Sharanagati

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

(continues from the previous Friday)

Question of Ramvijay: On the separation theme – there was another spin to this question[1], that actually vipralambha-seva is a sort of intense suffering. The way I understood the question is: does this intense suffering actually continues in the spiritual world? My understanding of the question was that sambhoga, or the union between Radha and Krishna, is a source of extreme pleasure. And when They cannot be together, it’s a source of extreme suffering – also for the observers, whether they are here or there. Kripadham’s understanding was that such extreme suffering doesn’t exist in the spiritual sky, when I think I’ve heard something else, so therefore the question remains.

Swami Tirtha: Well, it all depends on the vision and the level of your consciousness. I think we visited a lake in Dwaraka together. If you are a tourist, you will say “Oh, such a nice lake, well kept. Unusual for India.” But then if the local devotees tell you, “Ah, this is the lake where the gopis drowned themselves due to the separation of Krishna,” then you don’t enjoy the place, but you are stunned.

If you want to memorize the long sequence of number pi, for example, there is a verse for that in Sanskrit. Because all the syllables have a numerical code, and if you learn the verse, in this way you will know the code as well, you will remember the numbers. Some are running after the code, “I know the numbers of pi for such and such sequence.” Others pay attention on the meaning of the verse which says, “The gopis are carrying yogurt. They think of the separation from Krishna and therefore they cry.” As usual, you know gopis always cry. This time again. “And the salty drops of their tears are falling into the yogurt and therefore the sweet yogurt turns salty.” So there’s a very rasic meaning of the whole thing. Who cares about pi? Some care about pi; we care about the yogurt.

Other times, you go to a small village in the desert of Hungary to take ice-cream. This is a place of momentary enjoyment for many. But this is a place of eternal memory for some. Everything depends on the vision and the level of consciousness. Yet if I want to take ice-cream, shall I go to any other place? No way! Even if this ice-cream is salty and bitter, this is the only place to take it. If your heart is sold, how can you take it back?

Of course, what is vipralambha? I know my time is up, but if you’d let me add something small. The last verse of the Gurvashthakam tells: “At least three times I have to offer my respectful obeisances to my spiritual master”. You know, basically for a disciple it’s difficult to control the mind. It’s difficult to remember the important things. But Gurudev achieved this. Not only three times, but many times you remember him. Either this way or that way, he achieved it. This is the quality. This is the power of a spiritual personality. And we don’t believe in the existence of bodies. We believe in the existence of the soul.

Separation helps to remember. It helps to realize what you have missed. So, I think it’s a very useful spiritual practice. But who cares about separation and union? This is pi. We care about the yogurt. We have to carry our pot of yogurt and meanwhile we have to add some salt to this preparation.

So, about the suffering in the spiritual sky – who cares? Let’s carry our pot of yogurt. If you agree. And of course, as a conclusion for this whole Mela, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you. Please excuse my shortcomings. I don’t think that any devotee has committed any mistake, all mistakes are mine. But I hope we could cover some distance from our ego to ourselves. Because this was the original purpose – to come closer to our real spiritual identity.

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