(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 December 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Initiation Lecture)
I like to compare the taking of the initiation vows to a situation where the candidates are sitting in little boats in the ocean, and we are now preparing for take off.
So we are packing the boats. We say, “Here’s your instruction manual. Here’s your emergency kit. Whatever you need is in that little boat.” We are making sure that everything is there and you know how to use it all. That is what this talk basically is.
Then, at one point, when everything is nice and peaceful, and due to the monotonous sound of the speaker’s voice the mind starts to go into default mode (laughter), suddenly we give that little boat a push! Then you are alone on the waves.
So it is exciting. Absolutely! It is adventurous, it certainly is! It takes courage. It is the path less traveled, as they say; not too many are going this way.
