Sharanagati

Collected words from talks of Swami Tirtha




Once it was a very sweet discussion: a very nice devotee raised a question. He said: “Well, if we are dedicated to Krishna, but if we have some other inclination in our heart, some attention, given to somebody else” – that means that I divide my heart betweenKrishnaand somebody else – “then how He will take it?” Now you can come with your expectations: ah, He should be tolerant enough, more tolerant that a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, He should tolerate my stupidities. But you know, this person was just newly married; so I asked: “I think you are married, right?” He said: “Yes, I am married.” Then I asked: “Well, how would you feel if your wife is very loving and very obedient to you, but she has somebody else in her heart also?” No more questions.

We cannot do that with our beloved God. “I love you, but I love myself also.” We cannot do that. We should give our love, not preserve it. Because remember, the more you give, the more you will receive. And as Shrila Prabhupad has written: “Life comes from life.” Consciousness comes from consciousness. And love comes from love. And from love love comes. Nothing else. IfKrishnais the love of God, tell me a second thing that comes from Him except love? This should be our vision. This should be our offering.

Giridhari: Still there is some internal contradiction. You cannot love only God without loving anybody else.

Tirtha Maharaj: Of course! I do not feel any contradiction here.

Giridhari: It comes because all our love should be directed to God.

Tirtha Maharaj: Ah, I see. What to do?! It is difficult. Well, if we love God generally, Krishna is so great; to love Him, we cannot encompass Him with our understanding. Let us chose one part. One part of His body. We know that He is transcendental, one little portion can fulfill all the roles, so let us take one piece. One piece is the same like the whole, the whole is too big, so let us take a smaller portion that we can accomplish. My suggestion is: let us take His heart. Because without the heart the body will not function and we know that some essential energies are in the heart, so let us take the heart. And ultimately we are practicing bhakti-yoga, the yoga of emotions, so which other part you can take from God than His heart! And it is suggested that you should continue the search until you find. So, first you search the body of Krishna – this is the feet, this is the chest and inside there is the heart. Then you take your knife and cut: what is there inside the heart? Let see what is there hidden in the heart? And what will you find in the heart of Krishna? Pure devotees. Heart of Krishna contains the pure devotees. So again, we cannot get rid of these vaishnavas around. Yet at least we got rid of those, who are future vaishnavas – who are not pure devotees yet. But then you will meet a great problem. Because there is someone, whose heart is greater even fromKrishna’s heart. Who is that only person, whose heart is greater even fromKrishna’s heart? From the heart of God! This is the heart of the Goddess. Shrimati Radharani’s heart is even greater thanKrishna’s heart. She can invite all in the service.

So, if we take the essential part ofKrishna– His heart – we shall meet the pure devotees there. And if we take a pure devotee, in his heart we shall meetKrishna. Shrila Shridhara Maharaj describes this: what is this exceptional power and vibration that is around the pure devotees? What is their ideal, what is their inspiration? You will find it in their hearts – this isKrishna, residing in the hearts of the pure devotees. This is the way to love Him and His servants. And do not forget, love is not divided, it is multiplied. This is the secret of transcendental love.

Question of Krishna Priya: Does it mean that if you give your love to a human being, you again give it toKrishna? If you give your love to a human being, effectively you give it to the Lord.

Tirtha Maharaj: If you have that vision… But if you do not have that high, spiritual vision then it is a mistake. If we are on the level to see the soul, then it is possible. Because then it is not the body that we love, but it is the soul that we share our feelings with. Until you are not on that platform, focus your attention. And in this perspective see everybody else. Because Krisna is emanating a very special light. Although He is dark, still He is emanating a light, a divine brightness. So in understanding Him you can understand the others. If you see everybody as servant of the lord, then you can freely share your feelings. But we should never mix, we should never misunderstand the distorted earthly feelings and the divine spiritual affection. One is kama, the other is prema. Kama is selfish, involves your selfish enjoyment; prema is divine – only between the souls. So we should not mix. We should not think that one can be exchanged with the other.



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