Sharanagati

(from lecture of B.K.Tirtha Maharaj, 27.02.2007, Sofia)

“Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.” *

You can go on with your austerities for lifetimes, but by the divine touch of a pure devotee it is easier to understand how Krishna is the Supreme. This verse describes the different activities of the senses: like hearing, seeing… One sees that the soul is amazing, one has the vision that the soul is amazing, another has heard, the other thinks – like this. But others do not understand the wonders of the soul even after hearing about them. Actually these are the methods, these are the ways to understand these wonders.

Let’s take observing. Introspection or observation is one major spiritual path. This is the monastic way. They hide somewhere up in the mountains, secluded, isolated from the society, and they lead a different lifestyle – praying a lot and watching, observing the world. By observing how people live, what problems they face and how life is flowing, you can understand a lot. Putting a seed in the earth and after half a year reaping the harvest, you will understand so much. You will understand that it is not your power to produce your bread. In these activities it is very easy to recognize the divine touch of God.

Observation also means elimination: eliminate what is not the soul. Consciousness will examine itself, search for itself. It tries to identify itself and first tries to eliminate what is not itself: I am not the body, I am not matter, I am not even my thoughts. Something beyond. If we are determined and strong enough in our research, then we can find what is not the soul. Let’s take pain for example. Who feels the pain?

Hari-lila: The mind. Actually the brain experiences everything.

Tirtha Maharaj: So then pain exists or not?

Hari-lila: Only in the brain.

Tirtha Maharaj: Easy to say when you have no pain. Immediately when you have a little toothache, you will have a different opinion, right? You will say: “Ah! This is very real! Pain is too much real.” And if somebody comes and tells you: “O, it is just your mind,” you will kick him out.

But, correct: the pain is a malfunction of the body, which is reflected in the mind as pain. Still through the mind the feeling is transmitted to the soul, because ultimately the soul is the perceiver.

The search for identity is a long search. “I am not the body,” all right, we understand easily. But “I am not the mind” – this is more difficult to understand. So observation and elimination go together. And if by this deep search you will come to the vision of the soul, then it is a very blissful state.

*„Bhagavad-gita” 2.29