Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, May 2013, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Friday) 

Question of Kripadham: What is our attraction to our guru?

Swami Tirtha: Yes – whether it is to the external form, or his behavior, or his diet, or taste, or whatever? Or is some essential understanding: what is the goal of life; how to live properly; how to express ourselves properly? Because just imagine: if for example we are sitting in Egypt, discussing the divine principle in a dervish monastery, then we shall use different phrases. We shall have different understanding about things, we shall have different names. Even different diet. But what is the topic? How to find the way back home, back to Godhead? The dervishes will say: ”Let’s dance a little bit!” and this is the way back home for them.

Or – yesterday I received a bulletin. It reads: Orthodox Church “Saints Cyril and Methodius” and there is a quotation from “Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians: “Brothers! Always rejoice in the Lord! God is near!”

It’s a good message! My dear brothers, find your happiness in God! It’s a part of some general message and there are always practitioners for all these general principles. Then what is specific about our process? This is what we have to understand properly. It’s not a question of who is better or who is second, who is first. In that sense it’s not a competition. But we have to examine what is the special contribution that God needs from us. Because He can take from others for example this flower. From this group He can take that service. What is the service that He wants to take from us? This is what we have to understand – what is the special contribution of a devotee to Krishna’s full satisfaction? If we can identify that, then we are fully convinced what to do, how to live, what to avoid. Then you know that: “Oh, this is my loving offering to my beloved Lord!

Question: I don’t know so well the books which you are quoting, but this is not an obstacle for me, because even outside the form the wisdom remains. That’s why I am coming with joy here. Yet, I’ve read the letters of St. Apostle Paul and I didn’t understand the joke about him.

Swami Tirtha: Joke?

Comment: With the bulletin.

Swami Tirtha: Oh, but it was not a joke! No, no, no! Please, don’t misunderstand this! I just wanted to show that in many respects we are the same. It just happened to come to me yesterday and what was the message there: “Be happy in God!” Of course we are happy to hear that message – that God is close. This is what we want! That shows that irrespective of the cultural setup, irrespective of the religious differences there is some universal message.

Comment: My conviction is that all those religions are coming from God and if it brings benefits, so it’s good. And actually we are all brothers.

Swami Tirtha: Yes, that’s true. That’s correct. We all belong to the Supreme. The differences in religions and between human beings are done by the humans. The unity is established by God. So, we should decide whether we are on the human side or on the divine side. The spiritual is universal, the human is limited. The big question is how to become a real Christian, a real follower of Jesus? How to fulfill the requirements in the “New Testament”? There is a very simple answer – become a devotee. Because I had seen, the devotees are living what is written in the Bible. For them this is not only some old books; no, for them this is life – to live in divine love. 

(to be continued)