Sharanagati

 

Question of Yadunath: How is our tradition referring to sat-guru? Sat-guru is our teacher life after life beyond the bodies, beyond the single lifetime.

Swami Tirtha: I think we were discussing this for the last two-three occasions. Only a sat-shishya can touch the sat-guru. Asat-shishya cannot touch the sat-guru. It’s very clear. But we are so ambitious. We want sat-guru! We want guru deluxe. 

Actually therefore I chose this chapter[1] – to show the depth of guru-tattva. We should never think that: ‘Today I have understood everything about my spiritual master! Now I know how this guru service functions!’ Don’t think like that! It’s a progressive thing, it’s always growing. Don’t limit your masters that because they have achieved such a great level of perfection, they cannot come one step closer to God. They can. Their life is also progressive, their connection is also growing. Even sat-guru is growing. Even the divine part is growing. It’s expanding, because he wants to find a way to people. It’s an active principle. Therefore how to serve sat-guru? How to serve this divine desire to grow, to expand? How to? 

Answer: ‘Chant’ because this is the answer to “how to” questions.  

Swami Tirtha:  But this was not a standard question. “To chant more” is a proper answer to your “how to” questions. So, how to serve the divine desire to expand?

Comment: If we are unfolding. 

Swami Tirtha: Yes, and how to do that? By preaching. You sit here like you’ve never heard that. How could we serve the divine desire to reach everyone? No idea! It’s very simple! It’s very simple! If you share what you have, it will grow. For you and in general also. And for the person whom it is given. That shows that it’s divine nature. It’s not of material nature. 

Sat-guru is working for the eternal benefit of us. Therefore we should also remunerate him on the eternal platform. It is said in the glorification mantras: “I offer my eternal services at you lotus feet!” This is not only some poetic expression, this is the way to show our gratitude and our willingness to join this divine unfoldment. So, in one sense we have to search for sat-guru in our individual master. 

Yadunath: Thank you for this revelation. Can we say that sat-guru is a sat-chit-ananda guru? Or these are three different aspects that could be represented by three different personalities? 

Swami Tirtha: Good point! Actually sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana are also three. Sambandha is the connection ‘I belong to the Supreme!’ Abhidheya is the practice: ‘What should I do? What is the practical execution of my devotional service’? And prayojana is ‘my goal’. So sat is sambandha ‘I belong to God!’ This is the truth! This is the reality! And if somebody informs me about that, this is the sat-guru aspect. This was Sanatana Goswami. Then who is the chit-guru? Chit is intellect, right? Not only physical or material intellect, but the conscious part. So, we must have some information about that – how to do it properly. Although we usually don’t say chit-guru but we say chaitya-guru – it’s the same. Chaitya is our inner consciousness, so it’s connected to the chit-platform of existence. And what is the goal? Generally, what is the goal of life? It’s happiness, fulfillment, ananda. That is represented by Ragunatha das Goswami. This is our goal, right. 

So, these three aspects can be found in the three main deities and three main Goswamis of Vrinadavana. It’s very nice to make the structure: main deities, main servants, main ideas, main practices. And then you can collect, because more and more understanding will come to you, so you can enhance our list.

Usually we glorify our spiritual masters. Part of this glorification is the Vyasa puja book, where we write some little offerings to our master. And usually devotees in their offerings speak about themselves. “I feel so fortunate to be connected to you! For the last year I didn’t do anything substantial. But now this is a good occasion to remember”. This is one type of offerings. The second type of offering is highly theoretical. “Oh, Gurudev you are the representative of guru-tattva and number of quotations, and this, and that” – very long, describing ‘our expertise in philosophy’. While a very dear brother of mine also wrote an offering to his master. And he said “I just like when you dance.” This was his offering. 

So, there is no end of discussing guru-tattva and shishya-tattva. “I like when you dance!” I think this is a real glorification. This person must have achieved the blessings of Ragunatha das Goswami, because this is a rasic offering. This offering is not about myself, this offering is not about some theoretical dry philosophy. This is something very essential. And when one young devotee wanted to join this brother of mine as his spiritual master, he told me: “I want to be his disciple because his choice is always proper. He always decides properly”. I had to support him and I told him: “Yes, if you join him, you will always be able to decide properly.” Because by sincere following, the qualities of the master will come to the disciple. Such an eye! The eye to see Sri Guru.