Chapter VII

 

INITIATION

 

Q.  Kindly define Initiation.

A.  Initiation is a specific term.  It means introducing a person to the principles or tenets of some science.  It is not a mere formal explaining of the subject orally. It has a deeper meaning too.  The term carries with it the idea of adopting a person into the carries with it the idea of adopting a person into the life and spirit of what is explained.  Thus, initiation has a two-fold aspect: theoretical and practical.  First comes a clear understanding of the true import of the Science taught and then a practical demonstration of the Truths thus inculcated.  In the terminology of the Saints, it means, actually imparting he Life-Impulse by a Master-Saint, for nothing short of it counts in the Science of Soul or Spirit, which is a Live-Principle.

Q.  What are the essential prerequisites for Initiation.

A.  An intense longing to meet the Lord during one's lifetime is the first and foremost qualification for Initiation.  Seek, and ye shall find, is the law.  Next comes strict observance of dietary regulations by eliminating all preparations containing meat, fish, fowl, eggs both fertile and, infertile and all alcoholic intoxicants and stimulates.  Last, but by no means the least, is life of righteousness (right thinking, right speech and right action), continence and chastity which constitute stepping stones on the way to Spirituality. Every saint has a past and every sinner a future.  This is what the Masters proclaim.  One has to outlive and forget one's past whatever it be, and assiduously pray and strive for an Adept who can lead him God Wards.

Q.  Is Initiation predestined or preordained?

A.  Yes, it is predestined and preordained in the frame-Work of the Divine Plan that certain souls are to be accepted and initiated by each Master during his ministry, and many a time it so happens that those who are ostensibly unworthy are accepted.

Q.  Why is Initiation considered very necessary for inner spiritual progress?

A.  Do we not need a teacher for learning all empirical Sciences-engineering, medicine, technology, industry and agriculture? The Science Spiritual is a highly obtruse subject, dealing with the world beyond.  The sense-organs, the senses, the mind and the intellect do not, and cannot, cognize it, for all these limiting adjuncts fail to measure and grasp the Limitless.  Here the soul is to be disfranchised of all that is personal, and has to cast off the mask of terrestrial personality (persona), and become pure Soul before it can experience the Truth which has no form or shape.  It is more of a practical subject than anything else, and for this one has to pass through a process of self-analysis and self-transcendence by gradual inversion, and withdrawal of the sensory currents from the body.  In order to completely understand and to successfully practise a super-sensory subject, unwritten and unspoken, one has of necessity to seek the aid of an Adept (Murshid-I-Kamil or Master-Soul), fully conversant with both the theory and practice of conversant with both the theory and practice of Para Vidya, and competent enough to disengage the human soul from the human frame, and to transhumanize the human in man and lead him to the mount of transfiguration to see the Reality face to face.  Again, the inner Spiritual Planes are so bewitching, bewildering and so vast, and full or diverse temptations that one cannot, without the active aid of the Master, traverse them.

Q.  Please explain the importance of Initiation.

A.  Initiation by a perfect Living Master assures an escort in unkown realms by One who is Himself a frequent traveller to those regions.  He knows the presiding deities or powers of these planes, conducts the spirit step by step, counsels at every turn and twist of the Path, cautions against lurking dangers at each place, explaining in detail all that one desires to know.  He is a Teacher on all levels of existence; A Guru on the earth-plane, a Guru

Dev (Astral Radiant Form) in the Astral Worlds and a Satguru in the purely Spiritual Regions.  When everyone fails in this very life, at one stage or another, His long and strong Arm is always there to help us, both when we are here and when we quit the earth plane.  He pilots the spirit into the Beyond and stands by it, even before the judgement seat of God.

Q.  Is Initiation conveyed through an authorized rep-resentative of the Master valid for all purposes?

A.  Yes, the instructions of Initiation imparted through a duly authorized representative of the Master are valid for all purposes.  The teasing criterion is to have a first-hand inner experience of the Divine Light of god and the

Audible Life Stream at the time of Initiation.  These are the two Astral Forms of the Master-Power and if one gets to them by personal experience of rising above body-consciousness, there can be no doubt about its validity and efficacy.

Q.  Is every initiate able to work on the higher planes during sleep, even if they are not aware of it when they wake up?

