Sharanagati

(continues from the previous issue)

Question of Damodar: Usually in life we hold not only excrement or the halava, but they are mixed and you cannot understand the proportions – which is more? And even if for a long time you taste this mixed flavour, you always get the negative taste, because it is mixed. I cannot understand in what direction the taste is moving – is it proper or not.

Tirtha Maharaj: The direction is proper. You have to adjust your steps more and more. And you should use your time in a very considerate way, very effective way. Time is up! We don’t have a moment to lose.

Yes, in most cases the taste is mixed. Dedication is mixed for most of the devotees. But this is called mixed devotion; it is devotion but it is not pure yet. Nevertheless we should go on with the process of self-realization and self-purification. And when our taste will be refined so much by purification, then we can get the full and complete divine taste.

We, human beings, have the capacity to select. BecauseKrishnaalso has this capacity to select the best. But all that is reflected here on this material plane is a little distorted. So this ability to select the best in the case ofKrishnais a little distorted in humans into debility to select the worst. Ability and debility. We should come to our senses and we should use this very fine ability to distinguish. Choose the higher, always choose the higher taste! Lower taste is always there and higher taste is always there. We have to decide which one to choose.

You know, it is said that water is always going downwards. Right, you just pour a little water, it always goes down. This is the nature of the things in material sphere. But sometimes you see that a river approaches a mountain and crosses it! So it is possible sometimes that the water starts climbing the hills ad she will find her way through the hills. So, we should be ready to act like this, not only going down, but be ready to take the trouble, climb the stairs or climb the hills and go through it. Life is like this.

And also we have to learn the science how to be happy. I suggested to some of the devotees that they should start training about this inner wisdom. Because we can waste our time by lamenting, but meanwhile you can be happy also instead of this waste of time.

Yet definitely we are searching for the higher taste and we need that inner experience – by chanting, by serving, by studies, by living and taking bad experience you can find that higher taste. But be responsible! You have to find it! It is not that someone will take the trouble instead of us. In order to find water you have to dig deep into the earth. In order to find divine wisdom, you have to go deep into the science, into the practice. And we should use our intelligence. If we are not satisfied with the mixed taste, try to purify the taste. Empty your hands. There are tons of halava to receive.

(to be continued)