Sharanagati

According to our spiritual science, this is the tradition: before starting anything– significant or insignificant in our life – we should pray. Life is very important. And time is also very important. We should use the best years of our life for the best purpose.

In order to maintain life we need some energy. How and where to obtain this energy? Eating, you say. Because by eating I get my energy and I am happy and I am strong. Is that true? “Yes!” happily we say, because we belong to the prasad sampradaya. So happily we say: “Yes, eating is a spiritual practice.” And this is true, still that energy you put into your body by the foodstuffs will be transformed into special substances. What is the ultimate result of eating? Little biology, what will happen soon after? One part that we eat will be transformed into another substance. But meanwhile inside the body everything that gives you the strength to keep the body in good shape is also provided by this transformation. That means from the solid foodstuff the bones will be supported. If we drink – it’s another input of energy. Again there will be some waste material that is extracted from the body, but another part will be transformed into blood. And the third type of input is the fire or breath, or air – depends on the vision. So when you breathe in the result will be that you breathe out. And it will be transformed in the body into…?

Dani: Thought.

Tirtha Maharaj: Correct! This is the mind. The three elements of human structure – bones, blood and mind, thoughts. Because men as species are generally too much after the mind, especially the male ones. They are too much this brain type. Easy for ladies, because they are more emotional, because bhakti as a path is the path of emotions. Still now in this room the proportion of genders is very unusual. Because usually the proportion is the opposite – nine ladies and one man. Here we have a different setup – why? Because we desperately search for perfection. And we want this very special, high type of energy – not only by eating, drinking and breathing, but by prayer.

We all know the effect of eating – when you are hungry and you eat, you are satisfied. Shrila Shridhara Maharaj says, there are three effects of eating – your sense of missing something will be pacified, second you will feel satisfied and third – you will gain some energy. This we all feel. Or if you are thirsty and you drink, you will see the effect. Especially if you drink alcohol you will see the effect without doubt. Others will also see the effect. So whatever type of energy you put into your body, there will be some effect. Breathing – less people understand what is the type of your breathing, what is the type of air that you take. Because this is more hidden, less understood by people. What to speak of the power of the prayers or the mantras.

But have you ever thought about the air, what is the air around us? The air is what you breathe in, right? But the air is what God breathes out. This is the exchange. He is giving and we are receiving. So there is a chance to see His presence at every step.

In order to achieve anything in this lifetime we must obtain the power and the energy of the highest platform – and this is done by prayers, by meditation, by chanting mantras. So please, make an experiment. We know eating and energy. Please, make an experiment by chanting and energy. You will see how a divine mood will come to you. And I would not want to enter more into details here, because theoretically we can discuss this topic for ages – with no result. But if you give a try, you will see.