(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2 January 2023, Vrndavana, India, Balarama Hall Q&A Program)
I was reading some writings of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur and he was speaking about diksha guru and siksha guru and he was saying that the diksha guru is basically giving the name and explaining the meaning of the name and the siksha guru gives so much relevant instruction about spiritual life and how to practice devotional service. Now, it seems that in our movement, this separation about diksha guru and siksha guru is not so rigid. This is because when Srila Prabhupada was in Mayapur, one of his disciples who had met a Gaudiya-math sanyasi had been told by that sanyasi that Srila Prabhupada was his diksha guru and he was his siksha guru. And he said that to Prabhupada, who then told the disciple to go back to that Gaudiya-math sanyasi and tell him that Prabhupada is both his diksha guru and also his siksha guru.
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