Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 06.01.2018 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Friday)

These days we discussed certain types of relationships between human beings and the Supreme Lord. And these divine relationships are reflected in our daily human life. One such relationship was the neutral relationship. What happens if we associate with the angels in a neutral way? Nothing. ‘Angel – all right. I am still the same.’

If our resistance starts to melt a little bit, then some positive feeling will manifest. This is when from an outsider I start to become an insider. Then some service mood will manifest. ‘All right, he is an angel wearing white robes. But this world is so contaminated, his white trousers always become dirty, so I am ready to clean his trousers.’ Or ‘He is flying all over, I want to give some food to him so that he can fly further.’ Some service mood is there.

As soon as we start to treat our angels with service mood, they will accept it. If you are in a passive disposition, they will accept your passive, neutral disposition, but there is no feedback. If you start to be more active, they will accept it. If we take one step further and if we try to establish some friendship with these angels, they will act like friends – it’s a much more intimate, much more intensive connection. And when we take further steps, they are ready to respond in the way we try to approach them. So very soon we can understand that our spiritual master is our eternal father, for example, taking all possible care of us. If you have such a father, that’s a good feeling, right? I have no care about my life, because he takes care of it.

So, everything is based on relationship. And if we go further and further in our spiritual understanding, spiritual enlightenment, we shall see more refined and more delicate aspects of the saints around us. Try to find the saints in your life. Find your angels and follow them. That is the divine path. And if our master instructs us in spiritual life, then we have to follow.

Question: What happens if you let your hand be held by an angel, and what happens if you let him lead you?

Swami Tirtha: You will fly. Then the real transformation will start. Because an angel, or a spiritual personality, comes from a different plane of existence. But we have no information of that. Do you remember the feeling when you visit an unknown city, for example? You don’t know where to go, where to turn. That’s a very strange feeling, you feel stranded. You don’t speak the language, you have a lot of problems. Just imagine yourself – all of a sudden you are transferred to the spiritual sky. It is an unknown place for us. ‘I know Sofia, but I don’t know the spiritual sky. Please, somebody guide me. Where is the telephone? Where is the Ladies’ Market[1]?’ I tell you, in the spiritual sky there must be Ladies’ Market. It’s called Gopi Bazar. You know, somebody has to guide us, somebody has to introduce us: “Come with me! This is your place, feel safe. Don’t worry.” That’s the guide. The guide – then you will feel safe. ‘Even though I don’t know the place, I trust that I am under full care.’

So, what happens if an angel takes our hand? He will lead us – through fire and water, and thorny bushes, and unexpected experiences on the path of eternity. So be prepared for an exiting journey. Excitement – this will happen, but of a spiritual type. And why? Because that land is made up of mercy. These messengers are representatives of ultimate mercy.

(to be continued)

[1] A well-known marketplace in Sofia