Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 05.05.2018, Rila)

So far we have been discussing some aspects of the holy name. We can say a lot about chanting; or we can chant. Actually there are two ways to gain experience of any object, any topic, including life. Either you expose yourself to life as an experience, simply you live; or you observe the things happening – you observe the things happening to you, you observe the life of others, what’s happening to them and then you come to some conclusions. If our scope is very much limited, then most probably our experience will be limited as well. The frog who is living in a well will think that this is the whole universe. And if a mendicant-frog comes and tells him, “I will go to check out the sea,” our friend from the well will say, “Sea? What is that? Here is the whole universe; what is beyond it?”

If our scope of experience is very much limited, then most probably our concept will also be limited. So, either you live in a very small, very limited environment, or you observe the things. But if your capacity to observe is also very limited, then you will not reach proper conclusions. If we agree on this point, that there are two ways to come to some conclusions: either you expose yourself, you try it for yourself, or you think about it, I think we can apply this same method over the mahamantra, the holy name, as a meditation.

But of course, here both observation and practice are based on spiritual desire. If I say to observe or to study the holy name, what do I mean? I mean to study the opinion of senior acharyas. So, learn the opinion of others, and most probably that will help to formulate your own opinion. The other option is that you start to chant – you try it for yourself.

And these two methods are not really separate from each other. If we learn the opinion of other senior practitioners, that will help our taste to grow; and the more taste we develop, we shall understand the opinion of others better. Do you agree? So, I have a humble suggestion: let’s try to exercise both methods. Let us learn something about the opinion of senior vaishnava acharyas; and also let’s try to taste the holy name for ourselves. Because we might have very different opinions about the process and about the effects of the holy name in general. But what is the depth of understanding of senior acharyas?

We understood that we appreciate the holy name as a touchstone – whatever it touches, it turns into a different category. It changes the nature. It is pure, it is perfect in all respects, it will bring all blessings. Even if we don’t perceive these results very obviously happening in our life, at least theoretically we have to accept this definition. And then we can give it a try. Therefore, my suggestion is to read something about the explanation of Jiva Goswami to the holy name, to the mahamantra.

Jiva Goswami is the philosopher among the Goswamis. He was a little younger than the senior Goswamis, like Rupa and Sanatana Goswami, but his contribution to the foundations of vaishnava philosophy is immense. He has written treatises about the basic aspects and the basic questions of philosophy in general. These are the Sandarbhas; he wrote six Sandarbhas. These are very comprehensive works of vaishnava theology. And if somebody wants, for example, to defend the vaishnava faith, he should consult Jiva Goswami’s Sandarbhas. But it is complicated. He is a very well prepared debater. And at the same time a very, very intense practitioner. Therefore, we have to study his purports to the mahamantra.

(to be continued)