Sharanagati

Tirtha Maharaj: We are very happy to arrive to Sofia and to enjoy the divine company of Shrila Sadhu Maharaj and all of you. Because all those who try to dedicate their lives to the divine service of Shri Shri Radha-Krishna are very special personalities. It is said that vaishnavas are just like precious stones. So we should appreciate the vaishnavas like this. The more vaishnavas we have around, the more wealthy we are – and everybody wants to become a wealthy person. But we should be wealthy in our company, we should be wealthy in our divine qualities and we should be wealthy in our service.

Bhakti as a process works in a very interesting way. This process is very powerful and it works in an unnoticed way. You don’t really know how it works, still it brings the effect. And you cannot resist, it’s irresistible. So these are the features of Bhakti: very powerful, it’s impossible to know how it works, still it’s irresistible.

If we come in contact with Hari, guru, vaishnavas  – then this irresistible power starts to manifest in our life. Sometimes it is hidden, other times it is very obvious. And until we don’t have enough taste to feel that, we need proofs. But when we live, when we swim in the ocean of higher consciousness and divine love, then it is so obvious that we don’t need any proofs.  We can live inside this divine element.

So by following the footsteps of the pure devotees, praying for their blessings, doing our best what we can and always waiting for the blessings, always waiting for the divine mercy – we can jump into that ocean. But beware! The ocean is deep and has high waves!

We call this process Bhakti Yoga. What is Yoga? Yoga is control. Sometimes even a bhakta controls himself or herself – just like a real meditative yogi, very peaceful, no obvious signs. So Yoga is controlled. But Bhakti is not controlled! Bhakti has high waves of emotional ecstasies. So outside you can be controlled, you can be in Yoga – but inside you should be in Bhakti, beyond control.

But the way to achieve this uncontrolled state is to possess all controls. Without control, without Yoga how can we come to Bhakti? Of course Bhakti has one more feature, the fourth feature – Bhakti has her own nature, she will come from a higher plane; so she is not manufactured, but reveals. A kind of self-power to manifest herself. When she comes, she just knocks you off your feet, knocks you out!

Bhakti is very powerful! When she comes you just have no power to resist. Therefore we are waiting for that special moment. Because it is said that cistern just fills up step by step, but a spring overflows. This is the difference between Yoga and Bhakti. Yoga you can achieve step by step. But Bhakti is just exploding!

Sadhu Maharaj: Before I’m talking: Bhakti means prem, love with action. But today I learned more higher thing: emotion! In love you need emotion also, in action. That is Bhakti – you need in love emotion also. Dry love will not work! Emotion will work! If there is no emotion – no waves in the ocean. Then you will relish to see ocean? You will not relish to see ocean. So waves are very important in ocean. That is emotion. In love you need emotions. Radhe Radhe Govinda…