We take dīkshā to begin a sacred ritual or teaching auspiciously
Definition
Dīkshā means initiation, preparation or consecration for a spiritual ceremony. It is the undertaking of spiritual or religious observances, dedication, or any devotion to a person or god.
The English word initiation derives from the Latin, initium: “entrance” or “beginning,” literally “a going in.” The related English verb, initiate, means to begin or start a particular action, event, circumstance, or happening.
Meaning
The meaning of initiation depends on the context in which the initiation takes place. For example, an initiation can be part of a rite of passage, can commence a sacred ceremony, or it can just be the beginning of learning something new that could be of great importance in your life.
Initiation can be part of a ceremony marking the entrance or acceptance into a group or society, such as a religious order, fraternal organization or secret society such occurs in aboriginal societies and the Freemasons. Christian baptism, or confirmation, is a form of initiation or consecration.
There are yogic and tantric initiations, such as mantra dīkshā, deity yoga, and powerful spiritual initiations such as sannyasa dīkshā, initiation into renunciate orders where people dedicate their lives to a higher purpose.
Psycho-spiritual growth and development
In an extended sense, initiation can be any event in which we experience some form of personal transformation, or a sense of having been ‘reborn’ into a new role. Initiations are a vital part of our psychological and spiritual growth and development. They can define who we are and how we feel about ourselves. Initiation is a way of developing conscious connection. In this context, loss of understanding of the power of initiation in our personal and social life is a symptom of our inability to connect. This can lead to loss of meaning and mental distress.
Application
Initiations are important parts of life that feed our deeper sense of who we are, linking us to a greater part of us. We need to remain conscious of the importance and power of initiation in our personal, social and spiritual life. Without initiation we will feel as though something is missing, that we are unable to spark and propel ourselves into the different phases of our life. Without some form of initiation that sparks the change or transformation to a new phase of life we may remain trapped in a younger phase, as occurs in mid-life crises.
It is a great and a rare opportunity to learn from a guru or from a wise teacher. However, it can be difficult to find a guru and we do not need to take initiation every day. In fact, we need to be discriminating in terms of which initiations we take. Only take an initiation if you are clear about what you are doing.
In every day life we can think of initiation, dīkshā, as learning or starting something new, a new beginning. Each time you have the opportunity to learn something new, or when you take on a new yoga practice, you can imagine that you are being given a rare opportunity. The first time you engage the practice imagine that you are being initiated into a new phase of your yogic, spiritual or inner life. This will help to make the process special and meaningful, and will help you to consciously engage in what you are doing.