Question: Does one always use a mantra for initiation?

Sri Chinmoy: One need not use a mantra in order to initiate. There are various ways of initiation. The traditional Indian way is to offer a mantra or perform some religious rite. But there are other ways to initiate as well. A spiritual Master can initiate someone by simply placing his hand on the head or the heart of the seeker. But there need not even be any physical contact. The Master can initiate through the third eye. When he uses his third eye, he makes the disciple feel that he has established a conscious bridge between himself and the seeker. Again, there need not be any formal initiation at all. The Master’s total acceptance of the seeker is as good as initiation. But whether he initiates inwardly or outwardly, the message of the Master is always this: “I accept you, my child, as my own.” Each individual Master has his own way of initiating a disciple. All are right, provided that the seeker has found the Master that he is meant for.

In the spiritual life, acceptance in any form is called initiation. The Master accepts everything that the disciple has and is, and he offers to the disciple everything that he himself has and is. If the disciple is impure, if the disciple is ignorant, the Master accepts all his ignorance and impurity as his own. The seeker’s achievement, his reality, his existence, the teacher accepts as his own. First he accepts; then by the Grace and Light of God, he transforms. He accepts someone as his own — both his weaknesses and his capacities — then he tries to increase these capacities and transforms these weaknesses into strength unlimited.