Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question of Haribhakti: You mentioned the devotee’s disease, this weakness of the heart. How to develop our steadiness, because chanting and service do not always show our real state of steadiness. 

Swami Tirtha: Then express in some other way. We must find some way to show our steadiness. Because Shrila Prabhupada said that Bhakti Yoga is not a passive type of meditation, but it’s an active service. So, if you want, you will find thousands of different ways to express your readiness. Sometimes our knowledge or our attachment to the rules might also create some obstacle. 

Once Gurudev came very late. We had started to take rest and he came later, so we were awaken. And he said “I’m so hungry, can you give me some food?” And, you know, we have learned all the rules and regulations of the guidelines of devotional practice properly, so that dear god-sister of mine, who was supposed to feed Gurudev, ran into the bathroom to take a bath. Because, you know, before cooking you have to purify your body-mind complex with all the mantras and all the rituals, and brushing your body a hundred times, etc., etc. So, she started to do that and Gurudev was surprised, he said “Where are you rushing?” And she said “I’m going to take a bath.” Then Gurudev said “I told you to give me some food, I didn’t tell you to take a bath.” 

Of course, following all the required rules, like taking a shower before you enter the kitchen, is a way to express your readiness. But what is the purpose to follow all the rules and regulations while your spiritual master dies of hunger? So, we have to be practical in showing our readiness. We have to be ready to jump. Don’t wait to finish the character; jump!

Of course, it’s very difficult with these sadhus. Because I’m sure, under general conditions if you would try to enter the kitchen without taking a shower, he would chastise you like anything. So it’s very difficult to satisfy even a sadhu. But anything that comes from above is for our benefit.

Question of Baladev: In the morning we discussed the elements of knowledge. The third was the non-violence. You said that the most important part of non-violence is the spiritual non-violence. Could you please give some examples of spiritual violence? What is it? 

Swami Tirtha: We discussed a little bit the power of the prayers. So, for example if you pray in such a manner that “Please, my Lord, make this person like this and that” – I consider that a kind of spiritual violence, intrusion. Because then this is my decision, my desire over that person and I ask God to help, so that my opinion overpowers that person. So, this story starts and ends with you. It’s about your opinion, your decision, your willpower. The proper way to pray for others, this is like to offer them into the attention of the Supreme. “Please, my Lord, pay some attention on this person and help him or her to perceive and to receive what is the best for them.” In this way we don’t intrude into their life path. This is a delicate topic. And we have to be intelligent enough to pray properly and to avoid spiritual violence. 

But the definition of ahimsa in general is not only to avoid violence – because this is a negative kind of definition – but also the positive meaning is to help and to serve the spiritual progress of others. This is the real ahimsa. 

(to be continued)

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question of Manjari: My question is about the prayer. You said that it’s very nice if somebody, whose prayers are heard, prays for you. Can you say something more about this: which prayers are heard, which are not heard, how to pray in such a way that your prayers are heard? 

Swami Tirtha: Once we had a summer Mela in Ahtopol. When these young people came – do you remember, someone remembers – these orphans, from the orphan’s house? We started a discussion. It was a very, very painful discussion, I tell you. One girl started to give her story, telling that “Oh, I started to learn how to smile when I was grown-up. When I was a kid, I didn’t have the chance to smile, because I had so much suffering in my life.” Very, very bitter. But they came together and sharing nicely, in a jolly mood. My heart was broken by listening to them, but they were in a jolly mood: ‘Somebody is paying attention to us’. And then also, the same question came. Because, what can I say if somebody tells me that “I learned how to smile when I was a grown-up person.” It’s very painful. I could say only “Pray and forgive. Forgive the people who gave you the trouble and pray.” And that girl also had the same question. “Pray? Why? Is it heard?” “Yes, yes. Prayers are heard.” And then she said for one colleague “Yeah, her prayers are always heard. Whenever she is praying for something, it happens.” So, they had a direct experience how it works, although in a very, very sad situation of life. But you know, the lotus is growing in the mud. So even in the most difficult circumstances of life, some beautiful realizations will come. 

You don’t live in the mud. You have learned how to smile when you were kids. Where is your realization? Prayers are heard. But even if prayers are not heard, we must believe that they are heard. This is a way of conviction. This is a decision: ‘I want to see life like this, not in any other way. I want to see the miracle. I want to be a part of a spiritual reality.’ And then you are a part of a spiritual reality.

