Sharanagati

Collected words from talks of Swami Tirtha




(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 05.05.2018, Rila)

(continues from the previous Monday)

So Hari, Krishna, will remove the wrong perception of suffering. And what else? One reason of frustration in life is removed; what else is there? The other major reason to suffer is sinful reactions. Usually we don’t discuss sin, because we don’t want to develop a sin consciousness. Nevertheless it is there. Please help me, what is the definition of sin?

Krishna Priya: It’s a mistake repeated many times.

Paramananda: To use high powers for lower purposes.

Swami Tirtha: It looks like you attend a good school.

Manjari: To forget your real nature and connection to the divine.

Swami Tirtha: Well, if it is sinful, then we are very sinful. Actually this is ignorance, we can say. And from ignorance all the other troubles will come. I myself wouldn’t call ignorance a sin. But due to ignorance we shall definitely commit some wrong activities and commit some sinful actions. So it’s a major reason, I agree.

We can also add, after all these very nice contributions, that the ultimate sin is to miss the loving service – to God and to the other creatures around you. To neglect it. This is a big negligence. It is so serious that we can call it a sin.

This is what hurts us, these two factors: the suffering of life and the sinful activities. These are the burdens of life. Therefore this Jiva Goswami’s explanation in the mood of aishwarya, in the mood of understanding, adoration, worship the greatness of God, this majestic power of God – this explanation is very close to us, to our problems.

Then we go to the next word in the mahamantra, Krishna. “The meaning of ‘Krish’ is existence. And ‘Na’ means the joy of peace. Therefore these two syllables together, united, Krishna this is the denomination of the Supreme.” Here we find something very important, because we try to understand krishna-nama in many different ways, but here Krish- means ‘existence’ and -Na means ‘peace’. The peace of life. Life in general in Kali Yuga, and especially in big cities, is very noisy. Where is our peace? Where is your inner silence? It’s very much missing these days. But in Krishna you can find your inner peace and your inner silence. Of course there are unlimited different explanations of the name Krishna, but this is one – again, very important for us, beginning practitioners.

And then the third name comes – Ram. “The mystics derive their pleasure from eternal life and also in blissful and conscious spirit. This is Ramante – they are happy about these factors: eternal life and blissful and conscious soul. Therefore, they call the Supreme ‘Ram’.” So that means that the mystics will find their bliss and their prospect in God. And as their main goal, main objective is bliss, therefore they see their worshipable deity as bliss, Ram.

We can say that these aishvarya mood explanations are a little external. But even this, so to say, external explanation is so high and so beautiful! Hari will remove all the obstacles, all the burden that you have. Krishna will provide to you inner peace. And Ram is your objective. So, we can say: sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. Or: if you belong to Hari, He will remove the trouble. If you practice, then you will find your inner peace in Krishna. And then you will reach your objective – this is bliss, Ram, anandam.

(to be continued)



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