upon us when we apply it to the forehead. Such ash is specially collected after Vedic rites, such as a yajna or homa. When three lines are applied, it is called tripundra. One line signifies the divine will—iccha-shakti; another signifies jnana-shakti, divine wisdom; and the third signifies the divine power of action—kriya-shakti. Tripundra is applied before virtually every tantric practice. Tripundra is always applied before serious meditation or an important ritual. Even the sacred scriptures of Shaivism say:

“If you have not applied tripundra, consider your head empty and the day wasted.”

— “Shiva Purana”

Tripundra dissolves the three limitations imposed upon the soul since the emergence of the universe:

• Anava-mala—the feeling “I am small, I am limited”;

• Maya-mala—the sense of duality and the multiplicity of things;

• Karma-mala—the feeling “I am the doer; the fruits and results belong to me,” “I am responsible for actions; I am responsible for karma.”

Tripundra erases these three limitations by affecting our chakras and channels in a particular way.

The ash used to apply tripundra embodies Shiva, non-duality, clear light, the ultimate final substance beyond which there is nothing, that which cannot be destroyed. If you try to destroy ash, nothing will happen—the same ash will remain. Ash is something final that remains indestructible. Vibhuti possesses powerful healing properties for the soul and body: it can be applied to the forehead after ablution, used to heal illnesses, spread on an afflicted organ, or ingested for healing. It is a substance that protects and purifies our subtle body. It is also believed that negative beings and malevolent spirits cannot approach someone who bears the mark of Shiva. They see such a being in the subtle world and say, “Oh, this person is under Shiva’s blessing, under Shiva’s protection—we have nothing to do here; we should go around him to avoid trouble.”

Seventh Protection: Rudraksha

Rudraksha beads are the seeds of a plant associated with Shiva. The tears shed by the god Rudra out of compassion for all living beings became rudraksha beads. Yogis wear rudraksha on their bodies at all times. At the very least, they wear one rudraksha bead—the one they received at initiation. It is believed that only a rudraksha received directly from the hands of the guru bestows a true blessing and possesses protective power. It is like a protective amulet. If it was acquired from strangers or gathered personally, it is auspicious to consecrate it—at least on an altar. During diksha, I give my disciples such a rudraksha.

In the tantric tradition, rudraksha is passed directly from the guru or acharya to the disciple. This is a very important point—the transmission of rudraksha from guru to disciple and the wearing of the particular rudraksha transmitted by the guru. Without such a transmission, the rudraksha does not have the power to protect the disciple: the guru activates the power of the rudraksha to protect him.

A rudraksha worn constantly on the body develops the ability to concentrate, serves as a protective amulet, and, most importantly, helps reveal true spiritual vision, divine sight. One should not wear a rudraksha that has previously been worn by other people—it is an item for personal use. The “Shiva Mahapurana” says:

“One who does not wear tripundra applied with sacred ash on his forehead, does not wear rudraksha on his body, and does not repeat the names of Shiva should be considered a fallen member of the Shaivite tradition.”

— “Shiva Purana”

At least, that was the way of thinking in the culture of that time.

Eighth Protection: The Mahamantra “Om Namah Shivaya”

The next avarana is the great mantra “Om Namah Shivaya,” which literally means “Om, reverence to the All-Auspicious Shiva.” Among the various sources of true knowledge, the Vedas are supreme. In the Vedas, the hymn “Rudram” is supreme, and within this hymn, the five-syllable mantra “Na-Ma-Shi-Va-Ya” is the highest. In this mantra, two syllables—“Shi” and “Va”—are known as supreme. The exceptional authority of Shiva’s mahamantra is confirmed by the Vedas, Puranas, Agamas, Tantras, and the words of holy teachers. The “Linga Purana” says:

“All the Vedas are present in subtle form in the sublime utterance Om Namah Shivaya. And just as the sacred fig tree is present in a tiny seed, so the great Absolute, Shiva, is present in the great and glorious utterance, the mahamantra Om Namah Shivaya, and with Him the entire universe in subtle form.”

— “Linga Purana”

Shiva Himself says this about His great mantra:

“All the Vedas and other mantras arose from it. Different things are attained through different mantras. But through the syllable Om alone, everything is attained.”

