From the Satsangs of Sri Guru Swami Vishnudevananda Giri.

Generally speaking, true Dharma, the Dharma of the Siddhars, cannot be taught; it is not something that can be taught as a student in a university. You can be helped to come to it, you can be led to it, you can help connect with it through diksha - initiation, you can be blessed and inspired by it, but you cannot teach it. You can only teach philosophy, ethics, certain methods. Advaita dharma, especially sahajayana, is beyond the mind, so the laws of logical teaching are difficult to apply to it. So when people say about some of the saints in our lineage or other saints who have been awakened, "I studied with a teacher for so-and-so for so many years," it should not be taken that literally - that person literally had been sitting for 12 years like a schoolboy at a desk, wrote something down after the teacher and then did his homework.

A guru and a secular teacher are not the same thing. The disciple (chela, shishya) and the student of the university are not the same. The Master-disciple, Teaching-sadhu connection is a different connection than the connection in the scientific world. It is higher and not of the mind. This connection is called the very, shraddha (faith), sharanam (refuge), sharanagati (self-giving). There was an occasion when a saint was walking in the morning in the dark, and at that time a beggar man was lying on the ground, and he didn't notice him and accidentally hit him with his foot, and didn't even realize who was lying there, out of surprise he said simply, "Oh Shiva!" and the man lying there thought: this holy man has passed, he is my Guru, he has given me the mantra out of compassion for me. He would start reciting that mantra and then achieve realization, samadhi and siddhi, by the power of faith and devotion. He didn't even know the saint's name. This is how transmission can work. This is the kind of learning that happens. The world of the mysticism of the saints is not the training in secular institutes in the philosophy department. Although such learning is not rejected for some, it is not the main.

Three types of Dharma learning. Intellectual Learning.

The lowest type is intellectual, philosophical learning or training in method. It is necessary for ordinary people. A teacher expounds philosophy, gives commentary on sacred texts (pravachans), encouraging a student to memorize, analyze and reflect, and draw the right conclusions. Or he gives a method and corrects and guides the student's every step, as in oriental martial arts, until he reaches perfection. Such a teacher is called a vachaka guru. That's the way used in ancient times and they teach children in guru-kulas now.

Medium type of learning – initiation.

Diksha – initiation – is necessary for middle type of learning. Diksha is very important in Sanatana Dharma. It is the beginning of the disciple's life. If a disciple is ready, i.e., in sattva, in a state of faith, purity and intuitive understanding, if he is ready for tapas, he has to undergo diksha - a ritual of initiation or transmission of method, such as receiving a name, a deity mantra, a new life status, to establish a connection with the pure dimension. Through initiation he then practices tapas, such as mantra sadhana or visualization, and acquires jnana and siddhis. There is no learning process here.

As a saint used to say, the guru has given diksha and that is the end of his work. The rest is up to the disciple. How he does his sadhana. Here the diksha, the Guru's blessing and the initiation ritual are the main events in the life of the yogi-disciple that changed destiny and led to the realization of siddhis and samadhi. The disciple was ready and he performed tapasya and attained realization.

Direct transmission - the highest type of teaching

For the teachings of sahajayana, jnana yoga in the style of pratyaksha-advaita siddhas, laya-yoga avadhutas, and anuttara-tantra, direct transmission, the introduction to self-knowledge of one's nature (pratyabhijña-darshan) is of prime importance. It is suitable only for those who possess the qualities of divya, i.e., a sufficient level of merit, concentration, purity of mind and faith. The yogi, on receiving it, immerses himself for a time in pure vision or the dimension of non-duality, and this experience then leads him on the path all his life.

Transmission from a Guru in a human body

Direct transmission from a human guru also exists in anuttara-tantra. A master can give transmission through ordinary speech, but this is quite different from lower type teaching, where the teacher logically interprets philosophy, sacred texts, giving the student a mere theological intellectual philosophical education. Here the speech, the intellect has a different purpose--to make a connection with the dimension of non-divinity, nothing more. For example, I often read a text and comment on it. But I am not making a logical comment. I don't intend to. If I wanted to give a logical commentary as a scholar, a pundit to a text by Shankara or Gaudapada, there is no problem with that. But this is different. Sometimes the text is about one thing, and I say something else - what the situation demands. And what is the situation? It is the qualities, the abilities of the disciple. I allow my presence to respond to the text and give a direct transmission, using the words of the text to respond and resonate.

Sometimes masters, using the twilight language of the dakinis, the sandhya bhashya, or traditional lineage symbols such as a vessel, lamp, peacock feather, crystal vase, or mirror, transmit a vision. Or sometimes the transmission takes place outside the mind, at the level of absurdity, paradoxical utterances of siddhis, paradoxical dialogues as in Zen. It can take place in silence, with the master radiating the power of contemplative presence, or, while in silence, it can take place in profound non-denial, and this natural state outside the mind and thoughts envelop the disciple. And this is subtly transmitted, penetrates the disciple if he is ready, if he is in trust, in openness, in respect.

Transmission from divine beings

The most unusual mystical way to receive the Dharma is when a dakini, deity, or siddhi is a yogi in meditation, in a dream, in a subtle body, or in a pure dimension, or by the power of his siddhi takes a subtle body yogi with him to a pure land and gives him a teaching, dictates a tantra, gives an upadesha, gives a revelation, mantra or sadhana system. Tilopa received teachings in this way from a dakini. Ramalinga received darshan in this way from Skanda, from his arising image in the mirror. Matsyendranath received it in this way from Shiva at the bottom of the ocean. Many saints received the teachings in this way. The Indian king Indrabodhi received the transmission of the Guhyasamaja-tantra in a similar way. Mahayogi Pilot Baba communicated with Dattatreya and other saints and deities in a similar way.

The founder of the Gayatri World Family Society in India received mantra transmission from his Siddha guru siddha in this way. Many masters from India, and Tibet, belonging to Tantric traditions have received transmissions in this way. I had many experiences of transmitting myself. The main condition to get such transmission is your past merit, your ability to connect with deities and siddhas and receive their transmissions to make it work.