Diksha (Sanskrit: दीक्षा, IAST: dīkṣā) also spelled diksa, deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony",[1] is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru (in Guru–shishya tradition) of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Diksa is given in a one-to-one ceremony, and typically includes the taking on of a serious spiritual discipline.[2] The word is derived from the Sanskrit root dā ("to give") plus kṣi ("to destroy") or alternately from the verb root dīkṣ ("to consecrate").[3][4]
Diksa can be of various types, through the teacher's sight, touch, or word, with the purpose of purifying the disciple or student. Initiation by touch is called sparśa dīkṣā. The bestowing of divine grace through diksa is sometimes called śaktipāt.[3] Another type of diksha, into a monastic order, involves a vow of celibacy, renunciation of all personal possessions and of all worldly duties, including family ties. Diksha has the same meaning in Jainism. Diksha is also called Charitra or Mahanibhiskraman in Jainism.
Initiation in Hinduism involves performing one of several rituals depending on the person being initiated and the Hindu group involved.
Vishnu Yamala (tantra) says: "The process that bestows divyam jnanam (transcendental, spiritual knowledge) and destroys sin (pāpa), the seed of sin and ignorance, is called diksha by the spiritual persons who have seen the Truth (desikais tattva-kovidaih)."[5]
Shaivism
editIn Shaivism, dikṣā (initiation) takes various forms. Cākṣuṣī dīkṣā involves the guru imparting energy through a spiritually charged gaze. Sparṣa dīkṣā is given by placing the right hand on the initiate’s head, while Vācikī dīkṣā involves chanting the saṃhitāmantra aloud, preceded by withdrawal of the guru’s senses in meditation. Mānasī dīkṣā is the mental equivalent of Vācikī dīkṣā. Śāstrī dīkṣā occurs during the study of the scriptures. Yoga dīkṣā is bestowed when the disciple realizes śivatattva through yoga. Hautrī dīkṣā is initiation through agnikārya (sacred fire ritual), which, when internal, is Jñānavatī dīkṣā and when external, Kriyāvatī dīkṣā. Kriyāvatī dīkṣā is further divided: sabīja and nirbīja, with nirbīja having subcategories of sadyo nirvāṇada and dehapātānte nirvāṇada, and sabīja into loka dharminī and śiva dharmini, with loka dharminī further divided into nirādhikāra and sādhikāra.[6]
Tantra
editTantra mentions five types of diksha: initiation by a ritual or samaya-diksa; sparsa-diksa is an initiation by touch and is done without a ritual; vag-diksa is done by word or mantra; sambhavi-diksa is arising from perception of external appearance of the guru; mano-diksa is when initiation is performed in the mind.[7]
Shakta
editDiksha for Shaktas is described in various texts such as Śāradātilaka Tantra (chapters 3-5), Prapañcasāra Tantra (chapters 5-6), and Śrītattva-Cintāmaṇi (chapters 2-5).[4] These works enumerate 4 different types of diksha rituals: Kriyāvatī, Varṇamayī, Kalāvatī, and Vedhamayī.[8][9].
- Kriyāvatī diksha involves the guru taking the caitanya of the disciple into himself and uniting with his own, purifying it, and then returning it to the disciple. The guru then offers the pūrṇāhuti and recites the mūlamantra.[10]
- Varṇamayī diksha involves the guru putting the letters (varṇa) into the body of the disciple and withdrawing them from the various parts of the body. The elements of the body dissolve and the disciple then attains a divine body. With the caitanya of the disciple having had become one with the Paramatma, the guru transfers the varṇa back into the disciple completing the diksha. [11]
- Kalāvatī diksha involves the guru uniting the 5 kalā (which are the powers of the bhūta), namely nivṛtti, pratiṣṭhā, vidyā, śānti, and śāntyatīta, with the appropriate parts of the disciples body.[12]
- Vedhamayī diksha involves the piercing of the mystical lotuses present in different parts of the body. The guru meditates on the deities and transfers different letters of the alphabet to the deity at each stage, uniting that deity with that lotus. This is successively done until Śakti is penetrated into the Paramatma along with the self of the disciple, resulting in the disciple gaining knowledge and becoming Shiva.[12]
Vaishnav
editPushtimargiya