The six-syllable mantra contains the syllable Om and the five syllables “Na-Ma-Shi-Va-Ya.” It is believed that those who do not seek moksha, liberation, recite the five-syllable mantra (panchakshara), “Namah Shivaya.” Those who seek liberation recite the six-syllable mantra “Om Namah Shivaya.”

The mahamantra “Om Namah Shivaya” is Shabda Brahman, the Absolute in the form of sound. The gross, subtle, and causal forms of the Absolute—all of this is the mahamantra “Om Namah Shivaya.” The mahamantra has a profound metaphysical meaning. The five syllables “Na-Ma-Shi-Va-Ya” embody the five pure tattvas: Shiva-tattva, Shakti-tattva, Sadashiva-tattva, Ishvara-tattva, and Sadvidya-tattva. They embody the five wisdoms of the primordial Absolute and the five deities that emanate from it: Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha, and Ishana. This is very profound metaphysics, and there is no opportunity to examine it in detail now, but the main thing is to understand that the mahamantra “Om Namah Shivaya” establishes a connection with Shiva and grants His constant protection.

These are the eight protections that I transmit as diksha, as the first diksha, together with a spiritual name. This is called ashta-avarana-diksha.

The Spiritual Name Is the Name of the Future Deity

Question: Guruji, could we ask you to speak specifically about the importance of the spiritual name? How does it change one’s destiny? What does it mean? Many people, incidentally, are afraid that they will not like their spiritual name at all. What should one do in such a situation?

A name should not be regarded as something one may or may not like, but as something that can unlock our divine potential. Being given a spiritual name is like planting a seed from which a deity will grow. In other words, it is not a secular name—it is the name of our future deity. It is like planting a seed in the soil: if it is watered, it will grow. The name contains a specific meaning. This meaning corresponds to the disciple’s karma and potential. If the disciple develops it, they will reach the divine state more quickly.

I sometimes tell disciples: this is your first name among the thousand names you will have as a deity in the future. As is well known, deities have not one name, but 108 names, 1,000 names. We sometimes read texts such as “The 108 Names of Dattatreya,” “The 1,000 Names of Shiva,” “Dattatreya Ashtottara-Shatanama-Stotra,” and “Shiva-Sahasranama-Stotra.” To receive diksha means to move toward self-deification in the future, to plan to transform oneself into a deity. If you follow the path of deification, then the name received at diksha is the first name in the list of the next thousand names you will have. If you “water” it—that is, recite the mantra, practice, properly maintain your connection with the spiritual teacher and with the Refuge, and meditate—then this name unlocks your divine potential.

Each of us has a certain vibration, and this vibration permeates the entire universe. It is our unique code—an energetic vibration. When a name is given, it is woven into our inner code and changes it toward greater divinity. We begin to vibrate not at a human frequency, but at a divine one. But whether we can reveal this vibration within ourselves, whether we can become so completely imbued with it that it transforms us, depends on us and on our practice. As the saying goes, the guru will do everything he can, and the rest is up to the disciple.

Question: Guruji, should we use this name in everyday life? Many disciples who receive nama diksha hear it very rarely and are rarely called by this name—even within their families or among their brothers and sisters in the tradition. Are there any social restrictions? Is it important for the name to become your own, for you to truly feel it?

The Spiritual Name in Everyday Life

First, decide for yourself that among your spiritual brothers and sisters you will be addressed only by your spiritual name. This is not necessary within your family or at work. For example, in the tradition of Sadguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, there was a requirement to have the spiritual name entered in one’s passport. He was a very well-known sannyasi, a global spiritual teacher, and the author of the books “Contemporary Catechism of Hinduism,” “The Path of Shiva,” “Dancing with Shiva,” and “Merging with Shiva.” When he gave a spiritual name, one had to go to the passport office and submit an application for a name change. This served as confirmation of the sincerity and seriousness of one’s intention to embrace Hinduism. We do not have such a requirement—you do not need to go to the passport office.

But the more you practice, the more you will be surrounded by spiritual people, the more often you will be called by your spiritual name, and the more you will merge with it. If you come to understand that you are walking the path of divinity, then a natural understanding arises within you: bearing a spiritual name is only natural. If I want to divinize myself, what is the point of bearing a worldly name? I want to bear a name that elevates me and leads me along the path of self-divinization. In a natural way, divinity comes to occupy more and more space in your soul.