You can find hundreds of examples, just look around. When you really pray from the deepest core of your heart, that will reach the divine platform. Daily routine – maybe not. But the real moments, the blessed moments – they are intense enough to bridge the gap from here to there. Purity, innocence, intensity, selflessness – these are the keys of the success of prayers. 

Of course, in general we hope that God is not simply a God of justice. Because if He hears everything, He will hear all the stupid prayers as well. And if He is a God of justice, whatever you ask, He will supply. But no, He is merciful. Our Krishna will provide only what is beneficial for His devotees. What will curb your progress and your free flow of affection to Him, that He will not provide.

All right. You might think that “My prayers are not really heard.” No problem, find somebody whose prayers are heard and establish a good friendship with that person. Then when you are in need, you have a mentor. Because we can say that prayers, as a very deep and very special kind of meditation, are a mystic approach. And maybe not all of us can become real mystics. But if in your group you have at least one or two mystics whose prayers are heard, then they can help you. 

And also I can add that Krishna knows your hearts. Even if you don’t say anything, He will understand and if it is good for you, He will fulfil it. This should be our conviction. Prayers are heard. 

(to be continued)

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

We have to examine a little bit this problem of life – disease. Where is the pain? We think that the body aches, right? But the body is composed of matter. Matter doesn’t feel pain, right? We don’t know, but we suppose that a piece of stone doesn’t feel too much pain. And in that sense our body is just like a piece of stone. At least, my heart is definitely like a piece of stone. There is no pain in stone. 

Then, we think of ourselves as spirit souls, right? Where is the pain? Maybe the soul aches? The soul doesn’t ache. The soul is a spiritual substance. And there is no disharmony in the spiritual realm, in the spiritual sense. So, if your soul has no pain, if your body cannot feel pain – then where is this pain? It is in the mind – which is a very subtle transition or connection, let’s say, between the material sphere and the spiritual sphere. 

And theoretically we can agree on this point. But, when your kid is suffering due to some pain, you cannot tell them “Don’t worry, my dear one. This is only your mind.” You cannot pacify even yourself with this theoretical explanation. For example, a mother is ready to give her life to save the child, right? I know a mother whose prayers are heard, for sure. Once her son was sick. So she started to pray, “Please, my Lord, save my child. Give his sickness to me.” She prayed in the afternoon. By the evening the boy was okay and she fell sick. So, her prayers are heard.

And I feel very safe. Because she told me “Every morning I pray for three persons. One is a Christian priest, the other is an abbot of a Catholic monastery. And the third one is a swami with his followers.” So, I’m really grateful for that person. Because if such a person whose prayers are heard is praying for you, that’s remarkable. 

If we return to our original topic – where is the suffering, where is the pain? It is only on your mental platform. That means it doesn’t really exist. Nevertheless, it feels very real, very sharp. Therefore control of the mind is very important. Don’t identify with the pain. Tolerate it, try to offer it as a sacrifice or as an atonement. This is one way to burn up your own karma. And also, if you offer it as a sacrifice, this will help you to diminish the pain.

And control of the mind is very important the other way around. Because the mind reflects the pain as something very substantial, very real, although it doesn’t exist. And the other way around, your mind will tell you that ‘spiritual ideals – no, they are not real’. The mind has this function that will force us to believe the unbelievable. Therefore control of the mind is important. Don’t identify with the pain. And also, don’t identify with the weakness of the heart. 

But then you might ask: All right, what is your suggestion to counteract disease? Sometimes we need to be practical – go to a doctor. Other times these types of meditation and spiritual practices might help you. But even if we achieve a perfect state of health, the root cause of material existence – and this is the material disease – is not cured. For that we need a different treatment. In Sanskrit, medicine is called aushad. And Mahaprabhu had brought the maha–aushad – the best remedy for all the different kinds of diseases you might have. I think you know what this medicine is. It’s the holy name, which will cure the material disease. And all different schools, the other schools of yoga, acknowledge that the best and most direct way to meet your ishta-dev, to meet your worshipable God, is through chanting the holy names. Everybody accepts this. So, this is what Mahaprabhu has brought – this special aushad, this special medicine, for curing the material disease. 

