Sharanagati

Question of Yugala Kishora: Gurudev, you said that the perfect situation is when you dedicate everything and expect nothing in return. But in our condition this is difficult to be achieved. And for a beginner it can be very discouraging. How to approach such a beginner in order not to be frightened and to keep his enthusiasm? Because anyway for the beginner this is the real situation, he is having some expectations, they can be minimum expectations, but they exist.

Tirtha Maharaj: The difference between the rat and the squirrel is not big. But the squirrel has better PR. I do not know if this is an answer to your question. We can make the PR for Krishna, so that we can sell His picture in a better way, but actually He is all-attractive. Still, sometimes, for those, who are not ready to jump, He uses certain different methods to convince people. What kind of methods? A little earthquake here and there or some other type of material suffering. Sometimes He makes miracles here and there. Or He makes promises:  “Just come to Me, join My campaign, you will be happy!” There is this very beautiful special place in Vrindavana, this very meaningful temple where there is a tree, under which Krishna was playing His flute. This is the Vamshi-vata tree. In this place Krishna plays the flute to invite the souls to join His group. The flour of that temple is covered with marble. What is the color? Black and white. Just imagine, all the flour is covered with black and white tiles. It is a big yard around the tree, the tree is in the middle. Around on the wall the rasa dance is depicted – one Krishna, one gopi, one Krishna, one gopi, one Krishna, one gopi – just to show that He is not playing His flute in vain. There are some who join His campaign. Sometimes He really makes His invitation, but when you start your search or when you start to join His campaign then He says: “Why did you come? What you are searching for? Why you do not go home? This is not nice that you are running up and down here in the dead of the night.” It makes your heart break. And that is also depicted in the yard of this temple, because in certain places you see some silver drops on the black and white marble. Which is definitely not some metal there, but the condensed teardrops of the devotees, whose loving search forKrishna is so intensive that they cannot tolerate without tears. And as Shrila Sadhu Maharaj says: “Life is suffering, so let’s suffer forKrishna!”

We should not make an easy and empty propaganda on Him. We should not cheat people. We should tell them that if you joinKrishna’s campaign you will have some troubles. But these troubles are meaningful. These are for you, not against you! We have to be realistic. Nevertheless if you do not join the devotional campaign, you will lose something? What? More suffering, more problems? No! You will lose the nectar. Because just remember the times before you have met the devotees. What was the quality of your life? Happy illusion. And what is the quality of your life now? Struggling spiritually. To be realistic.

But this struggle is worth fighting. And you know, to tell you the truth, I would not exchange a drop of this suffering for the whole happiness outside in this world.

You are a good cook, so you know that a pinch of the opposite taste will bring out the original, the majority of taste. Therefore – these are secret teachings, do not pay attention – to make a really good khalva, sweet like anything, you have to add a little salt. Opposition enhances the beauty.

Devotional life is sweet – with a bitter drop even in the sweetest moments. But we have to decide whether it is so sweet, that it becomes bitter, or it is so bitter, that it is already sweet. Never mind, the taste will be very similar.