Divinity should occupy more and more space in our soul, displacing the karmic, limited, and human aspects within us. The process of self-divinization is like taking water and adding delicious juice to it drop by drop: the more you add, the more the water acquires its qualities. In the same way, diksha is when we place one drop of the nectar of divinity into our soul, after which it penetrates deeper and deeper.

Ashta-Avarana Diksha: For Whom and When

Question: So, the first initiation on the spiritual path in our tradition is the Creed, the taking of Refuge that Guruji spoke about. After that, one can receive ashta-avarana diksha. At present, ashta-avarana diksha—that is, receiving the eight protections of Shaivism—is available to virtually everyone who listens to you, Guru, and studies Guruji’s texts and books. But perhaps the following is not entirely clear to people: on the one hand, the Guru says that diksha is something very important and serious for which one must be prepared. On the other hand, a great many people who may not yet have fully made up their minds now have the opportunity to receive a spiritual name. Guruji, where is the point of understanding at which one can truly try to receive diksha so that the divinity you speak of may develop?

If someone has not fully made up their mind, it is better for them not to receive diksha. One should seek diksha only after fully making up one’s mind. But the fact is that there is no end—the spiritual path is a process. This is not the final diksha; it is the initial diksha, and it is democratic. Democratic in the sense that there are not many requirements for receiving it.

Of course, you must be prepared to observe the simple yogic principles of yama and niyama. I give diksha to those who are vegetarian and possess basic self-discipline. These are elementary things that are assumed by default. In other words, if you come forward to receive diksha, it is assumed by default that you have:

• given up meat and become a vegetarian;

• given up all intoxicating substances, including tobacco and alcohol;

• adopted the principle of nonviolence.

These are the yogic principles of yama and niyama. The requirements are modest. In all other respects, this diksha does not impose any serious requirements.

The next diksha after ashta-avarana-diksha, however, does impose certain requirements and gives you a status and specific obligations—but that is a different diksha.

It is believed that the avaranas protect and bless even novice yogis who do not know how to meditate. If they wear them on their bodies with faith, keep them close, and treat them with respect, the avaranas bless even unfortunate yogis. Even an unfortunate yogi becomes fortunate—he shapes himself into a sadhu and remains under their blessings and protection.

If you wear rudraksha, apply tripundra, consecrate your food, look upon the lingam or make offerings to it, and recite a mantra, a mystical aura of Shiva is already being created around you. It prevents you from straying too far from the path and attracts divine and holy beings who help you.

It is like this: a warrior is given chain mail, a sword, a shield, a helmet, and armor, and told: a battle lies ahead, a battle with samsara. Your chances of surviving with this armor are much greater than without it. To follow the spiritual path is to enter into a certain battle with your own karma—not with the outside world, but with your habits, patterns, models of behavior, and limiting beliefs. It is a subtle battle. And, of course, you must be protected in order to prevail.

Grihastha and Karma Sannyasa Dikshas: Statuses on the Spiritual Path

Question: Guruji, could we also ask you to comment briefly on the grihastha and karma sannyasa dikshas? These are the next dikshas in the tradition.

These dikshas are related to choosing a status. Traditional Vedic society has a system of varnashrama dharma. Varnas are castes. Castes no longer truly exist today, except nominally, but ashramas—ways of life—still exist. There are four:

• Brahmachari—one who studies in their guru’s ashram during childhood or chooses the path of celibacy, solitude, study, pilgrimage, and practice.

• Grihastha—one who follows the path of family and the life of a householder.

• Vanaprastha—one who follows the path of seclusion after the age of 50, once the householder’s path has been completed.

• Sannyasi—one who follows the path of renunciation in old age.

  

This is traditional Hinduism. However, sannyasa can be taken even in childhood—as was the case with Sri Shankara.

