Sharanagati

Shrimad-Bhagavatam gives the definition of liberation: “Liberation is when you come closer to your original nature.” This is when you act according to spirit, not according to body. This is our liberation and from that there is no way back. This is one-way road – back home, back to Godhead. If we act according to our spiritual nature, we shall act in a blissful way.

Previously I thought that even material life can be accomplished nicely without much pain. But if I look around and see the faces of the people on the streets, I have to reconsider my opinion. I see that this life is full of different types of suffering – which is not something pessimistic, but this is realistic. Yet hopefully and finally there is a solution and this is the spiritual way. So to find the answers to the questions, which are burning our hearts: wisdom, self-control and loving service can help. If we come to that level – to act according to our spiritual nature – then we will be singing, dancing and chanting, because these are the original duties of the soul.

Тhis is the ideal – that we need to have a very blissful spiritual perspective. There is no doubt we have to work for that; we have to pay the price, we have to pay the entrance fee to Vrindavan, but it is worth paying this price.

And how to avoid hypocrisy? I can give some practical example about this: if we want to search our spiritual identity, it is very good to do something practical. Once one of my spiritual brothers had a kind of realization. It was a question about “what should be done in our lifetime”.  He was cultivating the garden of Krishna in Nanda Falva*  and his problem was whether to marry or to remain brahmachari (a celibate). And he got the realization: “Why should I play the game of the big brahmachari when I am not?!” and he stopped to dig and said to himself that he will marry.

When I heard this story I appreciated it very much because it definitely proves: if you have some problems, some doubts and if you perform some service to Krishna, you will get an answer. Krishna is always there. He says: “I am the best friend of everybody” and to a friend you can tell everything, there are no taboos. If you don’t find the way to Krishna, then you can speak to His devotees. This is one spiritual practice – to open up the mind. Krishna helps. When human’s brain stops, mercy starts to help.

We should try to act according to our spiritual nature: act in eternity, act in full knowledge and act in full bliss. This is spiritual life. Krishna sends an invitation and in the end He says: “Jump! Do it! I am here! I will take care of everything. You have so many duties, but just come to Me. I will take care of the trouble.” We should believe what Krishna says: “I am your best friend.” This is not theory, this is practice. Try to approach Him as a friend.

*Nanda Falva – small village with a Vaishnava temple close to Szeged, Hungary.