Sharanagati

Question of Lilavatar: How could we combine our material duties with spiritual surrender?

Tirtha Maharaj: Well, the Third Chapter of the “Gita” concerns this topic. This is the art of action. And in case you don’t find fully satisfying answers in the Third Chapter, then you should study the Fifth Chapter, because that chapter is about the perfection of activity in dedication. So we should understand the method of activities and the workings of activities, and also we have to enter into the mystery of activity.

Generally we can say that we have to act, but we should not be attached to the fruits. This is like the basic principle of spiritual activity: do, but don’t be attached. As spiritual practitioners we should perform even better than before, but we should not be attached.

Otherwise Krishna says: “Offer to Me whatever you have, whatever you possess, whatever you desire, whatever you sacrifice, whatever you acquire – give everything to Me. Always think of Me, offer your dandavats to Me, worship Me.” And then in other places He says: “If you have that very deep mood of connection and dedication and if you perform your daily activities never forgetting Me, if you are conscious of Me while performing your duty, then this is perfection.“ Therefore we have to train ourselves to be connected and to have the proper vision.

And maybe you don’t see Krishna like a bluish form in front of you, but don’t forget, once a disciple of Shrila Prabhupada told him: “Ah, Prabhupad, while I’m chanting I see a blue haze around me,” and Prabhupad said: “Go on chanting, it will disappear soon!” So we are not running after such visions or achievements or whatever. But we must have the proper vision, such a purified vision that God should not be able to hide from our eyes. And if you desire to be connected so deeply and so intensely, then how can He disappear from your eyes?

Have you been in love? Ah, sorry, this is a very intimate question. When we are in love, we see only one person. And even if you see another person, you will remember the one. This is real love – when you forget about yourself, when you forget about others, when you see only one.

You understand what I mean. When you are focused so much on divinity, then He can never hide. But in order to be connected we have to be very strong and very determined in our practices. You are also a yoga teacher, right? So, one yoga teacher told to the disciples: “If you don’t forget about eating and sleeping, how can you forget about your asanas?” So if thinking of God Supreme becomes like a natural breath and when the pumping of your heart will say: “Ra-dha Ra-dha Ra-dha” how can you forget that? It’s impossible! Wherever you go, whatever you do, it does not matter – if you are connected, you are connected.

This is not a cheap thing. We can say, we can repeat, but to really possess that – that’s different. “Ra-dha Ra-dha…” Yogis say only “So-ham”. This is all they say. Which is also very high, but our hearts beat: “Ra-dha Ra-dha”. Some hearts beat “Krish-na Krish-na”. Third type of hearts say: “Gou-ra, Gou-ra.” Or “gu-ru’?

So we have to apply the proper method to purify the consciousness, to focus the attention, to come to a realized platform. And we can achieve that by giving the two possessions – our life and our love.