It is believed that in youth one should be a brahmachari: studying spiritual sciences at a school, in one’s guru’s ashram, which is called a gurukula. In middle age, one should be a grihastha—a householder and family person—earning material resources and starting a family. In mature age, after 50, when the children have grown up and moved away, one should follow the path of solitude and practice. It is like retirement, withdrawing from active life, or downshifting: settling near the guru’s ashram or in the jungle, alone or with one’s spouse, and engaging in mantra recitation, meditation, fire sacrifices, and yoga practices. Once you have purified yourself through this, you should follow the path of renunciation—taking sannyasa, the final status, in which the yogi becomes a world-renouncing hermit, a monk. Those who wear orange robes are sannyasis. Each status has a prescribed mode of conduct and prescribed obligations.

But one can take sannyasa earlier as well. Traditionally, it is taken in old age, but there are those who say, “Why should I wait until old age if I can enter the path of sannyasa while I am young?” For example, Sri Shankaracharya became a sannyasi at the age of nine, even though his mother would not let him go. He created the following situation: a crocodile seized him in the Ganges and tried to drag him away. His mother rushed to help him, but the current was strong. Then he shouted, “Mother, according to Jyotisha, this is destiny, and nothing can be done about it, but it is possible to intervene in this destiny. If you give me your blessing right now to enter sannyasa, the crocodile may let me go.” She said, “I give you my blessing for sannyasa, for anything at all, as long as the crocodile lets you go!” As soon as she gave her blessing, the crocodile released him. Shankara came out of the river and said, “That is it: you have given your blessing, and I am becoming a sannyasi.”

In addition, there is also the status of karma sannyasi. A karma sannyasi is someone who lives in the world but as a monk—a half-monk. Karma sannyasis may have families and may work, but they must practice in accordance with their vows and commitments. They pursue no worldly goals; they follow only the path of spiritual practice.

Each disciple can choose the style of practice, way of life, and status that suit them best. One should seek advice and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each status, as well as one’s own strengths and weaknesses: what suits me and what does not. Traditionally, sannyasa is considered the most powerful status. But this does not mean that we recommend it to everyone. For some, it is important to go through the brahmachari status. For others, it is important to go through the karma sannyasi status—to develop while living in a family, but according to stricter principles. Someone may feel that sannyasa is too difficult for them, but they can live near an ashram as a vanaprastha, practicing solitude. This is a choice made by the soul.

Choosing the Path of Dharma Instead of the Path of Moksha

Question: Guruji, you offer a spiritual path that is very profound, yet at the same time difficult. But what if a person does not wish to pursue moksha at present, but wants to improve their destiny and is thinking about future incarnations—should they follow the teaching, should they enter the tradition? What practices can help in ordinary everyday situations and improve one’s life? And in general, do we set such goals, and can the teaching help with this?

If a person is not ready to follow the path of moksha, they should set the bar lower and choose the path of dharma. In Vedic culture, there are four goals of life:

• Dharma—righteous living;

• Artha—material prosperity;

• Kama—a life of joy and refined sensual pleasures;

• Moksha—liberation.

  

Moksha is considered the highest goal. The preceding three are necessary for moksha. But if a soul has not yet learned these lessons of life and immediately chooses the path of moksha while still immature and unprepared, it will not be able to find the inspiration to follow this path. Therefore, such souls can set the bar lower—for example, choosing righteous living, that is, dharma.

While a yogi who has chosen the path of moksha seeks liberation from the matrix of samsara, one who has chosen the path of dharma seeks, through righteous living, to establish themselves more comfortably within it. Such a person is also wise: they perform rituals, observe fasts, lead a righteous life, exercise self-control, maintain discipline, worship the gods, and study sacred texts—in order to be born in the world of the gods in their next life. This is also perfectly acceptable.

Such a person may choose dharma rather than moksha. But dharma must also be practiced diligently; one must also purify oneself and lead a disciplined, righteous life. There are grihastha householders who do not choose the status of a grihastha aspiring to moksha, but instead simply choose the status of a grihastha aspiring to live according to dharma. The tradition is not limited to the concept of moksha; it is very broad. We adhere to the principal path as the path to moksha, but there are other paths as well.

Practicing the Spiritual Path Online

Question: Guruji, because of various circumstances, not all disciples from every country are able to come to the guru. Is it enough to be an online disciple—to listen to satsangs and attend seminars online? And how does online discipleship differ from direct interaction with the master?

If there is no opportunity to communicate in person, then online is better than nothing. If a student intends to become a sannyasi, they come in person and study at the school of sannyasa that I lead directly. If that is not possible, the student periodically comes to the ashram to attend retreats and seminars and receive transmissions. If even that is not possible, the student can study online. The main thing is to study and practice the teaching.