(to be continued)

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

There are not only five mistakes of the consciousness – ignorance, egotism, attachment, aversion and excessive self-affection – but there is another set of mistakes, the nine tushti, satisfactions.
The first says that “There is no need for any effort, because Mother Nature will provide everything.” So, liberation is automatic due to the blessings of Mother Nature. I don’t have to do anything. The second is “There is no need for meditation, because it’s enough to renounce family life.” The third satisfaction that gives a big problem in your progress is peace: “It’s not necessary to strive in a spiritual practice, because liberation will come in time.” The fourth tushti is a kind of philosophical one – when you say that moksha, liberation, is a question of fate: “If this is my fate, it will come”. Plus there are some more tushtis.
Do you see these very delicate diseases, very delicate shortcomings of our structure? And of course, we have many more shortcomings. But you see, sometimes even your philosophical analysis or your patience can become an obstacle on your spiritual path. When we want to explain things, we want to find the shortcut or the excuses – it’s a disease.
But our teachers explain one very serious disease for a bhakti practitioner – this is the weakness of the heart. Even Krishna says to Arjuna that “This weakness of the heart doesn’t befit you.”[1] And this problem, this weakness of the heart is practically a lack of faith. When we think that our limitations and our shortcomings are stronger than divine mercy.
Somehow we should try to find a remedy for all these troubles and diseases. Actually a disease is a kind of suffering. And the three types of suffering are coming from the body-mind complex, coming from other living entities, and coming from some natural disasters. So, how to find a remedy for all these troubles that are coming to us? We have some advice from our holy scriptures. It is in the Seventh Canto of Shrimad Bhagavatam, Chapter Fifteenth, Instructions for civilized human beings. And we want to belong to this group – so better we try to take the advice that is given here.
“By good behaviour and freedom from envy, one should counteract sufferings caused by other living entities.”[2] It’s a very strong source of trouble for us – the other living entities. Your neighbour, your boss, your employee, or you have a husband, or don’t have a husband – from all these human relationships a lot of different sufferings are coming. And here it is said, by good behaviour and freedom from envy you can counteract these sufferings.
“By meditation in trance one should counteract sufferings due to providence, and by practicing hatha-yoga, pranayama and so forth one should counteract sufferings due to the body and mind.”  So, there is a remedy for all these troubles coming to us and different kinds of diseases. One was meditation in trance. That was the help for overcoming what is destined. By practicing yoga and pranayama you can overcome the adhyatmika-klesha, the sufferings coming from the body-mind complex. And what was the third one? By good behaviour and freedom from envy you can overcome the troubles given by other living entities. So, this is a way to achieve a really healthy condition of life, when you have no troubles.
Disease in Sanskrit is called roga. Enjoyment in life is called bhoga. While harmony, balance in life is called yoga. So, you have to decide on which platform of reality you want to live: in a disease state of life – roga; in a desperate search for happiness – bhoga; or in your balance, connection, yoga.

(to be continued)

1.  Bhagavad Gita 2.3
2.  Shrimad Bhagavatam 7.15.24

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Many of you practice yoga, right? Do you know some requirements of practicing the mystic yoga? Shall I tell you some? Perfect vision. Who has glasses? So, you are excluded from mystic yoga. You must have all the teeth. If you have lost even one – your chance is gone. 

Manjari: And the wisdom teeth also?

Swami Tirtha: You must have that, that’s a must. It’s a very good name. Usually the dentists suggest to remove them. Remove the wisdom from your life?! I have a friend, he is a specialist dentist and he said that your teeth are your total life. Everything is included in your mouth. So, don’t remove anything. But anyway, we have lost some of our teeth, right? So, no chance for mystic yoga. 

Also, the yogis are expected not to lose even one drop of their blood. Healthy ladies, sorry, it’s not for you. You see, there are extreme requirements in mystic yoga. Yet we think, ‘Ah, I will overcome my gross bodily consciousness by practicing yoga and meditation.’ It’s not so easy. It is possible, but it’s not cheap.

The disease condition of life is just there. Even if we think that we are fully healthy, ontologically we are in a disease state of mind in this life. Because to take birth in the material world means there is some mistake, there is some little defect – in the body or in the mind. 

