Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.01.2019 evening, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Friday)

How to reach perfection? For that we need to follow the example of the great saints. Mahajano yena gatah sa pantha[1] – so, the great souls will determine the proper path of religious practitioners. Therefore, try to find your heroes. And follow their example. Because the most important thing in our daily life, and in our spiritual life as well, is to find and develop proper relationships. And we know that there are basically 5 plus 7 relationships to the Supreme – like neutral, servitude, friendship, family ties and ecstatic loving feelings. And the additional relationships are for example a little fear, or some heroic relationship to Krishna, or a jolly mood. And some others, which might add a special taste to the original bhava, to the original feeling.

If you will read – and please do – this very important verse from the Shrimad Bhagavatam, First Canto: sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokshaje/ ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati[2] – the question was: “There are so many religions and so many paths. What is the best path, what is the best religion for people in general?” Then the answer came, “For the whole humanity the best spiritual practice is that by which they can achieve a loving relationship to the Supreme Lord. And in order to achieve that, we need to be selfless, and our service should be uninterrupted.” If you read this verse, you will find something very important in the purport. Shrila Prabhupada gives a small explanation about this verse and then he describes the relationships. He is talking about which kind of relationship to develop with the God Supreme. So this is important, this is our goal – to find our proper place in the spiritual service. So it’s not only to find our place on this worldly platform. This is also important, of course; but ultimately, we have to find our place in the spiritual sky. What is your relationship? How are you invited by the Divine Couple? And in what manner can you answer Their call? 

Please, never forget about this. Because sometimes you might lose your focus in the troubles of life, and the troubles of devotional service – because you have to organize, you have to work on yourself, etc., etc. But don’t lose your focus. Why am I here? I’m here in order to realize my original position. I’m not here so that I can enjoy that I’m always right, or I have the ultimate opinion, or I am so clever, or I can do this and that. No. It’s all secondary. The most important thing is to realize our original relationship to divinity. And this is a search! Don’t think that you are satisfied already. The majority of spiritual revelations are still waiting for you. We have only understood a very tiny part of the spiritual truth. And the totality of spiritual understanding is not a question of intellectual analysis. It’s a profound experience. Because Krishna invites. And He has very special ways to invite us. 

(to be continued)

1. Mahabharata, Vana Parva, 313.117

2, Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.2.6