Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 08.05.2017 morning, Rila)

(continues from the previous Friday)

And finally Shukadeva Goswami said to Maharaja Parikhsit: “O Vishnudatta, those who already know that the soul is separate from the body, who are liberated from the invincible knot in the heart, who are always engaged in welfare activities for all living entities and who never contemplate harming anyone are always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who carries His disc and acts as supreme time to kill the demons and protect His devotees. The devotees always take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord. Therefore at all times, even if threatened by decapitation, they remain unagitated. For them, this is not at all wonderful.”[1]

So, I think we had covered a very instructive story. Please take all the conclusions. Never forget about the worship, this is most important. The worship of the Lord should always go on, irrespective of the ups and downs in our life.

Question of Krishna Priya: What I understood is that Bharata Maharaja had a very fixed consciousness and devotion. And finally he was saved throughout tribulations. But what happens with a person without this sthayi-bhava? And this type of sthayi-bhava or fixed consciousness – what does it depend on?

Swami Tirtha: Good luck. Really, I mean it. Of course good luck in the divine sense means that we achieve the mercy. I had seen devotees very close to their master. Very focused, very rasic, very much directly into the things. Other times other devotees had very big freedom, doing whatever they thought is appropriate as a spiritual service… Both failed. I know I should be more positive. But this is true, it happens like this. Life is sometimes bitter and negative. So, I cannot be always very positive. Both failed. Then I understood: success doesn’t depend on whether you are too close to your master and you suck his blood, or you are very far away from him and you can do whatever you like; it doesn’t help. Whether you are very fixed in fully rasic practices, or you are always trying to find some new ways and you represent prema-bhakti on a heavy metal stage, or whatever – it doesn’t help you! Something else helps us. But what? What? If we have the divine eye over us. Om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti suraya diviva caksuratatam[2] – if the divine eye is observing us. If somehow it doesn’t let us go out from the scope. So, this I call a great fortune. It’s not the external form, it’s not the formalities that will save us. It’s something essential. Something beyond.

But usually sthayi-bhava comes after some tribulation. Because in the beginning you might think: ‘Oh, I have so much. I have achieved so much.’ And divine mercy has to help you to understand how little you have achieved. When you start to lose all your spiritual illusions, then if something remains there, as the core, then you are very fortunate. From that one little point you can start again, now in a more realistic manner. Not floating in your fantasies, but more deeply rooted in spiritual reality.

I know that this is bitter. When I first understood that one devotee gave up his spiritual practices I was horrified and said: ‘It’s just impossible!’ But then I met some others, who gave up some prestigious positions in spiritual life and then stepped back a little bit, but have became so nice persons, so sweet persons. Before they were in a puffed up position, now they become real human beings with some real spiritual essence. So, what is better – to have a puffed up position, or to be a simple servant of God? If something is real, you cannot lose it. If something you have lost – sorry that was not real yet. One illusion less. And I know that this is bitter, because you think that your illusion is real; but it’s not. So, better to go one step closer to the divine truth, the ultimate truth. Even if it is bitter. It should be so bitter, that it’s sweet. This is the shift. The shift! All of a sudden your consciousness, your faith is realized”. That’s the real moment – when you see reality, not your fantasies anymore.

(to be continued)

[1] Shrimad Bhagavatam 5.9.20

[2] Rig Veda 1.22.20