Once I met a scientist in comparative religion. And he was very much offended by one remark of Shrila Prabhupada, who said that 99% of the human population has some mental defect. I think he said ‘stupid’, but… our friend was very much offended. He said “How can you say that? How can a teacher say that everybody is stupid in humanity? How is that possible?” While I had read the statistics saying that, let’s say, more than 60% of the Hungarian population has some mental disease – like phobias, depression, this and that. And nobody is offended by that remark. We have a special disease – it’s called the Hungaropessimism. So, it’s a fact that we all have some defect. 

But then how to overcome this situation? What to do? We try to avoid suffering and try to acquire more happiness, but sometimes it works the opposite way. The more you try to avoid, the more it will come; and the more you try to acquire, the less you will have. 

So, as we have discussed a little bit about these mental defects, let me quote one systematic list about the different limitations of the mind that we have. In general we can say that the material life is a disease condition. The mental defects of consciousness are five, because we have five different types of wrong knowledge or wrong states of mind. The first one is avidya, or ignorance. If we are ignorant of the truth, that’s a disease state of mind. It’s compared to darkness. The second mistake of the consciousness is egotism. We can say that this is compared to illusion, moha. So, the first was the darkness, now comes the illusion. The third defect of consciousness is attachment, raga. But in a wrong sense, of course. And this is not only darkness, this is not only illusion, but this is like maha-moha, a big illusion. Then the fourth problem of the mind is aversion, the opposite of raga – when you hate certain things. This aversion is like hell – tamishra. And finally, the fifth disease of the consciousness is overstressed self-affection, when you love yourself too much. And this is not simply darkness, this is not simply illusion, this is not simply a big illusion, and this is not simply a hell, but this is a deep hell. You see, there is no compromise here. If you want to be popular motivational trainers, don’t quote this list. Because their first mantra is ‘Love yourself’. Which is the deep hell. So, they start with the deep hell, this is the beginning of their journey. What is the end of their journey? 

(to be continued)

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

You know, in different ages people had different emblematic diseases. Like in the Middle Ages they had these contagious diseases like plague. 

Comment: It’s coming from the East. 

Swami Tirtha: I think it’s coming from hell. And then later on, let’s say in the 19th century, the emblematic disease was this tuberculosis. Because people were so full of desire, they wanted a better kind of life, they wanted to have more experience. But they could not have it, and therefore they were just losing their life, losing their body, emaciating their body. And then came the 20th century. What is the emblematic disease of the 20th century? 

Comment: Cancer. 

Swami Tirtha: It’s cancer. And they say this is a disease of the inability to love. You cannot express your emotional feelings. You cannot reciprocate in this manner. The mental condition of the age is reflected in the specific disease as well.

At the end of the 20th century and at the very beginning of the 21st came another emblematic disease. First was the sexual revolution – that was the action. And then came some reaction to that action and that is the AIDS. When it started to appear, people were alarmed, they were very much afraid. And also some religious groups expressed that this is like a punishment for transgressing the laws of nature. 

I don’t know what will be the next disease for the upcoming years. But I think we have enough of the different limitations and the different symbolic diseases. So, if we examine the state of consciousness of people of the given ages, and then we think about these different symbolic diseases, we can trace the connection between the two.

But even if you find a solution for one disease, another will come and appear. Because disease is like a principle. And apart from these very symbolic and very frightening diseases, let’s pick one very simple little disease happening to us many times. If you catch a cold, do you know that feeling? Not a very complicated case, but a simple cold. What is the meaning of that? It’s a cry for attention. ‘Just look at me. I’m in such a bad condition. Give a little attention to me.’ So, a disease is a cry for help. Therefore some say, if you caught a cold, some people give the remedy as “Oh, we still love you. All right, we pay some attention on you. Don’t worry.” 

So, from this very simple, very stupid little case we can understand that the reason and the remedy for a disease is different than what we expect. The basic principle is that if you don’t appreciate what you have, you will lose it. If we don’t appreciate that relative health that we have, we shall lose it. If you don’t appreciate your friends, you will lose them. If you don’t appreciate your partners, you will lose them. If you don’t appreciate your spiritual chance, you will lose it. So, better we accept a very humble position and appreciate what we have. 

(to be continued)

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 evening, Sofia)

Today we shall take another bitter pill. We discussed the different elements of knowledge or wisdom, and this long list started with humility and ended with the philosophical search for the Absolute Truth. And meanwhile it was mentioned that to observe and to realize the problems of taking birth, disease, old age and death is also a part of wisdom.

