Upanayana as initiation in Indian culture

Studying historical examples of the development of the practice of initiation can help solve problems of modern society. The Upanayana initiation rite is considered on the material of Indian culture. This is an example of a high level of development of the practice of initiation in world culture, providing a cardinal transition of the individual to a new spiritual and social level. In ancient times, the Upanayana was associated with the educational process, which meant the sacralization of the individual, since the sacred knowledge of the Vedas was revealed to the neophyte. The spiritual transformation of the student depended on the merits of the personality of the teacher-initiator. But under the influence of political genesis and sociogenesis, the Upanayana lost the meaning and content of the function of sacralization during initiation. The lengthy and detailed ceremony of a spiritual focus has narrowed to the ceremony of applying the sacred thread. Upanayana, as a socio-age initiation, began to celebrate the social maturity of an individual with a symbolic religious content.