Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 05.01.2020 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

To live an authentic life means to try to live according to your age. When you are young, you want people to treat you as a more senior person. When you are old, you want to pose as young. But that doesn’t work. So, better we always live according to our age. Of course, age concerns only the body. Because on the spiritual platform, we are always the same age, eternal, that means forever young. Can you imagine the eternal God as an old and broken person? No, we don’t want that concept. We want our Supreme eternal God as a young person in full bloom. Eternity means youth. 

So, what should we do? What to learn according to our age? We come to this life on Earth and we have to study, we have to learn something at every step of our life. Let us quote one discussion, where a student has some questions, some topics, better I say, in a conversation with his master. Because the student is for asking questions and the teacher is for answering the questions. Although we know the spiritual rule that a stupid person can ask much more questions than a wise person can answer. But this is not the case now. Because our student is a very deep searcher for the truth. He wants to understand what is what. Therefore, his first question concerns space. “What is space? What is the difference between space and location?” And after the teacher explains how to perceive space, the student comes up with the next question: “Tell me about time. I have understood your concept of space. Now teach me about time. What is time?” 

It’s a good question. What is space? We live our life in space. And what is time? How to relate to time? So, the master starts to explain. And finally he comes to this age sequence, he starts to describe what you have to learn at this age, at that age, etc., etc. So, may I invite you to a game? I will read the ages and you will give the answer. What you have to learn, what you have to study at that age. Good?

“And yet, in spite of this ever-changing process, there is a continuity in it. You will remain what you were, and you will become what you are.”[1] You see, time is passing, but you remain the same. If two spiritual persons meet after a long time, оne will greet the other: “Oh, you haven’t changed for the last ten years!” And the other will say: “Unfortunately, that is true.” You don’t feel any improvement. Time is passing, and you remain the same. So, use your time for a spiritual upgrade of your life, to become a better person. „At one year old, a person learns to…?” 

Answer: To walk.

Swami Tirtha: Yes, to walk. “At ten years old…?”

Answers: To count. To calculate. To think.

Swami Tirtha: Correct. To use your brain, very nice. “At twenty years old a person learns to….” 

Yashoda: Not to think. 

Swami Tirtha: First use your brain, then lose your brain, huh? But what is the answer? “At the age of twenty, one learns to stand on his own feet”. You see, we need some brain for that. All right, “At the age of thirty?”

Answer: Learns to be responsible. 

Swami Tirtha: All right. I think it’s close to the answer: “To look into himself”. Take it as advice. “At the age of forty?”

Answer: He is already tired. 

Swami Tirtha: Tired? That comes a little later, sorry… What is the answer here? “At the age of forty he is exploring how to be of service to the world.” You see? Because this is the most powerful period of your life. All right, let’s jump to the next level: “At the age of fifty?”

Answers: To be satisfied with what he has done. To leave a trace behind him.

Swami Tirtha: Nice. And what is our answer? “He learns to accept retreat.” So, retreat. Because so far we have been expanding our life, right? Now, we have to learn this: enough! Enough is…? 

Answer: Not enough. 

Swami Tirtha: Not enough. All right. What is next? “At the age of sixty, one is learning to…?”

Gita Govinda: To die? 

Swami Tirtha: Ah, that’s bitter! So, what does the text say? “To be wise.” Something good. After long studies – a very good achievement. After that? When you are seventy? It’s too far, right? So, what is there? “He learns to have a deep faith.” Better and better! Are there any further steps? At eighty? “He learns how not to be shaken.” Firmly established. After that, the next step? Have you ever thought of that: what you will do when you are ninety years old? Maybe not yet, but now is the time to think. 

Gita Govinda: Maybe it is the time to do yoga?

Swami Tirtha: To forget everything, huh? What is there in our text? “Preparing to accept death.” A very important job. And is there a final stage of your life? When you are a hundred? Because actually in the present age you can live up to a hundred, generally. So, what is our duty when we are a hundred? 

Kripadham: Enlightenment.

Swami Tirtha: And what is there in the text? “Learning to leave satisfied.” We started from crawling. And we ended with leaving with satisfaction.

Therefore we need to use time properly. It is said: if you are not innocent when you are ten, if you are not beautiful when you are twenty, if you are not strong when you are thirty, if you are not powerful when you are forty, if you are not wealthy when you are fifty, if you are not wise when you are sixty, and if you are not saintly when you are seventy, you will not become such later either. 

(to be continued)

1. Readings from Hansakunda Upanishad