Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 02.05.2018, Rila)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question of Tejasvini: Gurudev, it’s like an old topic coming again and again during the long-long years. With you we are discussing from time to time that sometimes we have some experiences and sometimes we feel that something is happening, that there is some arrangement, but mostly we cannot decide if this is really divine or our senses make us believe so. Could you please give us some advice, so that we will not be misled.

Swami Tirtha: All right, you can use either philosophy or theology to decide what is what. Through this you can get two pieces of the cake – sat and chit.

But really this is very important, because you know, life for most of the human beings is very difficult, like they are burdened with their lives. People want to find some escape or some good advice or some relaxation. Therefore they are hunting, chasing after some enjoyment, some experience, some way to forget about the difficulties, about the realities of life. They have all been going through that for millions of lifetimes so far; they were chasing after this and that daydream and have failed. ‘Before I though I was clever although I was not, but now I’m clever! Because now I started my spiritual practice. And now I’m hunting for my spiritual experience.’ So, the same deception is there. You are suffering so much that you want a feedback, you want to perceive something.

But sorry, it will not happen this way. You shouldn’t chase after spiritual experience, but you should be so pure that the spiritual experience is chasing after you. And fortunately we belong to a school, a tradition where our masters are not chasing after spiritual experience, but they are doing their service, they are committed to their service.

Let’s take Shrila Shridhara Maharaj. I don’t know how you see him, but I see him as one in a century. So exceptional! And although he was in full capacity of his realization in all possible ways and platforms, Gurudev told us that only once he heard him say something truly exceptional. Usually he was giving his lectures and discourses on the veranda of his temple. And one time he finished and started to enter his room; then he turned back a little bit towards the devotees and said: “If you knew where I will enter now…” It’s enough for a qualified audience. Only once, half a sentence. But it was very obvious that he was not entering his room, he is entering a different level of consciousness. So, from this one sentence you can understand the person. The quality of his approach.

We don’t chase after spiritual experience. But if some lightning strikes us while we are chanting, what can we do? Some little electricity. And somehow I’m sure that if we are sincere with ourselves, we shall not cheat ourselves.

(to be continued)