Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 15.08.2018, Ludasto)

(continues from the previous Friday)

Love of Godhead is not something new for us. This is an original, primordial, ancient and eternal message. This is the reason and the meaning of our life. This substantiates our existence. This divine connection is the ultimate reason, the ultimate word in spiritual truths. Therefore we don’t need to learn something new, we only have to revive this original knowledge, this original truth which is there already.

All right, but how to do that? Just recently I was talking to a young lady. And she said: “Oh, I like to listen to the lectures of this and this swami – it is so nice, he is giving such a good message. He is a famous well-accepted master and teacher. And he is teaching that “I didn’t have a teacher. All the truths are in your heart, you don’t need a teacher.” This is the teaching of this teacher – that there is no need for a teacher. And no need for teaching. I like to listen to his lectures.” Wait a minute! What is this? Are you a reasonable person? ‘I am a teacher to tell you that you don’t need a teacher.’ What’s that? People are so funny. He acts like a teacher to teach people that ‘you don’t need a teacher’. Come on, it’s mind-blowing, I tell you!

But jokes aside, we have to be very, very grateful if we can listen to a good message from a good source. Then we already have two thirds of this holy trinity – a good message from a good source. And what is the third third? Yes, a good listener, a good soil – this is what you have to become. So if this holy trinity is there, it provides a very profound fundament for realistic spiritual growth.

So, the priest in the temple, the main pujari immediately offered dandavats to the mendicant. To be a main pujari is a very prestigious and very intimate service. Sometimes it is difficult for people to understand the mystery of this personal type of worship, like deity seva. But I think for you, as you come from an Orthodox background, it is easier, because there the icons are very much venerated, respected, and you can establish some living force, living connection. Also I heard in some Catholic circles they worship Mother Mary and they have a travelling deity of Mother Mary. One family can take care of the deity for one month, then Mother Mary comes to the next family. Those kids who embrace Mother Mary the strongest, they can take her for the month.

Why do I mention this? Because without practising you cannot know what this is – deity seva. Theoretically we might have some understanding, some words about it. But as soon as you try, you will see how it works. Then immediately this service mood and this attention is established.

“The priest offered his obeisances to Madhavendra Puri and returned to the temple. Then, in ecstasy, Madhavendra Puri ate the sweet rice offered to him by Krishna. After this, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot and broke it into pieces. He then bound all the pieces in his outer cloth and kept them nicely. Each day, Madhavendra Puri would eat one piece of that earthen pot, and after eating it he would immediately be overwhelmed with ecstasy. These are wonderful stories.”[1]

We will stop here for today; we have covered another beautiful part of this story. Usually we are trained and told that humans should serve the divine – man should serve God. But here is another example where God serves His beloved servants. In general, spiritual or spiritual religious practice is a search for God. But here we see a spiritual practice – search for the servant. Who was that – Diogenes who was carrying a lamp during daytime in the market place and said: “I’m searching for humans”. So, sometimes we are searching, other times the superior is searching. In general, it is so nice that the humans search for God Supreme. But isn’t it extremely more beautiful, nice exciting and incredible that the Supreme is searching for His servants?! I think if you were God, you would also search for such a servant as Madhavendra Puri.

Do you have this search in your life? A few years ago Yashoda sent me a letter. That was quite interesting, because it was a poetic and romantic explanation of this search. Do you remember? How Krishna is running after Radhika, and then also this story had a second chapter – how Radhika is searching after Krishna. And from some saris and chaddars dropped here and there and a few footsteps they remember each other and they know that this is a proper direction. We also need to find the signs that this is the proper direction.

(to be continued)

[1] Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 4.138-140