Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 06.01.2018 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Friday)

If an angel is a messenger of God, my Gurudev was a messenger of God as well. He was like an Apostol of bhakti-yoga in Eastern Europe and he visited your country many times. It was a very important place for him, he cherished the local devotees in his heart and tried to serve them with all possible means. And he was ready to share this very dear service with others.

Once after many years of being engaged with him, he told me: “Hey, why don’t you go to Sofia?” I said: “It’s a totally unknown place to me. I know nothing about it, but if you say so, I have to go.”

And then very soon everything was arranged and I had my first visit to Sofia on December the 24th. So, it was like a Christmas gift for me. And there was big snow, it was cold, but when we entered the small flat of the devotees, immediately this very warm devotional atmosphere was there.

This gift is still with me. I feel very honoured that I’m here with you. And I don’t feel as a guest, I feel like an honourable Bulgarian – if you accept me as that. You have become very important in my life. I appreciate your beautiful country as prabhudatta-desha – as a service given directly by the master, a place that I was dedicated to go to. And then the miracles started to happen. A real messenger of God is like this, he will design your future. If you simply follow his instructions, your whole life will turn into a miracle.

Therefore I say, if we discuss about relationships – the relationship to a saintly person, the relationship to a spiritual master is extraordinary. It’s just like going beyond the human race, because such a person will represent the eternal truth that is beyond our human experience.

Usually the most important human relationships that we have are friendship and love. Also some family relationships. These are very strong ties; they will determine our life. We are eternally the sons and daughters of our fathers and mothers. This will never change. Your children will be eternally there for you, right. It will never change, irrespective of their behaviour, whatever happens – it doesn’t change. These relationships move us to act, they bind us to some duties and they elevate us in our hopes.

But the relationship to a spiritual person is different, it’s deeper. It’s more intense. In my humble opinion this is practically the most powerful connection to a living person. Because here we are ready to give not only half of our life, but all. How many times have you said in your life: “Oh, I’m ready to give half of my life for this purpose, for you.” But it is enough to say to a saintly person: “I give my life totally to you. I dedicate myself to you, to your purpose.” And then a mysterious transformation will start. From an outsider you start to become an insider. From a normal human being you apply to the school of angels. And first we see the teacher in our teacher; then we start to see more and more.

(to be continued)