Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 05.01.2016, morning, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question of Baladev: In yesterday’s lecture and today’s also you talk about medicine. We understood about the general remedy that can heal the sufferings here and now. And we also talked about the pill that doesn’t work to achieve ecstasy. Unfortunately my job obviously is to sell the medicine of the second type – it doesn’t work…

Swami Tirtha: It should work on a certain platform.

Baladev: Yes, it should. But majority of people, like Shrila Prabhupad says 90%, believe in this type of medicine and now I understand why they are mad. My question is about the practical steps – how to balance, how to give more of the real medicine?

Swami Tirtha: Red pill project. Well, let’s differentiate between our job and our mission; our passion and our mission. Our job is to maintain in a proper manner our family, let’s say. But our mission in life is to serve the divine purpose. And how can we serve the divine purpose? By telling the truth to more and more people, for example.

Well, shall I say chant the vishnu vishnu vishnu mantra over your chemicals? Because how can we offer salt? Some salt is missing from your soup; how can you offer salt to Krishna – He will not take it like it is! If you are hungry and you take some salt, then you will be thirsty. No, then we say vishnu vishnu vishnu – to sanctify the salt and then you can put it in your soup. In the same way if you have some products and you chant this vishnu vishnu vishnu to sanctify the stuff, don’t be surprised that after some time 60% of our population will dance in ecstasy. Because we never know what will be the result.

But to be serious about your question: somehow we have to harmonize our activities with our spiritual ambitions. And if we can generate some energy in one field, we should use that energy in the other field. For example, there was one world champion in body building many years back and he was a vegetarian. He could generate a lot of energy, a lot of attention in one field and he used it to propagate a good cause – to be veg. In the same way, if we can generate any kind of energy in our job – like influence or trust of people or some assets – we can use all those assets in spiritual sense.

But the prasadam principle is very strong. It works in a very subtle way, but purifies the consciousness so much, that people will be able to be more receptive. So if in your charity activities you distribute let’s say some fruits, if you offer the fruits, then people will be able to take prasadam. It’s a very good chance for them – to be connected somehow. And as we understood, they will continue from this.

(to be continued)