In fact, it is not so much physical contact with the guru that matters, but rather devotion of the heart and connection. If your heart is devoted and you have a connection, and you enter the tradition, then even the transmissions you receive online will work. A student with a devoted heart has subtle, mental, telepathic contact with the guru. If there is no opportunity to come in person, then online contact is also a form of connection that will bless the student.

Wherever you may be, however far you may be from the guru, the most important thing is to practice. If you practice, blessings will come and there will be results. And as you practice, of course, you need to check: Am I going in the right direction? Am I practicing correctly? Of course, there are many things that cannot be transmitted online. This means that you need to seek opportunities—besides live online broadcasts, look for seminars, courses, retreats, communication with monks, texts, books, and the twelve-year course of study that allows you to delve deeply. But the most important things, I emphasize, are faith and a devoted heart. It is they that ensure the mystical guru-disciple connection.

Resources for Practice

Question: Guruji, it often happens that there is a desire, but no resources—psychological, energetic, or temporal. What should one do in this situation? Are these resources truly unavailable, and where can they be found? Or might it ultimately be a matter of priorities in life and what we devote our time and consciousness to?

In samsara, we are always in a state of limited resources. Some lack financial resources, some psychological resources, and some physical resources. Here, you need to build a system of meaning. Meanings are the fundamental, defining settings of our identity. A value system is a scale: what comes first for us and what comes second. If you put God, dharma, and moksha first, resources will be found. Based on this, you need to derive goals from your system of meaning and values: which are primary, which are secondary, and which rank third or fifth. Then, based on this established framework—meanings, values, and goals—you need to act. If we begin to act without first establishing this framework, our actions will not succeed and will not have much power.

You need to clearly determine what your fundamental meanings are. Based on your fundamental meanings and identity, what is most valuable to you? If you have arranged your values correctly, your goals will align with them. What goals do I set in life? Moksha! And what is moksha? The sacred texts say that it is not some point to which one must fly, but a state of energy and consciousness that I can enter. It is samadhi. And if moksha is samadhi, a particular state, how do I enter it? The guru and the sacred texts say that one must practice certain methods, recite certain mantras, study certain texts, and perform certain meditations. Then everything becomes specific: moksha is no longer something abstract but a particular algorithm. If I study texts, recite mantras, meditate, practice pranayama, purify myself, and contemplate, then I am taking steps on the path to moksha.

And then you think: How can I create the conditions that will allow me to study these texts, recite these mantras, and perform these meditations? Spiritual practice requires thousands of hours devoted to your practice each year. If you have one hour a year, it is impossible. But if, for example, you devote five thousand hours over the course of a year to meditation, yoga, and mantra practice, then you are on the right path. Then you think: How can I find the time to accumulate those five thousand hours? Where can I find a place where I can do this calmly, without distractions? And you develop a strategy for creating the right place and finding the time.

But sometimes, when you begin creating such a place and looking for the time, that also requires resources, and you have none. In that case, we say: come to the ashram—this place has already been created. Simply come to the ashram for a while, practice there, and then return home with this new resource and create such a place within yourself—an altar, a temple at home, a retreat room. You need to create the right conditions: time, space, and energy. When we practice, such a resource emerges. Practice gives shakti.

Finding an Individual Path: Ashrams and Solitude

In many ways, monks feel the same as laypeople do. They became monks because they needed this resource. And there are those who feel that they do not have enough of it. Then the Guru says, “Perhaps you should spend some time in silence? Perhaps you should withdraw into solitude, accumulate strength and clarity, and discover this potential within yourself.” Even after completing training in the school of sannyasa, many choose the path of solitude in order to have this resource. That option is also possible. We have ashrams where hermit monks live. There are many paths and many options, and we must try them in order to find this resource.

To understand yourself, you need to knock on many doors. We have ashrams in Russia, Ukraine, Nepal, India, and Europe. Make a pilgrimage, visit all these ashrams, live in them for a while, practice, and attend different retreats. Feel which practices make a retreat best suited to you. We have a twelve-year training program with many different courses and retreats. And you will certainly develop your own personal, individual strategy of spiritual practice. We do not have one-size-fits-all prescriptions. A personal strategy of spiritual practice takes shape uniquely for each person. You need to examine your strengths and weaknesses, and over time, your strategy will take shape.

