Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 17.08.2018, Ludasto)

(continues from the previous Friday)

Question: We learned that we have to be non-attached and in this way satisfied. And at the same time, we have to be dissatisfied with the intensity that we have achieved. So, where is the balance and harmony?

Swami Tirtha: Well, Mahaprabhu’s philosophy is of a unique type. It’s called achintya bheda-abheda tattva. Tattva is ‘truth’ or ‘spiritual conclusion’. Bheda means ‘difference’, abheda means ‘non-difference’. And achintya means ‘incomprehensible’. So, this is bheda-abheda – a devotee is satisfied and dissatisfied.

Which side do you know? Which side do you feel? If you feel dissatisfaction, that’s very good – improve your satisfaction. If you feel satisfied, that’s very good – improve your dissatisfaction. How it will bring ultimate success and total fulfilment is achintya – I don’t know. I have no idea. Therefore, we need to unite the advantages of both feelings – being satisfied and dissatisfied. If you are satisfied, then you are happy, but a little slow. If you are dissatisfied, then you are bitter, but passionate, not so slow, you are ready to work. So, if you unite the cons of the two feelings – you are morose and slow – it doesn’t help. Better we unite the positive sides of these two feelings: the impetus to do something – like a motivation, dissatisfaction sometimes works like this – and the happiness coming from the other side. So if you are happy and active, positive and active, I think it’s a much better combination, of course.

But then comes a problem. I see a very active devotee and I think that he is a very dedicated person. But maybe this is only the raja-guna working over him – being active, but not selflessly devotional. Other times you see a very slow bhakta – I wouldn’t say lazy, better we say suboptimally motivated – and you think, “Oh, tama-guna is over this guy”. But maybe he is experiencing the highest ecstasy of pure devotion. So don’t judge by the external. But follow the example of Madhavendra Puri – when due to the things happening around him, he understood: ‘Oh, wait a minute. People will respect me as a great vaishnava. I’d better hide and run away.’

In the same way, all the devotees are very attentively listening to the lecturer. And they understood, they had learned that being a little slow means ecstasy, high ecstasy. Better you run away from this fame attacking you. Don’t expose yourself to this danger – that due to your laziness people will think that you are in a high ecstasy. Be active. Hide behind devotion of service. Then you are safe from being considered a very deeply mediating highly ecstatic vaishnava.

I think you know what I mean – don’t judge by the external. And yes, cultivate both feelings: be satisfied with the line that you belong to and use dissatisfaction as a motivational power to improving in your devotional life. Don’t forget, one main practice in yoga is the practice of contentment.

(to be continued)