Sharanagati

Collected words from talks of Swami Tirtha




(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 18.08.2017 morning, Ludasto)

Life in general is good. Devotional life in specific is better. And accomplished life is best. But what is this accomplishment, what is this perfection? I think during these last days we had an intro into this perfection. The slow perfection is when you have a very focused and very conscious life – you are conscious about the truth, you are conscious about yourself, you are conscious about your activities and you can control whatever you like. But the intensive perfection is when you have accomplished that previous stage and then you lose control. When you are not able to control your mind, your intellect, your feelings any more. But wait a minute, this happens all over. People cannot control anything. People cannot control their speech, their emotions; they are exploding every other moment. Does that mean they are on the platform of intensive perfection? I doubt it. They are passing below the previous standard, not even reaching that level of control.

Therefore, instead of the lack of any control and instead of the slow perfection of control, we have to enter a higher type of perfection, this intensive perfection, where in a very refined way there is this going beyond the expectation.

As I said, life is good; it’s better to live than not to live. Because life means a chance that we can accomplish something. If you come with a mission to this life, then many people will think that you are an egoist. Therefore there are certain rules to follow in order to avoid the mistakes that are automatically involved in life as experience, and in spiritual life in specific also.

It’s difficult to use such high words, but nevertheless we have to find the mission of our life, we have to find the goal of our life. In general we can say that our goal is to find our way back home, back to Godhead. To reintegrate in the spiritual reality. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that the goal of life, or the perfection of life is when we regain the original function of the soul, which is loving and serving mood to the Supreme. And this is a very glorious path. Why? Because it is said, the servant of the king also lives in the palace.

But beyond a formal perfection and official opulent and a little awesome conception of this Supreme reality, we need something that we can experience, we need something that we can live and share accordingly. Spiritual life is something that you can share, that you can live accordingly. It’s not an official regime, but this is your life, this is your… not second – this is your original nature. Krishna also wants to show His merciful approach, His close embrace, not only the official opulent aishvarya mood. Because He also needs close contact.

Let me give you an example for this spiritual life that you can live accordingly. You know in India you will find so many wonderful things. When we were traveling with Dina Bandhu Prabhu, he was very fascinated by the chadar[1]. And all the time, even though he gave more than 100 lectures about his Indian trips to inspire people, every time he mentioned and demonstrated this ‘multifunctional mobile pullover’. This is the chadar, it’s a wonderful piece. And I have to admit I am also in love with chadar. So much so that I wanted to have it as a prestigious sign of a grade of devotees. The original conception was that chadar is only for the brahmins initiated devotees, like a uniform. But then what happens today? This multifunctional brahminical mobile pullover is covering a kid. Because our Lord is merciful, He wants to cover the children. He likes them. ‘Forget about your official conception of uniform. I want to protect them. I like them.’

What do you want to be? A highly puffed up official pandit – or a child? What kind of perfection do you want? Beyond official perfection we need simple perfection. 

[1] Big Indian shawl



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