Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 09.05.2019, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

“Owing to the mother’s eating bitter, pungent foodstuffs, or food which is too salty or too sour, the body of the child incessantly suffers pain, which is almost intolerable. Placed within the amnion and covered outside by the intestines, the child remains lying on one side of the abdomen, his head turned towards his belly, and his back and neck arched like a bow.”[1] It’s a very, very difficult condition. Have you ever thought about that, from that perspective?
“The child thus remains just like a bird in a cage, without freedom of movement.” And in one sense, we are still birds in a cage, with a very limited freedom of movement. Many times we cherish our freedom: ‘I can go to Vienna’, for example. I have the freedom of the desire. But where is the freedom of action? Sometimes it doesn’t happen. Or even if I can go there, I cannot go to the Moon. So, we are very much limited in many senses. Just like a bird in a cage.
“At that time, if the child is fortunate, he can remember all the troubles of his past one hundred births, and he grieves wretchedly. What is the possibility of peace of mind in that condition? Thus, endowed with the development of consciousness from the seventh month after his conception, the child is tossed downward by the airs that press the embryo during the weeks preceding delivery.” Etc. etc.
But here we have got a clue. If the embryo is fortunate, he can remember a hundred previous lifetimes. That means you can achieve a very detailed and high level of consciousness in this state of mind inside the womb. To be aware of a hundred previous lifetimes – I think it’s quite a high standard. Does anybody have any memories of some previous lifetimes? Not so much. Why not? Why do humans usually not have any memories from their past lives? For sure, this is not the first birth that they have to take. And where is the memory? Because there comes a very shocking event for the soul and this is taking birth. In this embryonic state you might achieve an almost enlightened state of mind. But most probably you will lose it.
Therefore we say that taking birth is a kind of shocking experience. It’s suffering. No doubt, there are some beautiful moments, because the miracle starts to happen. Life starts to conceive and to grow – it’s a magic. You can become a servant of this magic principle of life. It’s a mystery of life. Giving birth, or becoming a mother or a father, it’s like an initiation into the mystery of life – no doubt in that. That is the spiritual part. But if we miss this opportunity, then this is a very insignificant and bitter experience for the child. Irrespective of having any memory of past lives or not. It doesn’t really matter. But we can develop our consciousness in such a manner that we predict our future. We cannot really change our past. But we can help formulate our future.
And something that is very, very important, that Shridhara Maharaj says: “Your future is the best way to influence your past.” It’s just great! Please remember it. That is a mind-blowing expression. You cannot change your past; but you can, if you create a spiritual future for yourself. If you work on that, you will be able to change your past. That means, you can open the door of the cage. We are birds in a cage, but by spiritual practice we can open that cage.

(to be continued)

1.  Shrimad Bhagavatam 3.31.7-8