A.  No, it is not possible forever initiate to work on higher planes during sleep.  It should be understood carefully that during waking hours the soul is at its seat at the back and behind the eye brows, whereas during sleep it slips down the throat ganglion when one enjoys dreams and during sound sleep the same soul goes down to the solar plexus at the navel.  It is only possible for the advanced souls whose bodies sleep but their souls remain conscious during sleep to enjoy their inner spiritual phenomena with the grace of the Master.  It does happen

with the disciplined initiates that their souls are withdrawn into the Beyond during sleep, and they can enjoy inner flights in a conscious state.  To them sleep and wakefulness make no difference.

Q.  If one has great love for relatives and wishes them the highest good in the world, can one pray to the Master that that person will get Initiation, or is it a destiny fixed before death which nothing can change?

A.  It is always beneficial spiritually for the initiates to radiate compassionate feelings for guiding the footsteps of their beloved ones to the Master for holy Initiation.  The destiny of every person changes every moment by virtuous or wicked deeds.  The holy Path or the Masters is open to one and all.  It may, however, be understood that it is due to the evolution of some rare noble karma of past lives that the inner yearning of the soul gets strong for spiritual enlight-enment and those dear ones who benefit from such chances by putting is extra effort are put on the holy Path whereas others simply drift and have to wait for some better future chance.  There are instances, though rare, when the sincere aspirants have seen and received Initiation from the Masters even without meeting him physically.

Q.  What is the significance of an initiate having terrifying and vivid dreams?

A.  Dreams are the outcome of past recollections based on hearings, seeings, readings or dreadful thinking.  The terrifying dreams generally are attributed to some digestive disorder; a bad stomach which can be cured by simple medication.  The vivid dreams denote clarity of inner vision when some people can recollect their dreams very clearly whereas others cannot recall them.

Q.  Can the initiates influence the Master?

A.  Love and yearning coming from the innermost recesses of the heart stir Divine Grace and the lord has ordained that whatever the child would ask would be given.  At times if the child would ask for a thing which is in reality a poison, not good for him or others, he will not agree to give the same.  The Master knows, and He would give what is in the best interests of the child.  The child may consider it otherwise.  But when he comes face to face with Reality within, he may be allowed to see more things.  Until then, there fore, it behoves the child to act implicitly in the way directed by the Master.  Those who hook their wagons sincerely to the Master have everything to gain.  They shall go to the realms to which the Master goes and they will be able to traverse the way while living in the world, but they have to finish their natural gave and take in due time in the material world to be freed to go into the Higher Regions.

Q.  Are all initiates related spiritually?

A.  Yes, more, than blood relatives, as they are destined to reach their True Home to meet their in due course, where all will become one with the primordial Source.  This is true relationship which never breaks.

Q.  Is it necessary that initiates will have to see evil entities?

A.  It is irrelevant that you will have to see evil entities in your home.  You should know it for certain that those who have been accepted into the Sacred Fold, are granted the rare privilege of the charged five Holy Names, which

are a sure sheep anchor against any untoward phenomena.  The audible Life Stream is the shield for the initiate, and even the Angel of Death dreads its presence and cannot assail the devoted disciple of the Living Master.

Q.  If the key-words are had from somebody else and one starts meditation on his won, will it not be possible to have inner progress?

A.  You mean to say that if one comes by the key-words from somebody other than an Adept or picks them up from somewhere and them starts meditating on his own, will it bring forth any fruit?  Certainly not, for he will then be repeating parrot-like, a mere bunch of words without knowing their significance and without any potency in them.  It is the thought transference or personal Life

Impulse from a Perfect Master that charge the words and makes them Key-Words wherewith to open the mansions of the Lord.

Q.  If the Master happens to leave the physical plane after initiating the disciple, will the Initiation remain valid for the rest of the latter's lifetime?

A.  Yes, the holy Initiation when granted by a competent Living Master remains perfectly valid for all time not only on the earth plane but even into the Beyond.

Q.  Is it not necessary for the initiates of the Master to receive further Initiation from the next Living Master from whom they have to seek Satsang benefits?

A.  No, it is not at all necessary to have Re-Initiation after the passing away of the Master who originally initiated an individual.  It is His sole responsibility to lead the soul once initiated by Him back to the Home of His Father.  One can, however, enjoy the company of the Master following Him on the earth plane, but not use him for Spiritual guidance.