Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 11.01.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Friday)

One part of our life is tamasic, in a positive manner – all that provides stability. For example, in our bodily constitution we can say that the bones are tamasic. Or sleeping is basically tamasic. But what about the sleep of pure devotees? If we are simple human beings, we dream of success, we dream of our heroes. But the saints, they have different dreams. 

And you know, the nature of the dreams is very unique. Once there was a poor man. He was so poor that he always dreamt of wealth. One day he fell asleep on his bed and he had a dream. In this dream he had a pot full of gold. This earthen pot was hanging over his bed. He was so happy that finally, after so much suffering, he could achieve his wealth! He was dreaming of how to fulfill all the desires that he had had before. He said in his dream, ‘Ah, I can enjoy this, I can have that’, and he was so excited that he started to dance in his dream. But a dance in a dream is a jerk in reality. So, he was throwing his different bodily parts on his bed so much so, that in his dream he kicked the pot hanging over the bed. And then all his wealth was lost. 

The nature of our dreams is very similar. If we simply want to fulfill the basic instincts of life, then it’s not really a dream, it’s a nightmare. There must be some higher meaning of life, as we have achieved this very unique, special form as a human being. In the Manu Samhita it is said that a human being starts on a moral platform. For example, you don’t steal. Stealing means you try to enjoy the property of someone else. And if we don’t understand that everything belongs to God Supreme, then we are thieves, we try to enjoy the possessions of someone else. You try to enjoy the facilities of others, of God. You take water, you take air, you take food, you take intelligence, you take chances in life without paying any price – it’s not nice. If we don’t offer something, then although it looks like a human life, it’s not. In other places the shastra, the Vedanta Sutra, says: “Athato brahma jigyasa – Now that you have taken birth as a human being, it is time to reflect, it is time to search for God Supreme.”[1] This is the beginning of a real human life – when we start our spiritual search. 

So, if we want to improve the quality of our life, first we have to inquire about real human qualities and then to try to go beyond these general human qualities. And according to my understanding, to improve our life doesn’t mean that we try to enjoy all the facilities. We can recognize a real human being by two things: that he is ready to take responsibility, and he is ready for sacrifice. Responsibility is like sharing the duty of maintaining this created world – it’s a beautiful job. Some sages say that human beings are like co-creators, they share this job and responsibility of creating and maintaining this beautiful world with God. I mean, God shares this responsibility with the humans. So, this is responsibility. You are responsible for yourself. You are responsible for your beloved ones. We are all responsible for this planet. There are many different layers of responsibilities that we have to take. 

And how to express our willingness to take all these responsibilities? This is through sacrifice. Therefore, in the ancient times it was suggested, especially for householders, to make sacrifices every day. And sacrifice depends on fire. The fire of the home – the fire for cooking, because life is centered around eating and cooking and nourishment – this fire of the home is like a sacrificial fire. We have another sacred fire – this is the fire of the fire ceremonies, where we bring grain, flowers, some little karma also, to burn it up. And finally, you have a third type of fire, that is the chemical fire of digestion. It is burning inside your body and you need to feed this fire to keep your mind peaceful. So, this is another kind of sacrifice – to feed others, to keep this fire of digestion satisfied. Through all these sacrifices, through all these fire offerings, you can express your gratitude and you can show your readiness to take the responsibility. So, responsibility and sacrifice go very close, hand by hand.

(to be continued)

1. Vedanta Sutra 1.1.1