Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 06.01.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Friday)

Question: How can we practice, how can we develop bhakti in our daily life? 

Swami Tirtha: Beg. Well, there are different ways of practicing bhakti. Worship is an expression of love; so if we worship our superiors, if we worship our deities, this is one way to express our gratitude, our love, our service mood. Also if you chant your mantras, the mood that you can add, as you can improve your meditation, is this loving offering. Also to develop real shishya-abhiman. Abhiman is ‘mentality’, shishya is ‘disciple’. So, the real mentality of the disciple is a very high state of consciousness. What is this shishya–abhiman? Shishya-abhiman means that ‘I am a student‘. But it also means, ‘I am a student of my master. I am ready to receive instructions from my source’. First we have to focus on one source of information, and then, when we are trained, we can see the multiplicity of masters, gurus and proper sources of information. Therefore for the elevated practitioners, the mantra to offer their respects is vande gurun – so it’s plural, gurun, it’s not only one, but the many gurus, ‘My respect to the many masters’. 

But returning to the proper shishya-abhiman, this proper disciple mentality, it also means that we have to deeply understand that the welfare of humanity, the fate of this planet depends on our spiritual practice. Spiritual practice is so important that it can help others. If you are negligent or if you are lazy in a spiritual sense, then you are not bringing benefit to the world, to the other living beings, to the planet. Therefore the student mentality with this cosmic vision is very important. This is a welfare activity. If you perfect your life, then it will contribute to the welfare of the whole universe. And this is a very compassionate feeling, right? So, if we practice this compassion, then we also develop our loving serving mood. Because actually, to love somebody means to serve somebody. You don’t need to explain what love is to a mother. It’s obvious for them. They serve their children without a second thought. So we can make this equation very simple – love means service. 

Once in a very nice company, we made a kind of search for values. People had to contribute what are the most important things in their life, what they considered the best, most important. And I was writing this down on a desk. What do you think? What was the first? 

Answer: Love.

Swami Tirtha: Yes. Love. We started with love. And then we made a long, long list, coming up with other priorities and ideas, etc., so much so that we reached the bottom of this board. And there was one last contribution – this was service, service mood. But at the bottom of the list there was no space left, so I could put service at the top, next to love. And I can tell you, everybody was satisfied with that. So, if we want, we shall always find a chance to serve others. If your heart is there, you will always find a solution. If your heart is not there, you will always find an excuse. We can say that this is the way of the heart – to find solutions. 

And you know, the heart of a human being is a very delicate instrument. Sometimes there is a storm. Other times there is some darkness. Yet another time there are some tender feelings. Other times it is a place for the anahata sound. Oh, that’s very special. Do you remember in the Gheranda Samhita how it describes the anahata sound? How the sound is usually generated? You hit a surface and then the sound comes. But the anahata sound comes in a different way. It’s a resonance by itself. This is such a sound, which is generated not by hitting. Anahata means not by hitting, ‘a not-hit sound’. This is the inner sound in the heart. At first, it is just like a very gentle breeze. Then it is like the sound of the grasshoppers. Later on like gongs. And then bells. And finally like a thunder. Depending on our level of this fine ability to listen to this inner voice. So, this anahata sound is very important. 

Once I met a very knowledgeable sadhu, who described the purification of the chakras very nicely. And he said, even if your shakti crosses through all the chakras and reaches the topmost platform of enlightenment, after that it should return to the heart chakra level – that means that you are compassionate. And if this heart chakra is not pure enough, then you will have big troubles. Therefore, this purification of the heart is very important. And with chanting our mantras, and especially chanting the holy names of God, you can purify this heart chakra, this mirror of the heart. Then some beautiful anahata sound will be revealed. We need to develop this beautiful resonance inside. 

(to be continued)