Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 12.08.2018, Ludasto)

I was thinking a lot about the different topics that we have to cover. And as usual, I was thinking to give you some bitter drops. But then I decided: why? We have received so many bitter drops during our lifetime. Let’s change for some nectarian drops. So, what do you want? The bitter pills or some nectarian drops?

Comment: From you even the bitter is very sweet.

Swami Tirtha: I see you are well trained in eloquence. We have to cover some bitter realities of life, but definitely we need to strive for some nectarian perspective as well. Because we definitely cannot be pessimistic. It is out of the question. Maybe sometimes we can be realistic. But basically we have to be optimistic. And in the final conclusion we have to be idealistic. Therefore, to fulfil all these different purposes, I suggest one topic as a study: How to be a good devotee. Do you agree?

This is not the basics of spiritual life. This is the postgraduate study. First we need to understand our original spiritual position. Second, we have to identify our highest objective, our goal. And then we have to understand how to reach that goal, what to do about it. From the limited experience of material life we need to come to a kind of perfected stage of existence. But beyond this perfection, the beauty will begin. They say that philosophy ends with the truth and religion starts with the beauty.

So, where shall we start? With the brutal experience of material life? Do you like that start? Or shall we discuss this boring perfection? Everything is so perfect that practically nothing happens. Or let’s start discussing the beauty, the beauty of spiritual existence – real life.

You are all very experienced practitioners. So, what can I say? All I can say is Hare Krishna, or Jay Radhe! And I think you will expand this for yourself. But how to pronounce this more and more properly – this is the question, this is the know-how of spiritual life. And where can we learn this know-how of spiritual life – how to become real devotees? The ultimate source is Chaitanya Charitamrita. Because when God comes as a devotee, as Mahaprabhu, to show what kind of feeling this is – there we have to pay the attention. Some criticize Mahaprabhu: “He is not reliable. He is fainting all the time”. But this is what we are searching for.

Once I visited India, in New Delhi I visited one bookstore. And those who know me, they know that this is very dangerous – it takes half a day. There was one very respectable Indian gentleman and he said, “Oh, very nice that you came to Bharata Varsha. What is your destination? Which places will you visit?”  I said, “Well, here and there, and finally we shall go to Vrindavan.” He said: “Vrindavan? Why? Why not Benares? There is knowledge. In Vrindavan there is only bhakti. Only bhakti is there. Why would you go there?” In the question there is the answer. Therefore we go to Vrindavan, therefore we study the Chaitanya Charitamrita, because we want to learn this science, we want to know this topic.

(to be continued)