Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 05.05.2018, Rila)

(continues from the previous Monday) 

Question of Paramananda: I want to ask from which Sandarbha are these explanations of Jiva Goswami on the holy names? Or from what book?

Swami Tirtha: It’s from the book of eternal divine love. I cannot specify the source from the Sandarbhas. I guess it’s not from the Sandarbhas, because there the topics are always question and answer, and argumentation. But these purports of the mahamantra are not questions and answers. It’s a different cultivation. And usually our acharyas, when they are arguing or when they are defending the dignity of the philosophy, this is their, so to say, external life, external activity. But internally they are tasting the mellows of devotional life.

Paramananda: I wanted to ask, because you mentioned that Krishna has a lot of options to push us away from the material world, but still He is applying another method. This method relies entirely on the preaching. Because the third level was connected to the remembrance of the Divine Couple. And I’m thinking that the main reason to remember something is to pass it on. My general view on Chaitanya-lila shows me that this is a very important divine function – preaching. First – remembrance and then preaching. And I would like to ask Gurudev to say something about this divine function, as a mystery, and how can we apply it in our life as practitioners.

Swami Tirtha: The mystery of remembering or the mystery of preaching?

Paramananda: Both.

Swami Tirtha: Once Gurudev taught us how to avoid fanaticism. And he said: there are two factors. One is to study the philosophy. And the other is to speak about what you have realized. Yet Mahaprabhu’s mission is a preaching campaign. And sometimes we are afraid to acknowledge that. Because usually, ‘a campaign’ doesn’t sound very good here. But just the other day some of you asked, “What can we do if we meet people? How can we preach?” What was the answer?

Bhagavat Prasad: Through our way of life, through what we are.

Swami Tirtha: Correct, but in short: be bold. Or?

Bhagavat Prasad: Or be mild.

Swami Tirtha: Yes. So, bold or mild. Bold preaching is, for example, if there is somebody hitchhiking and you take him in your car. It’s only half an hour that you will meet that person in your lifetime. Be bold in your preaching. Push the message through. You’ve got only 30 minutes to save his soul. No, no, really, I mean it. This is a very effective method. 50 years back, Gurudev took one person who was hitchhiking from Seged to Nanda Falva – that is 30 kilometers, half an hour maximum. This person is still around. So, this is the bold preaching. Push the message through: “Think about your life. Don’t live in order to die, simply. Do something about it.” But, in general, if you have one hour for preaching, then be mild.

So it’s a mystery how it happens – in half an hour or in a whole lifetime. Some message should be transmitted. I don’t mind boldly or mildly, but do something about it. And you will see the results. And if in your bold efforts you commit some mistakes, that you will remember for a lifetime. So, it’s a mystery again.

(to be continued)