Sharanagati

Question: For example, you help many people without asking anything in return. But the social rules are different. They are based on trade principles. Sometimes when you do something for someone, he recognizes it. But I think in most of the cases, they think you are stupid or strange. How to cope with this?

Tirtha Maharaj: Go on! You want to prove yourself? Until we want to prove ourselves, this is not a selfless service. Activity is the best service, activity is the best compassion. But sometimes it does not work. The other party is not ready to accept any service from you. Then how can you express your compassion? There is a way. By your meditation, for example. But again, on the meditative or the prayer platform you can commit violence: “Please, my Lord, make him understand what I know!” Many times we pray like this! “O my Lord, please, make him a devotee!” And we think: “Ah, I am so compassionate, because I am praying for his spiritual benefit.” But actually you are doing a spiritual violence. You try to intrude into his karma, intrude into his path.

Then how to pray nicely, correctly? “Please, my Lord, make his path smooth. Let it be as You like, let it be good for him, not as I think.” Selfless meditation is a prayer for the spiritual benefit of the others.

We are not concerned about proving ourselves. If our authority says: “Do like this” – do like this. Sometimes the complaint of others is actually a compliment. Let’s take a very simple example, the students in a classroom – they will all complain about a strong teacher. This is the dharma of a student. They are always complaining: “He is so heavy, he is asking so much, he is requiring so much!” But after twenty years which teacher you will remember? This one! So today’s complaint is twenty years’ later compliment.

Once a devotee visited his old priest friend. And the priest asked: “Ah, my dear son, very nice that you came; how are you?” He knew that the boy was practicingbhakti. So he said: “Ah, I am a little bit in trouble. My guru is very heavy with me.” What did the priest say? “Very good, my dear! You are so fortunate!” A complaint from one side, a compliment from the other side.

So we do not want to prove ourselves. If you act according to the absolute truth, you do not have to prove yourself. And do not forget, in the company of fools, the only one normal guy will be considered stupid.