Sharanagati

This is a disaster. You put your faith, you offer your faith to somebody – and he turns you down. That’s a very difficult situation. And no doubt that most of the people become so frustrated in such a moment, that they give up everything. Because I feel that most of the people are monogamic type. They want to devote themselves to ONE. Even if men go to prostitutes they have only one wife. Wife is one. First love is one. You can lose your virginity only once. Not a second time. So the same intensity, the same feeling, the same dedication – I doubt that it is possible to give to another person, if you had given fully yourself to someone. Still God’s mercy never leaves you. Because if He wants to save you, He has all the capacity to do that. And if such a leader or such an authority is a false one, He will remove that – in order to clear your path. Don’t forget that God is serving you. He is working for your benefit. Even if by frustration, by these hurt feelings we might think that “how did I deserved that?!” This is a natural response: “Why me?!” But we can come to the conclusion that this is also for my benefit. Some obstacle is removed.

Blind faith does not help. But real investigation, real penetration – that helps. And if we depend on God’s mercy, He will give us what we need.

Knowledge can be transmitted easily. But finally we are searching for emotions, Bhakti. Knowledge we can collect in so many places. But pure Bhakti you should take from pure source. And if something is disturbing our finding the real source, then Krishna will clear your path, He will take away the disturbing element.

If we had offered something to Krishna through a person – did we loose anything? May be we had lost some illusions. But that is good to come to our senses, however painful it is. Because truth is always painful. There is no comfort in the truth! Truth is always very heavy to tolerate. It’s just like a burden.
Therefore we are not searching for truth, we are not searching for the truthful God, we are searching for the merciful God. And you should also exercise mercy. Even if you are cheated, be merciful.

Just like the previous pope – he was assassinated, he was shot by assassinator. So what was he doing? Most of the people thought that this is a fulfillment of a very ancient prediction about him, it was under some divine arrangement, they understood. But what he was doing? He was praying for the assassinator. And after some time when he recovered, he went to the prison and forgave him. Finally somebody not only talking about the real Christian qualities, but DOING! “Treat your enemy like your friend. “

And a falling guru is not shutting bullets on you. This situation takes away only our illusions, not our life, our existence. So we should be forgetful, we should be compassionate, merciful. Take the good results from the bad situation.

Even if the faith of thousands was ruined? Is it by chance? Or has some good reason? Don’t blame the circumstances. Until we blame someone else because of our suffering, then we don’t understand really. If Krishna gives you happiness and flying in your spiritual life, you think: “I deserve that. This is natural for me.” When little suffering He gives you, to shake you: “Listen to ME! Follow ME!” – then you say: “O! How cruel you are!” Come on!

The main problem is that we want to tell Krishna how He should serve us. “I’m ready to achieve Your mercy, I’m ready to receive Your mercy – if You give it like this and like that. Other mercy is not for me. Here are my good friends – exercise Your mercy on them!” Leave this up to Him, what He gives you. But we should have the firm faith that He is working for our benefit. He is using your spiritual master and your frustration – both – for your benefit.

And you should read the beautiful book of Shrila Shridhara Maharaj, which is entitled “The loving search for the lost servant”. Not for the perfected souls, not for the perfected servants – but for the LOST servants. Because when you are down, you know which way is up.