I can say that we have to be realistic and extremely idealistic at the same time. In general people in the Orient are very pessimistic about the material concept of life, because they know that life is suffering; yet they smile. Here in the West we say that life is joy and we cry bitter tears. So, there is something wrong in this equation. We think ‘Ah, these guys in the Orient are very pessimistic’, still they are smiling. And we want to be optimistic, still we cry. But I can tell you that in the Orient people are very much optimistic about the spiritual perspective of life, about eternal life. And maybe this is the secret of their bliss. So, there is something that we can learn. 

Therefore today we have to discuss one element of this list – disease. Anybody here who has no disease? Or doesn’t know what it means? We have all faced this problem in life. We discussed the entrance into this material existence – taking birth. Usually you come crying. Usually you stay complaining. And usually, you pass dissatisfied. We have to change this negative cycle. 

Disease is one elementary problem of material existence. Although we come as innocent children and we think that life is good, very soon we shall face the children’s diseases. Your fever rises, you vomit, you feel very uneasy – there are many different symptoms. You don’t know what’s happening, you just feel uneasy, it’s not all right. It’s your mother who is much more anxious than you, because mothers know what’s happening. So, although we didn’t expect to become diseased, we have to face that reality. But as a young boy or girl, or as a young man, you don’t pay too much attention to it, because you think that life is still good. But very soon the age will come, when if you meet your old friends, basically your only topic is what kind of disease you had and you survived. And then a very delicate competition starts. “I have this stuff.” “No, I have that stuff.” We enjoy being hurt. We enjoy discussing our limitations. Not in young age, but a little later it’s a topic to discuss. So, more and more we face this reality – that we are limited in our health condition. 

Fortunately we know that we are not the body. An intelligent person will try to find some solution for the problems of life. And we are spiritual persons, so our solution to the problems and the disease is not the pills, it’s meditation. So, you start your meditation very strongly and you feel totally focused in your attention. No disturbance is coming from the body-mind complex. And then, all of a sudden, a small little toothache gives you a signal. A two centimetres’ tooth – and the whole meditation is broken. Your strong commitment to your spiritual remedy is just broken into pieces. What to speak of some serious disease?! As soon as we face such kind of signal, we are frightened. So, immediately, our bodily consciousness is raised to a very high platform due to this identification with the body-mind complex. 

Human existence is very fragile. Health is a very delicate balance. We can say that health is basically such a condition where you are not aware of your potential disease. We can say it’s a dream, it’s not a real condition. “Oh, I’m healthy. I feel fine.” Of course, with a change of lifestyle, with not really losing your values, you might maintain your health condition a little better than usual. But practically we cannot avoid disease totally. Because this is a part of the experience that we have to take in material existence. 

(to be continued)

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 morning, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question of Lila Avatar: My question is connected with the quote of Shridhara Maharaj that “We shouldn’t be humble with the fools, but with the saints.” How can we recognize who is a fool and who is a saint?

Swami Tirtha: Oh, very good question! So, what is your opinion? 

Hari Lila: By the topics they discuss. 

Krishna Shakti: It is easy for me to be humble before saintly people, but to others it is difficult. I recognize them by their behaviour and example.

Swami Tirtha: Ah, it is easy to behave like a saint. But this is what we can see, what we can perceive. 

Sanatana: You will recognize them by their deeds.

Hari Lila: Saintly people usually come to give something and the others want to take something.

Comment: I recognize them by my personal feeling: if I feel good and elated with this person, and if I feel bad and like loosing something.

Manjari: My observation is that those who are not sincere sooner or later start to criticise some situations or people. And those who are satisfied with the situations and don’t have problems with people, for me it is easier to take them as spiritual authorities. 

Comment: I cannot recognize them, but I have read that there are saintly people who are very eccentric and with strange behaviour. And for me it is important to quickly recognize them. And I don’t know how, because I don’t have spiritual vision, but I may offend somebody in this way.

Swami Tirtha: Very nice. 

Comment: And there are many people who are shining and attractive, but they are not spiritual. And I personally have this experience that it is dangerous to go closer to such people. 

Swami Tirtha: The real ones or the fake ones? 

Comment: Both. There are many magicians, with big and attractive power. How to recognize one from the other? 

