Sharanagati

Question of Damodar: When the New Year came I went to my father and I said officially a few good words like to be healthy and live long and my father stopped me and said: “At least, let’s not have a dark, pessimistic view for this year.” This is so often happening not only outside but inside also, that you see only bad things and even chanting and prayers are not helping, you are so sad that they are not helping. What should be done?

Tirtha Maharaj: Chant more!

Damodar: Chanting in combination with what? Because this is a very general answer.

Tirtha Maharaj: Teardrops. This is a little spice. But I don’t know, I don’t understand this problem, because you Bulgarians, you are a happy nation. You are very optimistic. Highly optimistic compared to the Hungarians, my dears!

Paramananda: Actually, Gurudev, a few weeks ago the Michigan University made the statement, that Bulgaria is the saddest nation on the planet.

Tirtha Maharaj: Noo! I see only smiling faces around. Just look at these guys…come on, this is not true!

Hari Lila: This is because we are like mirrors of you.

Tirtha Maharaj: No, I am a mirror of you.

Damodar: There is an addition in this university research – we are sad because of the lack of material assets.

Tirtha Maharaj: Forget it! Anyway you will lose it. What did Jesus say: “Don’t collect outside what the rust and the moth will eat up, but collect into your hearts.” If we collect anything material, we shall lose it. How was the prophesy about the death of Alexander the Great, do you remember?

Manohari: When the sky will be golden and the earth will be blue.

Tirtha Maharaj: Yes. Usually it never happens, right. But once, when he was in a swoon and then they put him in a very special tent for recovery, the floor was covered with a blue carpet and the dome above him was golden. So, when he awoke, he said: ”Ah, it’s golden above and it’s blue down. Death is approaching”. Then he decided: “I should be put in the coffin with my body covered and my hands stretched out. Just to show that although in thirteen years I have conquered practically the whole known world, still I go from here empty handed.”

At that time there was no Michigan University, but the message was the same: “Don’t collect here, you will loose it.” And even the Michigan University will be lost. But, the birds of prey will sit on the trees by the roads. We shall be gone, but they are here. People say: “Time is passing.” But time is laughing and says: “People are passing.” So, why do we make such a big issue of collecting this and that? But the inner happiness is never lost. And definitely you are not pessimistic as a nation. This country is so much blessed. Whenever I come here, it is always raining or snowing – the blessings are coming. This country is blessed, I just see it!

Damodar: Before you came, the weather was very bad. My observation is that twenty times when you come, the weather is getting better. I don’t know if Gurudev chooses when the weather will be fine to come, or the weather is getting better when Gurudev is coming.

Tirtha Maharaj: You know, nature is like a secret book of God, and He is ready to communicate to us. He is sending messages here and there – little thunder, little lightening, or nice weather. He is sending these signals, but we have to un-code them. And also He is acting through the human beings and other species. So, we must have this decoder system and we shall understand the message. But Mahaprabhu’s message was: “Study the Bhagavatam, chant the holy names and associate with devotees.” If we follow these principles, then we shall have a solid basis, shastric, theoretical basis coming from revelation. And we shall have a chance for private personal mystic experience by chanting the holy names and we shall have a practical chance to serve others, to help others and to receive from them – so spiritual companions we shall find. And maybe Mahaprabhu is crying due to separation, but if we follow His instruction, then we can smile with a hope. That young man yesterday said: “Hope? No! Faith? No, it’s done. It’s death already!” Why? Because he hasn’t heard about Mahaprabhu yet – that there is a hope.