Sharanagati

“Mama mana mandire… O my dear Krishna, please always live in the temple of my heart!” *

Something should be permanent and this is our dedication. When the yogis and different practitioners came together on the bank of theGanges, as they understood that there are questions and answers between Parikshit Maharaj and Shukadev Goswami, then everybody was informed what is going to happen: that the king will die in seven days and here is a young saint, who will instruct him. And the king had one request to the audience – hundreds and thousands were coming together. He said: “I wish that motherGangaaccepts me. And it does not matter if I die or live. I have only one request to you, o holy people – that the glorification of Vishnu should go on uninterrupted.”

In the same way so many things have changed in our lives. Now we are together and when we shall be separated, again this change will be going on. Something must be permanent – our dedication, our worship to the Lord. So please, go on with that permanent practice. This is just like the background vibration of the cosmic structure. Humans are just like a small cosmos; and the cosmos is just like a big human being. But both must have a center. And this center is the divine vibration. So if we cultivate that divine vibration inside, we shall help the divine vibration outside to resonate. Of course the invitation comes from outside, because that original spiritual background is always there; and we should be able to purify ourselves so much so to harmonize and resonate with the invitation.

Therefore this prayer says: “O my Lord, please always live in the temple of my heart.” This one little sentence has so many meanings, deep meanings. This is an invitation that we should turn our hearts into a shrine, small chapel. It is not necessary to make an “Alexander Nevski” in your heart. Let it happen only with the great ones, because there are many people visiting the cathedrals. And what do we bring to the temple – we bring our sins. Therefore a temple might become very loaded with sinful reactions. So let the great ones take care of the great temples in their hearts, because many people will visit and many will deposit their luggage there. Let us make a small shrine, a little chapel in our hearts – secret, that we visit only ourselves. “Please, my Lord, always reside in this temple of my heart.” Because the connection between you and God is a private affair. There are some public consequences also, but ultimately this is an inner path. “Please, my Lord, I am ready to make my heart a temple, a residence for You.” People usually think that a temple is a house for God. But actually we should understand that all houses and all buildings are homes for God.

We, as spirit souls, live in our hearts – so this is our home; and this home should be dedicated to the Lord, for His residence also. This is the way to avoid loneliness. To live in a lonely home is not so happy; but if you have some company – and if you have a permanent company there, if you have a charming company there – then you will never feel alone.

Let us turn our hearts into a shrine! And in a shrine you cannot live a selfish life. You go there for celebration, you go there for worship, you go there for service. This is the function of the heart.

And as inside my body the most important place is my inner shrine, therefore we put the tilak on the forehead. Because the special mark signifies the temple, the special place for God. And if we remember that my body, my heart is dedicated forKrishna, then this is a very strong meditation.

Bhakti is a cultivation of sentiments, but purified sentiments. Not depending on outer, outside sources or any objects, but happening in the shrine of your hearts. So, let us build temples in our hearts, let us add one brick today and do what is necessary. “My dear Lord, please always reside in the temple of my heart.” Changes might come, changes might go, but your temple should stand firm.

And miracles do happen around temples. For example in the second world war whenColognewas bombarded practically to the ashes, only the famous cathedral remained there. Or when the tsunami happened in Shri Lanka and some part ofIndia, there was one temple which was somehow below the sea level due to the surface of the earth. Everything was wiped away by the waves, except the temple; the water did not even enter the temple. Because in the ancient, ancient time, if I am correct Shiva gave blessings that this temple should never be touched by any trouble. And Parikshit was also praying that the permanent worship, the permanent glorification of Vishnu should go on. This is the duty of a temple, to provide place for that, so build temples in your hearts. Then the miracles will come to you. Maybe you will have big troubles, but this secret shrine of your heart will be saved.