Initiation in Hinduism

By initiation is meant dīkṣā — the admission of a new convert to sacred knowledge, ritual activity, or initiation into a tradition. In various currents of Vaiṣṇavism, concepts of dīkṣā are different.

My small but time-consuming project is devoted to the study of the evolution of ideas about dīkṣā in Hinduism, starting from the concept of an ācārya in Vedic times, through the later idea of ​​a guru, and up to the present day, when anyone can „receive“ dīkṣā from some popular guru. For some, dīkṣā is a ticket to the spiritual world. For others, it’s a formality that doesn’t change anything. There is no single correct idea of ​​dīkṣā. At different times, in different regions, dīkṣā was treated differently. Today, dīkṣā in the West is loaded with a large layer of esotericism that has nothing to do with the early „Vedic“ ideas about ācārya.

Format: several videos on my Youtube.