Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 06.05.2017 morning, Rila)

(continues from the previous Friday)

 “Yogis meditate upon the localized Paramatma situated in the heart, gyanis worship the impersonal Brahman as the Supreme Absolute Truth, and devotees worship Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose transcendental body is described in the shastras. His body is decorated with the Shrivatsa, the Kaustubha jewel and a flower garland, and His hands hold a conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower. Devotees like Narada always think of Him within their hearts.”[1]

Let’s stop for a while here. What is Brahman? We can say that Brahman is the unified, continuous field of consciousness – the united principle of existence. The main slogan of this realization of unified existence is “everything is one, all are one, everything is the same”. But how to apply that principle if you see some anomaly? Because due to this conviction you should say that ‘there is no right or wrong, there is no good or bad – everything is the same. No need for a personal aspect because we cannot ultimately know if such thing exists; we know that existence exists, but we shouldn’t go further’.

Yet, my dear ones, when your child is sick, are you satisfied with such a message? “Oh, everything is one. Don’t take it serious, this is just a ripple on the surface of the ocean”. Wait a minute! We cannot tolerate such an answer. It’s no answer for us. It’s offensively theoretical. And it doesn’t satisfy even the mind or the intellect, because it’s impossible to apply that. What to speak of the satisfaction of the heart. You can break your mind to understand and to try to apply this principle, but it’s practically impossible. So, in the experience of daily life theories are usually broken. We need such a theory which is applicable, which we can experience. How can you experience that there is nothing? And who says “there is nothing”? You know, it’s quite difficult to put it together. Or if you say “everything is one” – then who is speaking?

Anyway, the different mentalities will qualify your fate and your destination. Therefore this classification is given: those who theoretically try to understand life, they will perceive this unified field of consciousness, Brahman. No problem, it’s there. Yogis who want to meditate, they want to perceive this divine connection through the Paramatma heart connection. But devotees, who want to pray for their children, they like Vasudeva, or Govinda, or Madhava, or all the other friends, beloved ones, superiors and subordinates of that divine rasic theatre.

(to be continued)

[1] Shrimad Bhagavatam 5.7.7