Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 17.08.2018, Ludasto)

(continues from the previous Friday)

Your question[1] about sambhoga and vipralambha concerned more the practitioner’s side. I think here Mahaprabhu’s advice and guidance is applicable – He said that vipralambha is the safe way. Of course, siddha-deha, or your perfected body and perfected identity, we can say, is a different question. Because if I’m not mistaken, Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakura says that there are two types of siddha-deha. One is the fully realized, after you pass away and you return to join the lilas – this is one type. And the other type is what you imagine here, what you have in your chitta here, while having a body. This is called the chintita or ‘well thought”. Antash-chintita – in the conscious depth of your existence it’s well thought and internally created.

Now, we might open a debate which siddha-deha is better: the ultimately reached siddha-deha that you will receive in the spiritual realm or this siddha-deha that you create in your imagination; and imagination is not a fantasy. Imagination is an occult mystic power, a creative intelligence. In this creative imagination you can create something that will start to manifest later on; imagination in that sense. So there is a debate whether this or that type of siddha-deha is superior. And Vishvanath says that this latter one, the antash-chintita siddha-deha is higher. He accepts this one as higher – while in the body.

But there are some other points to consider here. The opinion of Jiva Goswami, for example. He was an ardent propagator of the unity – in that sense that Krishna is not transgressing the limitations. In general we know that Krishna is a kind of seducer. He likes to take the attention of all. In madhurya-lila there are the official relationships and there are the non-official relationships. And because Jiva Goswami saw the future, that this will be a major problem and a major excuse for people – ‘if God behaves like this, then I can also behave like that’ – therefore, he didn’t propagate this side of the lilas. Actually in madhurya, in loving relationships, svakiya and parakiya are there. Svakiya is ‘mine’ and parakiya is ‘other’s’. So, to take your lady is no problem. To take somebody else’s lady, it’s a little immoral. But not for Him. Because if everything belongs to Him, if all the ladies of the three worlds are attracted to Him, plus in their siddha-deha all the husbands belong to Him – then what’s the problem? So, maybe the ladies have to preach to the husbands very vehemently. “Wait a minute, I don’t go to another one. You also come with me to this Krishna.”

So, this is one side to consider. First was which is higher, so to say. This antash-chintita siddha-deha was accepted as something very high. The second was Jiva Goswami’s opinion about svakhya and parakya. And there are many unusual or strange practices of some devotees when they want to develop an identity to serve Krishna in a more intimate manner. Some try to change their external conditions. Others are not bothering with that.

But then the question comes, “What about us?” When I was thinking about this question, considering many points, I came to the conclusion that simply talking about certain spiritual objectives is different from possessing these achievements. So, if a neophyte devotee is given an identity, so to say, an ID card in Vrindavan – this is your siddha-deha – my understanding about this is that he has received a method of meditation, an ideal; but you should go for this ideal, this is one direction for you. It doesn’t mean that you have already reached that identity. But basically, our innermost line has the opinion that by following the practice, slowly-slowly this spiritual identity will develop, will reveal to the practitioner. And then it is suggested to check it with somebody who can give some guidance concerning that realization.

Ultimately, we are searching for ourselves, for our original identity. ‘What is my role in eternity?’ – I think this is the proper question. If we receive some advice here or if we have some realizations there and it will integrate into our conception and help us to improve in our commitment, bring us closer to our dear most spiritual ideals, then take it. We need to develop this ability to judge what is what, what is proper and what is improper, what is useful for my spiritual growth and what is not. Of course, it is due to some blessings, some clear vision that we can judge what is what.

(to be continued)

[1] Kripadham’s question in the issue Dharma and beyond