Is it necessary to have taken initiation to wear tilaka? Isn't the wearing of tilaka symbolic of having gone beyond birth and death by taking initiation under a bona fide spiritual master? Can anyone wear tilaka, even a non-devotee?
wears tilaka be they initiated or not. I have seen many in the congregation wear tilaka though they are not initiated. In Indradyumna Swami's festivals in Poland, I have read that guests who come to the festival are put on tilaka by the devotees. So I guess it is ok to wear tilaka even if one is not initiated. Of course, one should not feel that now one has become a great devotee by wearing tilaka. By seeing the tilaka, others can see that one is willing to surrender to Krishna, at least for the time being.
This is a really nice question and we modern people want a scientific answer to everything, do we not!! My point here is, in this age we only tend to pick the things which are so called 'scientific'.
I've got three types of answers to this question.
1) It symbolizes that a certain type of tilak is of followers of Vishnu or Shiva.
2) It has a declaration to world that yes I'm Krishna's servant and I'm proud of it.
3) Now, if you be careful for the way tilak is, it is perfectly centered between your brows. This is the one important point where the chakra situated takes you more closer to Lord. Even, in Gita Shri Krishna has said a person should concentrate by looking between the brows on the tip of nose. If you regularly do this you will feel a point between your brows, which improves your concentration power. Isn't it if you get a pimple on your face you're always careful and concentrated at the point where pimple is. Similarly, to draw attention of mundane people like us, the tilak is very useful, you always have that feeling there is something there and you concentrate on it knowingly or unknowingly. To draw this logic further, the 'shikha' on a sanyasi's head is exactly at that chakra point through which Lord gives energy. And, as the entire head is shaven but only the shikha kept, we tend to concentrate on that point.
The Vedic culture is the most scientific and beneficial to humans owing to the fact it's given by Krishna Himself.
I would appreciate each and every comment to improve the answer I've presented. Hari bol.
Initiation?
Hare Krishna.
Is it necessary to have taken initiation to wear tilaka? Isn't the wearing of tilaka symbolic of having gone beyond birth and death by taking initiation under a bona fide spiritual master? Can anyone wear tilaka, even a non-devotee?
Lilia
Everyone...
wears tilaka be they initiated or not. I have seen many in the congregation wear tilaka though they are not initiated. In Indradyumna Swami's festivals in Poland, I have read that guests who come to the festival are put on tilaka by the devotees. So I guess it is ok to wear tilaka even if one is not initiated. Of course, one should not feel that now one has become a great devotee by wearing tilaka. By seeing the tilaka, others can see that one is willing to surrender to Krishna, at least for the time being.
Radhikesh das
Tilak
Tilaka
Mantras:
http://www.krishna.com/node/624#tilaka
Why and How
http://www.krishna.com/en/node/1585
Different interpretations
Hare Krishna,
This is a really nice question and we modern people want a scientific answer to everything, do we not!! My point here is, in this age we only tend to pick the things which are so called 'scientific'.
I've got three types of answers to this question.
1) It symbolizes that a certain type of tilak is of followers of Vishnu or Shiva.
2) It has a declaration to world that yes I'm Krishna's servant and I'm proud of it.
3) Now, if you be careful for the way tilak is, it is perfectly centered between your brows. This is the one important point where the chakra situated takes you more closer to Lord. Even, in Gita Shri Krishna has said a person should concentrate by looking between the brows on the tip of nose. If you regularly do this you will feel a point between your brows, which improves your concentration power. Isn't it if you get a pimple on your face you're always careful and concentrated at the point where pimple is. Similarly, to draw attention of mundane people like us, the tilak is very useful, you always have that feeling there is something there and you concentrate on it knowingly or unknowingly. To draw this logic further, the 'shikha' on a sanyasi's head is exactly at that chakra point through which Lord gives energy. And, as the entire head is shaven but only the shikha kept, we tend to concentrate on that point.
The Vedic culture is the most scientific and beneficial to humans owing to the fact it's given by Krishna Himself.
I would appreciate each and every comment to improve the answer I've presented. Hari bol.