Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 06.05.2018, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question: My question is in regard to how to turn theory into practice. We know that if we look at the altar and we see the murti, the murti is the eternal Godhead. But very often we speak as if the eternal Godhead is not present and we can’t see Him. And this is from a rational point of view. From a personal point of view, it’s a bit emotional. You go to a program and the first thing the bhaktas there do – they give you a cushion, so that you may sit comfortably, and they give you water or prasadam. You go to other program and you see some very smart bhaktas, they speak very inspiringly and a lot of bhaktas listen to them… How can one develop the attitude to want to be like the bhaktas that offer a cushion rather than the bhaktas who are smart?

Swami Tirtha: You have the eye to see properly. Once in Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada’s time there were some very knowledgeable and very eloquent speakers, all big sanyasis. And they were giving lectures about the Shrimad Bhagavatam – very brilliant, brilliant lectures. There was a newcomer, a young intelligent man, and he thought, ‘Wow! I want this! I want to be as smart as these lecturers’. So he went to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur and said, “Maharaj, I want to learn the Shrimad Bhagavatam”. Then Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, who was a sinha-guru (guru-lion) – that means when he shouts, all the materialists start trembling – he asked, “You want to learn the Bhagavatam?” And our friend said, “Yes, yes, I want to learn the Bhagavatam”. A second time he asked, “The Bhagavatam you want to learn?” “Yes, yes, the Bhagavatam I want to learn”. A third time he asked, “Is it the Bhagavatam that you want to learn?” Harer nama, harer nama, harer namaiva kevalam – three times, do you remember? When something is repeated three times – then this is utterly important. He said, “Yes, yes, I want to learn the Bhagavatam”. “All right,” said Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. “We have this Ramdas Prabhu, he is the gardener. Go to him.” Our friend was stunned. But anyway, ‘If acharyaji, the highest, most powerful and all-knowing guruji tells me that I should go to the gardener, all right, then I have to go to the gardener.’ So, he went to this person. He was a very simple, very humble guy, always doing this and that in the garden, nothing else. Our friend asked, “Prabhuji, are you this Ramdas Prabhu?” “Yes, yes, I am Ramdas, the gardener.” “Oh, very nice. Guruji told me that I should come to you, so that from you I can learn fully everything about the Shrimad Bhagavatam.” “No, no, no, that’s a mistake. I am not that person. I know nothing about the Bhagavatam.” “Then what to do? Guruji told me that I have to study from you, then… please, instruct me.” Then the gardener said, “Listen, I don’t know anything about the complicated philosophies. But I know something: that this garden belongs to the temple, and this temple belongs to my Lord. And I know that if I cultivate this garden nicely, my Lord is happy, and then Guruji is also satisfied. This is what I know. All else I don’t know.”

So, this was his ‘pillow’. And actually this shows the beauty and the grandeur of our process. We believe in descending divine mercy. Our faith is not in the complicated, brilliant human intellect. No. Of course, even your brilliant intellect can be purified, if it glorifies Krishna. But if we are intelligent, then definitely we have to take a humble service position. Therefore, a suffix is added to our name – ‘das’. But use it only for yourself. Others are Prabhus, and ‘Prabhu’ means ‘Lord’. So, don’t say, “Kripadham das.” He is Kripadham Prabhu. And I am a das. So, you don’t say, ‘I am Sanatana Prabhu.’ No, ‘I am Sanatana das.’ You identify yourself as a servant, and you respect others as lords or masters – beautiful!

So, the other part of your question, whether Krishna is close or far? He is close. He is close. There are two concepts of Godhead, of divinity. One is the transcendent God, somewhere in the clouds, somewhere in the faraway spiritual sky. And the other is the immanent God, here with me. So, knowledge separates you from divinity, it makes the distance greater. While bhakti, prema, bridges the gap. It brings Him closer; or brings us closer.

(to be continued)