Swami Tirtha: Thank you all for these opinions, I think they are very important. Once there was a discussion between devotees: “How come that this guy is like this!?” Then somebody said “Well, because he has got some charisma.” And then a more clever person said “Charisma, charisma; any cheater can have a charisma”. How many people do we see with great charisma and a very low character?! So, this is not the quality. It’s a second face that you use in a carnival, it’s a mask. 

But let me remind you of this beautiful conversation with Shrila Shridhara Maharaj when he asked the devotees “How can you recognize if somebody is intelligent or not?” What was the answer? “If you are intelligent, immediately you will understand who is intelligent.” Right? So if you have some saintly qualities, you will recognize the saintly qualities of others. If you have the qualities of a fool, you will immediately enjoy the company of the fools, it’s a home comfort for you. Therefore we need, we desperately need to improve our saintly qualities. Then we will immediately understand what is favourable and what is not favourable. 

And all those different methods that you mentioned apply – that you read from the actions and you read your feelings, of course! If you don’t want to be a kali-chela, a student of the Kali Yuga, then you have to qualify yourself.

It is also said, if you meet a fake person, a fake saint, so to say – he doesn’t exist, but in case you meet one – then you have to pay attention, because that means there is a real one. So even a fake person gives a signal of the original. We have to search for that original source. Be very intent in your search. 

Fortunately, our God is merciful. He is not just, He is not a God of justice. Because according to justice, we can expect what we deserve. Everybody gets what he or she deserves – according to justice. Yet fortunately, Krishna is merciful. He doesn’t give what we deserve, but He gives a little bit better. A little bit better.

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 morning, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question of Baladev: Gurudev, I feel that on the path of realizing the ultimate goal of our life, there are many impediments – one of these is our tendency to criticize everybody and the world itself. And to think that we know the things better, we know everything. In this way we just feed our false ego, develop pride and so on. My question is how to practically overcome and fight this tendency?

Swami Tirtha: I agree, if we give our attention to a mistake, then we feed that mistake. Humans have two basic tendencies: one is an inner wolf and the other is an inner lamb – if we feed the one, the other does not receive his share. So, better we don’t fight against our false ego, because even in this way we can strengthen it. Because if there is a fight, there will be a strike back. Better we cultivate the pros of our self. The best way to get rid of the anarthas, or the unwanted and unnecessary features of our character, is the positive cultivation. Anartha-nivritti, extinguishing the bad qualities, you can achieve much more successfully by artha-pravritti, cultivation of the values. 

But one practical advice is service. Once I met a guruji in India, he was a young man. And he said “I can convert a person in two weeks. He can come with the biggest false ego; in two weeks I will crush it.” Then I said “Wow, it’s very interesting. What is your practice? How do you do this?” And he said, “You know, every day we distribute food to poor people. And the big guys who come with their ego – they have to serve.” So, this humble service helps a lot – as a practical advice. And theoretically I can say that it is better to cultivate the positive values of our spiritual life. Because then there is no attention to the negative side. Then these bad habits and bad limited conceptions, they are just like unwanted guests. And what is your strategy with the unwanted guests? 

Krishna Priya: You don’t feed them; you don’t offer anything.

Swami Tirtha: And you don’t pay attention on them. Then very soon they will leave your home. Don’t pay attention and don’t feed them. So, these visitors – like false ego, pride, all the mistakes, all the shortcomings that we might have – they are like unwanted guests. We don’t want them, we don’t want their company, but still they are here. Better don’t pay attention on them and don’t feed them and slowly, slowly they will depart. 

Concerning criticism – it’s a delicate and complicated matter. Because to tell the truth is necessary. ‘I tell the truth. I tell what is true. I tell a true word.’ Is it critical?  So, it’s a delicate question. Nevertheless, if I have a critical opinion on something, there are two options. One is that this my criticism is without any foundation, it’s unreal. That person is not wrong, it’s only my opinion. And the other option is that it is true – the other guy is really wrong. But in both cases we should try to avoid this. Because if your criticism is not grounded, then it’s false, then it’s an illusion. And we have to avoid illusion if we want to come closer to the truth. And in the second case, if your criticism is correct and there is a mistake, then you have to examine if you can change that mistake. If you cannot, don’t mention it. Anyway, by this all-devouring capacity of the mind, that real mistake is not external anymore, it is inside your system. So, this we have to avoid. 

But it’s quite difficult to maintain a proper balance between being committed to the truth and not simply criticizing others. Shrila Prabhupada said that “To say about a thief that he is a thief, there is nothing wrong with that”. So, this is not a criticism, it’s a reality. 

