Sharanagati

Question: What is the meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice, why had he sacrificed his life? What is your opinion?

Tirtha Maharaj: Did he die?… Now you mentioned something very important. Sacrifice. Which we also support. But sacrifice is not a death experience. Sacrifice is a life experience. What we have to sacrifice is our shortcomings. And by giving we shall receive. If we give ourselves, thenKrishna will also give Himself. If you give one little portion, He will also give one little portion. But if you devote yourself fully and totally, then what can He do? Just imagine, somebody enters your flat and says: “I am yours. I fully dedicate myself to you, I serve you without any condition; you take care of me. I will stay and wait outside your door. I will not move without your word.” What can you say?! You cannot say: “Hey, get out of here!” You cannot say: “I will not take care of you.” So if you have the same intensity in your surrender, thenKrishna also has no other option. He cannot say: “No, no, no! I will not take care of you.” Actually He is taking care all the time, providing you the life force, air, light and so many other things. Everything is coming to you through Him, by Him, from Him.

All your realizations depend on surrender. And the level of surrender of Lord Jesus is very high. He was ready to accept torture, although it was not easy for him. He was shedding blood.

Surrender is difficult, I can tell you. Still, it will give some fruits.

But in my consideration, he did not die.

Question: You mean, in his physical body?

Tirtha Maharaj: Yes, also.

Question: But even if this is true, half of the world believes in the traditional Christian dogma of his death and resurrection…

Tirtha Maharaj: All right. But I am sitting here. I am not going to other people to convert them. But you were asking my opinion, and if you allow me, I give my opinion to you. If you ask me: “What do you say to Christian people?”, it is a different story. Of course, I will not disturb their faith. Because if they can understand something – I mean, anybody, irrespective of religion – can understand through his faith and conviction about the Absolute Truth, that is valid, bona fide. From that point of view whether you go through suffering or through ecstasy, that is secondary. If you have reached God, immediately you will forget about the steps you have taken. So, I try to answer your question. And if you want to have some more ideas, then I can go into details. But I think, we can understand each other.

For example in “Bhagavad-gita” Krishnasays: “I will strengthen the faith of a person in his chosen path.” Perfect explanation for all the different questions! Because it is God who gives faith to the person, according to his taste, I mean, the person’s taste; according to the level of understanding; according to the level of surrender. If somebody has business type of surrender – fifty-fifty – he will have fifty-fifty faith: “Maybe He exist, maybe He does not.” But full surrender – full care.