Interesting thing about the whole discussion about vaishnavi diksa-gurus is that, according to our tradition and philosophy, siksa is considered more important than the formal initiation, diksa. Srila Prabhupada often speaks about this.
Diksa is a formality, whereas siksa is the real initiation. When a disciple accepts the spiritual teacher in their heart and begins to follow his teachings, this is the most important step. Formal initiation is also important, but for example, Srila Prabhupada waited 11 years before taking initiation from his own spiritual master.
In ISKCON we have often too much emphasis placed on the importance of diksa. I have observed that many spiritual authorities teach formal initiation to be extremely important and that real spiritual progress only truly begins after initiation. According to Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, this is not correct understanding.
For members of ISKCON, the primary siksa-guru is, of course, Srila Prabhupada. The siksa-gurus and diksa-guru later serves as a monitors or assistant teachers for Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada referred to them as “regular gurus,” while he himself remains the Founder-Acarya and the actual spiritual head of the entire organization.
What makes the matter ridiculous is that anti-VDG representatives allow women to act as siksa-gurus, but they do not accept vaishnavis to have position of diksa-guru – which is of lower value in relation to siksa.
This leads to an absurd situation in which we may have an experienced, learned, and advanced lady preacher who attracts many siksa disciples, yet she cannot give initiation to her disciples. Instead, the disciples must go and seek diksa from some potentially unfamiliar male guru living in another city or even another country.
In any case, the siksa-guru performs the more important work by teaching philosophy to the disciples than the diksa-guru. In this situation, the role of the diksa-guru would only be to give the disciples a name and the brahmin thread and the important part – teaching it self – would be left for the siksa-guru.
”According to sastric injunctions, there is no difference between siksa guru and diksa guru and generally the siksa guru becomes later on diksa guru.” SB 4.12.32
”Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities or the purascarya regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for all these activities. It is self-sufficient.” (CC Madhya 15.110)
”The chanting Hare Krishna is our main business, that is real initiation. And as you are all following my instruction, in that matter, the initiator is already there.” (Letter to Tamala Krsna 68-08-19)
”The eternal bond between disciple and spiritual master begins from the first day he hears. Just like my spiritual master. In 1922 he said in our first meeting, you are educated boys, why don’t you preach this cult. That was the beginning, now it is coming to fact. Therefore the relationship began from that day.” (Letter to Jadurani 72-09-04)
Student: ”I came to New York from Detroit with a recommendation from Bhagavan dasa to be initiated. I have my letter with me.”
Srila Prabhupada: ”You’ll be initiated. Any one of you when you agree to follow the regulative principles and you are recommended by our men, then you can also be initiated. Initiation is a formality. First of all you have to decide whether you will abide by the rules and regulations and become Krsna conscious. That is your consideration. You have to decide for yourself whether you are going to take this Krsna consciousness seriously. That is your decision. Initiation is a formality. If you are serious, that is real initiation. If you have understood this Krsna philosophy and if you have decided that you will take Krsna consciousness seriously and preach the philosophy to others, that is your initiation. My touch is simply a formality. It is your determination. That is initiation.” (Conversation July 5, 1972 in New York.)
”Dīkṣā means initiation. Di means divya jñānam, and kṣa means kṣapayati. From the day of initiation, you simply get spiritual knowledge, transcendental knowledge.” Lecture on SB 1.16.1 — Los Angeles, December 29, 1973
”The initiation means bhajana-kriyā. Actually executing devotional service: initiation. And if one actually executes devotional service, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all nonsense habits will disappear.” The Nectar of Devotion — Los Angeles, June 23, 1970
”Well, initiation or no initiation, first thing is knowledge. [break] …knowledge. Initiation is formality. Just like you go to a school for knowledge, and admission is formality. That is not very important thing.” Interview — October 16, 1976
”The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is so powerful that it does not depend on official initiation… The offenseless chanting of the holy name does not depend on the initiation process.” CC Madhya 15.108