Diksha -The Power to Penetrate Within (Part 1)

Swami Vibhooti Saraswati

Initiation is like that extra burst of energy which is required to propel you into the infinite
space between you and the self
-Swami Satyananda Saraswati
The Sanskrit word diksha comes from the root diksh, which means 'to dedicate oneself, and is actually derived from a combination of two
roots, diks, which means 'to consecrate' or 'dedicate', and daks, which means 'to grow', 'to become strong' or 'to expand'. It could therefore
be said to mean 'to expand (one's consciousness) through a process of dedication (to discovering one's own self)'. Diksha involves both giving
and receiving - giving of one's self, and receiving from the guru.

Diksha also means 'to see', and when one takes diksha one receives the power by which one can begin to 'see' the goal or path of inner life. It
makes the spiritual path visible by casting internal light. We 'see' with the 'inner eye' due to the awakening and discovery of spiritual energy
and the self. Diksha is directed towards that discovery. The more we can dedicate ourselves to the inner quest, the more we shall see.

The English equivalent for the word diksha is 'initiation', which is defined very comprehensively in the Oxford Dictionary as follows: "Begin, set
going, originate, admit (a person), especially with rites or forms, (into office, secret, in mysteries, etc.)." In fact, diksha has a large spectrum
of meaning and implication. It spans many levels of understanding, from the external, formal ceremony, which takes place on the gross level
(and which is mainly symbolic of the inner process), to the infinitely more subtle dimension of transmission or shaktipath, which can be given
by the guru to the shishya or disciple in many different ways, according to the spiritual advancement and thirst of the disciple.