Sharanagati

(from lecture of B.K.Tirtha Maharaj, 25.02.2007, Sofia)

“If however you think that the soul or the symptoms of life, is always born and dies forever, you still has no reason to lament, o Mighty-armed!” *
The question discussed is the eternity of the soul, the position of the soul. During this conversation Krishna is explaining the different aspects of the spirit soul. Before He said that to the soul it is not possible to give any harm, it does not take birth, it does not die – everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable … It is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. So there is no reason for lamentation. Even if the body is limited, the soul is ever-perfect. And then Krishna comes with this verse: “If however you think that the soul is always born and dies forever – all the time is revolving between these two extremes – still there is no reason to lament.” If this is a permanent rule – that the living entity is ever born and he has to die, and this rule will go on forever – there is no reason to lament. Because the rule is permanent, it is standing forever, whatever is finished, it will be coming again.
And then the next verse says: “One who has taken his birth, is sure to die. And after death, one is sure to take birth again. Therefore in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.”
Have you taken birth? Then we have to apply the second part of the instruction. We like the first part: o, we have taken birth! Difficult to face the second part: we have to face death also. But until we think that this bodily reality is the ultimate reality, then this facing death is really painful and horrible. Because actually our body is the expression of our mental conditions. What you wanted, you have got it – so do not blame it on others. But for those, who seek their spiritual identity, this question is easier to resolve. Because everything returns back from where it has been taken. Material body is taken from matter, so it will return to matter. Soul is taken from the Supersoul; it will return back to Supersoul. Life comes from life; consciousness comes from consciousness; and love comes from love. This is the ultimate equation of existence.
One who has taken birth is sure to die. But then, after death, one is sure to take birth again. In this way death is not an end, but this is a transfer or a gate to another level of existence. Of course, in one sense this is an end; but also a beginning. Just like sleep and awake consciousness. From sleeping the transition to awake consciousness is awakening, right, and from awake state to sleep this is falling asleep – this is the action, this is the process .There are states, and there are transitions. Life for many is compared to awake consciousness and death for many is just like a sleep, deep sleep. What is the transition from life to death? This is dying. Dying is just like falling asleep, right? But if we take one part of the story, what is the other part – from death to life? How it is called? Taking birth, or re-birth we can say – this is like an awakening.
So do not lament! If you live, if you die, do not lament! Because eternity is always there, it is our friend, good friend.
“Therefore in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” Arjuna was a fighter and he had to face life and death. Therefore this problem was very strong, very heavy for him: how is it, who will die and who will survive?! What is life, what is death? Usually we are not fighters. May be someone is a street-fighter, others are playing these strategy games of fights on the computers, but there it is difficult to face the problem of life and death. Because if you sit in front of your computer, you come to a special state of consciousness – empty. This is not awake, this is not dream – just blank, none. We cannot face the real problems of living and dying, life and death.
But the mystic teachers, the gurus, sometimes say that: “O, your awake consciousness is just like a deep sleep, my dear! You think that you are awake, but actually you are in deep sleep.” Therefore even from the awake state of consciousness we have to be awakened to a higher, spiritual state of consciousness.
Who will help us? From sleep the alarm clock will help you to come to a different consciousness. By sound it will change your consciousness. In the same way, fortunately we have personal alarm clocks, who give spiritual sound to awake our consciousness. What is that, who is that? This is the spiritual authority. He will give the sound of divinity just to transfer us from one state of consciousness to another. This is a spiritual awakening.
May be you had a bad dream, a nightmare, but when you are awake, you do not pay attention. You are not so much concerned, because you know, that this was only a dream. Just like bad dream – no, no, this was not reality, this was just a dream! In the same way, if we come to the liberated platform of consciousness, whatever experience you have had so far, you will consider it as a dream, a bad dream. Now we think that what we perceive, this is reality. But do not forget: this is only a trick of illusion. It does not exist. Maya, illusion means “not that”. Seems to be real, but this is not real, this is a dream.
And in this so to say “normal” state of consciousness when you meet the devotees, they will tell you about a different level and you will say: “No, you are living in dreams, my dears. This is just a dream what you say. Beauty?! Harmony?! Selfless service?! God – dancing and singing?!? Aha, you are leaving in a dream. You are talking about some… golden robbers?! It is a dream.” But they say: “No, no, no! This is reality!” Therefore it is very difficult for people on different level of consciousness to understand each-other. Objective reality is very subjective. But there is Someone, who directs this whole game, this whole play. Krishna is playing the flute and everybody is dancing accordingly.
*„Bhagavad-gita” 2.26