Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.05.2017 morning, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Friday)

From your tapas, so to say from your suffering, if we understand it like this, others can also take the benefit. For example for a father, let’s say, it’s a kind of tapas, it’s a kind of discipline to make the money for the family. But all the members of the family enjoy the situation. Your son will never ask: “Hey, father! How difficult was it to make our living?” No, he will never ask, he will simply say: “Ah, yes! I need this, I need that.” Right, others can take the benefit from your tapas. We see that in daily life.

But we can apply this principle in the spiritual sense also. Just think for yourself, how many saints, how many devotees, how many yogis have taken the tapas for us to sit here. Correct, they had dedicated their lives to pave our path. This obliges us to continue and to follow their example. So, bring some sacrifice in order for others to take the benefit. And then your so-called ‘suffering’ changes, it becomes an offering.

Or you can take the example of Lord Jesus – he was ready to die on the cross, but saving the whole of humanity. So, suffering brings benefit to others. Maybe it doesn’t bring the benefit to you personally, but if you offer your discipline, your suffering, your sacrifice to this divine play, then it will find the proper place. We do our little service at the lotus feet of the Lord, we offer it there. This is like the root of the whole existence. And if we water the roots, the whole tree will benefit. I work hard to bring the water, but the whole universe takes the benefit – nice! Because somebody was bringing the water for my benefit also. This is what binds us together. We share the same duty.

Therefore, we say so many times ‘service, service’. What is this service? This is the service. You live for others, you dedicate yourself for the benefit of others, to be practical. Self sacrifice, forget about yourself – how many millions of times we have heard that! And the easiest method to forget about yourself is if you fall in love. Then you think of your lover. So, isn’t it?

Sanatana: It’s the right way to fall in love. If you think about yourself, it’s not the right way.

Swami Tirtha: Because you are still not in love. Oh, you are in love with yourself. Therefore we need to fall in love with God, with divinity! Because there you never fail. And then it’s so easy to make any kind of sacrifice. Usually how men will try to capture the heart of their lovers: “Oh, my dear one, I will bring you the stars!” Everybody knows that they will not. But the ladies are very eager to listen to these words. “I will do the impossible for you!” And you are ready to do that, ah! So, it’s an illusion. But exactly this type of impossible illusion we need to experience in the divine connection. “Oh, my Lord, You expect me to become a nice devotee! All right, I say yes, I will do it, although this is impossible.”

So, tapas. Now do you see a different meaning of tapas, a different meaning of suffering? It’s worth suffering – if it is for the benefit of others, if it is an offering, if it is a way to approach the higher reality. And then when you turn and look back, you will say: ‘In the beginning I thought it’s anandam. Meanwhile I felt that this is tapas, but now I see it was full anandam.’

(to be continued)