The Secret of Effective Learning

Question: Guruji, how can one learn effectively from a master? Perhaps the Guru could suggest the keys, as people say nowadays, to successful learning? Should the disciple take an active approach, or constantly attune themselves to the Guru, or set aside a certain amount of time? What is the secret of success and failure?

Anyone who has practiced sports, music, or some art will understand immediately. When you go to a sports club and ask the coach what the secret of success in sports is, he will say, “Here is the gym, and here are your gloves. Here are the methods—work yourself to the bone for four hours a day, six days a week. And keep doing that for ten years.” That is the whole secret. The secret lies in whether we can concentrate and devote attention to spiritual practice. There are many secrets in spiritual life, but there is no secret in the practice itself, other than the fact that we need to practice. We simply need to study and practice every day, penetrating ever more deeply into this art.

What is the secret of learning music? If you attended music school, you know that you need to practice scales every day. There are a great many nuances: attuning yourself to the Guru, studying philosophy and sacred texts, and establishing a personal, individual, ongoing practice—what is called nitya sadhana. This is daily sadhana at the altar, establishing practice while walking and moving, establishing seated meditation, and working with the chakras and channels.

There are infinitely many nuances. The “Shiva Samhita” contains the following statement:

“Until the kundalini energy is awakened, until it begins to move through the central channel, all those who discourse on knowledge will remain liars and deceivers.”

And the second statement:

“The siddhi of perfection cannot be attained by talking about yoga or wearing the clothes of a yogi. The secret of success lies only in tireless practice.”

Therefore, the secret of success for a yogi disciple is that we simply need to practice always and continuously. We need to love a life of practice; we need to become fanatical about practice and practice constantly. And when you recognize yourself as a fanatic of practice, your external life will adjust accordingly, and your goals and values will change because practice has taken first place.

And, of course, we must reflect: what am I practicing for? People say, “You have to practice, you have to practice.” But what is the goal? Liberation. And what is liberation? All of this needs to be understood. It is not so simple. But most importantly, if we are determined to practice (“I want to practice in order to become free from samsara”), then at first that is enough. This is what is called mumukshutva.

Mumukshutva — Determination to Attain Liberation

Mumukshutva is a prerequisite for studying Advaita and Shaivism, formulated by ancient saints such as Sri Shankaracharya in the text “Viveka Chudamani.” It is the resolve: I definitely want to attain liberation. I want to attain liberation, period! I will attain liberation, whatever it takes, no matter what! Politics, war, money (whether I have it or not), what others may or may not say—I am following the path of liberation, turning neither right nor left. Until I attain that very liberation, I will not turn aside; I will keep moving forward, forward, and forward.

If you have such resolve, that is mumukshutva. The main thing is not to quarrel with anyone because of this resolve. Many people who know you will not accept such an attitude in you. Some will feel that you are not paying enough attention to them. Here you need a certain degree of tact in order to remain harmonious with others—that is, to be harmonious and supportive toward others, while inwardly maintaining this resolve: “I will keep moving forward; I will practice in order to attain liberation.” This is mumukshutva, and it is very important.

A Blessing for Those Walking the Spiritual Path

Anyone who has a clearly defined goal and devotes a great deal of time to it is certain to succeed. We must believe in our goal; we must come to love our goal. If we believe in our goal—in moksha, in the realization of God—and love it, then we will also come to love the methods, the practice, and the sadhu way of life. This culture, this tradition, this way of life will become something natural to us, and we will feel at home in it like a fish in water.

My blessings to such disciples! They are always there—for everyone walking the spiritual path. May your spiritual path be auspicious; may the gods, saints, and siddhas support you; may your faith grow stronger; may your determination to follow the path increase; and may your appreciation of spiritual life and your aspiration to practice become subtler, more refined, and stronger with each passing year.

I am a practitioner myself; I love to practice, I simply rejoice in practice, I adore practicing. I feel that when I practice, I am truly alive. And I want to instill this same appreciation of practice in my disciples. If you cultivate such an appreciation and love for practice, then every method will be a true blessing for you.