Sharanagati

(continues from the previous Monday)

You know that without the one the other cannot exist – without meeting there is no separation and without separation there is no meeting. They presuppose each-other, because this is a way to make it more intensive.

I have to tell you, to associate directly, personally with our spiritual master – it was a very intensive experience. But the separation is a little more intensive. So Krishna, as the ultimate director of all the plays and theatre performances in this grand universe, He knows all the patterns of dramaturgy that will smashingly tell you the story. Therefore He uses both extremes – the meeting and the separation. We need these two tastes. If Romeo and Juliet didn’t die at the end, nobody would listen to that story. Isn’t that? But because the two extremes are there – the highest burning and the greatest suffering – although it’s very painful to watch the theatre and everybody is in tears, still everybody says: ‘It’s so nice!’

Or the Ramayana – same! The separation between Sita and Rama is so painful! Still everybody is watching the story hundreds of times to wait until They meet again. We know how the story goes, still we are ready to join the mood of separation and meeting.

Which is first – separation or meeting? Actually in Rupa Goswami’s analysis about the spiritual feelings in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, he quotes a very special mood and this is the purva-raga. Raga means ‘attachment’ and purva means ‘previous’ or ‘first’. That is such a feeling when the lovers don’t have the possibility to meet, they are separated, but they have a very high expectation to meet. So although they are separated, nevertheless they are united. This is the positive interpretation of purva-raga. But if there is an intensive desire, they will meet. And then what will happen? Again purva-raga, the same feeling will appear, but now in an opposite way. Although they are united, they will have the apprehension to be separated again. And that’s the painful explanation of purva-raga. So, which is first – we can never know.

Yamuna: Which is last?

Swami Tirtha: Subjectively the last one is separation. Because ‘last’ means that this is the end of the story, right? And when the Romeo and Juliet finishes at the theatre, you go home and you meet your wife. So after extreme separation in death, you will meet. But apart from jokes – I said ‘subjectively’ as we are all separated from the embrace of the Supreme, from the bosom of God. The end of the story will be when we find our way back.

The present day is here. Don’t worry about being separated before, don’t be afraid of being separated again. Now it will be very unusual what I say: live for today. Of course we know we live in eternity, so if you develop separation consciousness, you will perceive that eternally; if we develop meeting consciousness, then we shall meet forever. It’s difficult to have this quantum jump over the dimensions. But I will remind you of the words that ‘time melts’. Sometimes time just melts.

(to be continued)