Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 26.08.2016 evening, Ludasto)

I always told you that with the devotees we have eight Sundays per week. Fortunately we always have some opportunities for celebration. There are more celebrations than days in a week. Nevertheless tonight we have to face the bitter reality, which is the highest ideal proposed by Mahaprabhu and this is separation. We started our meeting just a few days before, right. Nevertheless this one week disappeared like camphor. I think in this elevated company of devotees I had participated in the most Janmashtami celebrations. Nevertheless I have to confess that this was one of the most remarkable.

I remember how intense meditation we had in 1988. That was in the last millennium, so maybe it didn’t even happen – it was so long ago! At that time some of us were celebrating together in Nandafalva – cooking, preparing, rushing all day long. While some of our prospective devotees were visiting Gurudev in his ashram in Vienna. At that time I understood something about separation – that separation brings us so close to each other. When we were finishing the morning arati we were meditating on our brothers and sisters in Vienna. When preparing the halva we were thinking: ‘Oh, now it’s 10 o’clock, the ceremony must have started already!’ Then we were thinking: ‘And now the initiations must have begun!” Although we were separated by hundreds of kilometers we were so close to each other, even in the separation.

And later on when I saw the pictures of that event in Vienna, that was totally divine! There was a picture of Gurudev – he was freshly shaved, shining like a spiritual sun in his bright dhoti. Two of our brothers and two of our sisters received their initiation at that time. Observing their faces after that blessed ceremony I understood what a spiritual form is – they were emanating such a splendid, beautiful light! It was so obvious how close they are now to their spiritual identity.

So, that was also a very remarkable event of celebrating Krishna’s birthday. Although we were separated, still we were very much united in the spirit. Actually this is a definite proof that our philosophy is correct. You can be united in separation, but unfortunately the other way round is also true – you can be separated while united. If our consciousness is not nicely tuned, although you are present in body, still you are not present in your soul.

(to be continued)