But whether our attention should focus on the mistakes of others or not – this is a big question. It depends on our achievements, on our progress in spiritual path. Because a neophyte will find many mistakes outside and no mistakes inside. They say, “Ah, everybody is wrong, but I know the truth”. While if you are on the intermediate platform, and especially if you have developed the eye of compassion, then you will be very understanding with the limitations of others and you can use your criticism against your own shortcomings and mistakes. While those who are on the topmost platform of spiritual achievement, they don’t see any mistake ever anywhere. It’s very difficult to communicate with such people. If you go to such a sadhu and ask “Oh, can you tell me what is my mistake? “Oh, no, no, everything is so nice with you.” I don’t say that jump quickly to the uttama-adhikari platform – the topmost devotee, who doesn’t see anything wrong, everything is spiritual for him. But definitely we should avoid this elementary basic platform of kanishta-adhikari. 

And concerning criticism, if we receive some critical remarks, then we have to pay attention. If one person tells you, “Hey, you are mistaken”, then you can skip this opinion: ‘Ah, it’s only one opinion’. If a hundred people say “Hey, wait a minute, this is not very nice what you are doing”, then you cannot skip it, especially if you live in a village of a hundred people. Then you have to pay attention – this is the quantitative criticism.

But what happens if everybody says, “Oh, Prabhu, you are so great, you are so nice”, while only one person will say: “Wait a minute, this is not nice”, but that is your spiritual authority? Then once again you have to pay attention – and this is the qualitative criticism. The quantitative criticism is when many people say it and you have to pay attention. If everybody is satisfied with you and only one person tells you something, but this is the ultimate authority of your life – pay attention. Because the quality of his opinion, of his vision is different. So, criticism depends on the quality of the vision.

(to be continued)

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2019 morning, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

And then in the list of what is knowledge[1] comes constant and unalloyed devotion to Me. So beautiful! Finally something spiritual, right? Not how to eliminate your false egotism, how not to depend on external objects – constant and unalloyed devotion to Me. If you love somebody, you cannot give it up. You don’t have to force yourself to think of your lover; it comes naturally. Rather, you cannot escape – all the time you think of him or her. So, if you love God, if you have this living and loving connection to Him, you are naturally inclined. This connection should never be broken.
Aspiring to live in a solitary place. This sounds frightening. Usually humans are social beings. Solitary place – ah, it’s not for me. But just look around: how many people live with their families, yet they live a very lonely life. It’s not solitary, but it’s very lonely. So, understand the difference. You are a social being, but you feel lonely – then something is wrong. You live in a society and you feel lonely – then something is wrong. A yogi lives in a solitary place and he feels like he always has some company and he never feels lonely – so there is something good there. So, what is the purpose of a solitary life? It’s to face yourself. If the social environment that we have doesn’t promote this goal – to face ourselves – then try to find some solitary time for yourself. Because we need to achieve the intensity of self-analysis.
Then the next step is the detachment from the general mass of people. But, not in a rejective way! We shouldn’t exclude the person, the people, but we should exempt ourselves from the bad practice of the general mass of people. There is a danger here, that you start to feel yourself very special, because you are different than others. But we should avoid this trap, this kind of pseudo-spiritual feeling – that you are better than others. So, better we don’t share the negative practices of people or the limited way of thinking of people, but we should be very much ready to share the spiritual experience that we have achieved. Also, to share the burden that they have.
Then, accepting the importance of self-realization. This should be like a guiding principle for us. Because, as we discussed before, whatever you collect in a material sense, you will lose it. Therefore at the end of your life you shouldn’t stand empty-handed. Your heart should be full of treasures. And if we realize the importance of self-realization, then we can start to collect our treasures.
And finally the philosophical search for the absolute truth – I think it’s quite clear. “All these I declare to be knowledge”, says Krishna. So, if you want to be a smart person, try to practice these elements. If you make a balance of your life, I don’t know how is it: how much detachment, how much non-violence, how much humility, etc., etc., you have? But, don’t worry. Every long journey starts with the first step. So, we have a hope that if we start humbly this process of inquiries, then we shall understand the importance of self-realization, as well as find the ultimate truth at the end.

(to be continued)

1.  Bhagavad Gita 13.8-12