Sharanagati

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

(continues from the previous Friday)

Question of Gita Govinda: My question is what exactly does bhakti mean? Recently there was a lecture of our spiritual god-brother and he mentioned that bhakti means ‘love’. But in the present day we humans have quite a perverted understanding of what love is. So if bhakti is love, then what is real love? 

Swami Tirtha: It’s a very complicated topic. I have a friend, he approached me and told me: “Swamiji, can you tell me what is love?” I chased him away. “Don’t disturb me with such questions. Try to practice and then you will understand.” Love is not something that we should create theories about. Love is something that we should perceive. Just like life is not something that you should think about, but rather live it. If you don’t do this, then you will miss your life. It’s a big mistake. Go through the experience. Although we agreed that this is not the topmost level of source of knowledge, nevertheless experience has got some part in our understanding. 

But the question is very proper. Because as we are conditioned by so many factors, our understanding about the spiritual truths is also limited. In most of the cases we have our human conditions and we try to apply them over spiritual truths. So, many times we think that love is like an emotional contact. But it’s not a sentimental feeling, because ‘sentimental’ means when the senses overcome the mentality. The senses are lower and the mind should be higher, but when they exchange their places, when the senses overcome the mentality, that’s a mistake. 

And love is definitely not a feeling. Because what is the nature of feelings? They come and go. Asato ma sat gamaya – “From the unreal lead me to the real”. If something disappears, it is unreal, right? So, we can conclude that love in the spiritual sense, like spiritual love or divine love, this is a paradigm, it’s a way to see the created world around you, your approach to the world. So this is a state of consciousness, this is not a feeling. 

We can say that bhakti is a path to the Supreme, it’s one approach to the Supreme. Therefore this is classified as one classical school of yoga, bhakti-yoga, right? This supremely refined emotional connection to the Supreme Absolute Truth definitely is not a transient feeling, coming and going. It’s something that you can develop, something that you can practice, something that you can offer. Because the root of the word bhakti comes from bhaj, and bhaj means ‘to adore’. So that’s an approach to the Supreme Reality. 

But at the same time, bhakti is a very secret thing. We need experts who can teach us bhakti. And you know, once I received a mail from a young man. He said, “Maharaj, I’m very intent on spiritual truth. But, can you teach me about love?” I said, “My dear son, please turn to somebody else. Maybe a young lady can help you.” At least our friend was honest. ‘First I want to learn this art. And then we can go on with something else.’ 

But you see, worldly love is unfortunately always limited. Most of the time it’s corrupted. Most of the time it’s a business: ‘I love you if you love me’. Or rather, ‘You love me and then I will love you’. It’s not really selfless. It’s not really an approach, it’s a transaction. It’s a cry for help. In most of the cases, it’s a cry for help. People live in utter deficit. ‘Please love me. Please, give me some attention. Please, put me in the center of your life’. It’s such an unfortunate situation when you lack emotions, when you lack attention, then you have to live from deficit. Horrible! 

You are spiritual practitioners. Your life should not be dominated by this deficit. You should have a surplus. Your heart should be so full of spiritual emotions that you need someone to share with. Try to work from this surplus. Collect your treasures, and then you can share. Yet divine love is a begging. Yes, we are beggars of love. But actually, it’s good to beg, because then you will be supplied. Many times in the material world we beg and we don’t receive. But if we beg in spiritual sense, we will be supplied. You have to be the ones who will distribute. You have to be the ones who will supply people. 

(to be continued)