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The Pushtimarga Sampradaya initiates its devotees in a two-step process. The first part, known as śaraṇa mantropadeśa, is administered in infancy or at a later age if requested. A descendant guru of Vallabhacharya has the initiate repeat the aṣṭākṣara mantra 3 times, and is given a kaṇṭhī. The second part, known as Brahma-sambandha, occurs before the initiate is married or as soon as they are considered mature enough to understand its significance. The guru administers the brahma-sambandha mantra, completing the initiation.[13]
Gaudiya
editFor members of ISKCON (part of the Gaudiya Vaishnav tradition) the first diksa, or harinama-diksa initiation, is performed as part of a fire sacrifice where grains, fruit, and ghee are placed on an open fire of the sacrifice.[14]
Jainism
edit
To join the Jain ascetic community, novices undergo an initial period of training where they memorize key texts and learn the principles of ascetic life. During the initiation ceremony, the presiding senior ascetic bestows a new name and symbolic implements: Śvetāmbaras receive robes, an alms bowl, a whisk, a staff, and sometimes a mouth-shield (in the case of Sthānakvāsī and Terāpanthī initiates), while Digambaras, who adopt nudity, are given only a whisk and a water pot. Traditionally, novices pulled out their hair as a sign of renunciation, though shaving the head is now customary. After initiation, ascetics join a lineage tracing back to Mahāvīra (for Digambaras) or his disciple Sudharman (for Śvetāmbaras) and are guided by senior ascetics who oversee their conduct and scriptural learning.[15][16]
Other Living examples
editDifferent traditions and sects treat diksha in various ways.
- The Bengali saint Anandamayi Ma often gave sparśa dīkṣā (divine touch) or drik diksa (through her look), in which she would bestow śaktipāt (divine grace).[17]
- Transcendental Meditation (TM) began initiation under the guidance of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the late 1950s. New members were initiated through a "devotional ritual (puja) whose focus was Brahmananda Saraswati and the Shankarcharya lineage. Initiates were given a specially suited mantra, and taught how to practice meditation."[18]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary". University of Cologne. pp. d. Archived from the original on January 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- ^ Coward & Goa 2004.
- ^ a b Grimes 1996, p. 117.
- ^ a b Kanta 1954, p. 10.
- ^ Pandey 2007.
- ^ Deepa 2014, p. 132-134.
- ^ McDaniel 1989, p. 106.
- ^ Prajnananda 2006.
- ^ Kanta 1954, p. 14.
- ^ Kanta 1954, p. 17-18.
- ^ Kanta 1954, p. 18-19.
- ^ a b Kanta 1954, p. 19.
- ^ Bennett 1983, p. 130-131.
- ^ Gallagher & Ashcraft 2006, p. 23.
- ^ Dundas 2002, p. 155-157.
- ^ Jaini 1998, p. 243-245.
- ^ Hallstrom 1999, p. 140-144.
- ^ Humes & Forsthoefel 2005.
Sources
edit- Bennett, Peter John (1983). Temple Organisation and Worship Among the Puṣṭimārgīya Vaiṣṇavas of Ujjain (PDF) (PhD thesis). University of London. p. 130-131.
- Coward, Harold G.; Goa, David J. (2004). Mantra: hearing the divine in India and America. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-12960-2.
- Deepa, D. (2014). Temple Management in the Āgamas (PhD thesis). University of Madras. p. 132-134.
- Dundas, Paul (2002). The Jains. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-26605-5.
- Gallagher, Eugene V.; Ashcraft, W. Michael (2006). Introduction to new and alternative religions in America. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. p. 23. ISBN 0-275-98713-2.
- Grimes, John A. (1996). A concise dictionary of Indian philosophy. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-3067-5.
- Hallstrom, Lisa Lassell (1999). Mother of Bliss: Ānandamayī Mā (1896-1982). Oxford University Press US. pp. 140–144. ISBN 978-0-19-511647-2.
- Humes, Cynthia; Forsthoefel, Thomas (2005). "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Beyond the TM Technique". Gurus in America. New York: State Univ. of New York. ISBN 9780791465745.
- Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1998). The Jaina Path of Purification. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 978-81-208-1578-0.
- Kanta, Surya (1954). "Tāntric Dīkṣā". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 35 (1/4): 10–19. ISSN 0378-1143.
- McDaniel, June (1989). The madness of the saints: ecstatic religion in Bengal. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-55723-5.
- Pandey, Vraj Kumar (2007). Encyclopaedia of Indian philosophy. Anmol Publications. ISBN 978-81-261-3112-9.
- Prajnananda, Paramahamsa (2006). Jnana Sankalini Tantra. Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-208-3145-2.