Sharanagati

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

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question: What is more uplifting for the soul – when there is some hard situation, but you see it as given from God, or when you simply reject the material things – the attachment to material happiness? When you are not too attached to material things – is it uplifting the soul more than the other state when there is suffering and you see it as given from God?

Swami Tirtha: Well, if I understand properly, if these are the two options: that either I see the difficulties of life as a gift of God, or I simply renounce material happiness – is that the question? Well, if you were God, what would  be your preference between these two approaches?

Answer: It depends on the tendencies, the inclinations of the particular soul.

Swami Tirtha: But my preference goes with those who take difficulties as a gift from me. Because I think and I feel that this is a higher type of consciousness. Simply to renounce something or to be independent to the material attraction – all right, this is good. But it is not necessarily connected to the Supreme. While if we can take even the difficulties of life as a signal from Him, or as a gift from Him – this is a much higher concept, then we are much more connected to Him. So I think that this second one is a more polished approach to divinity.

But if we refer to the Gita (7.16), there Krishna explains the four categories of people who turn to Him. How does that go? Those who suffer; those who have some material ambitions; those who are inquisitive, curious; and the wise. These are the four types. The first three categories are, we can say, beginners, they are a kind of searchers. Either they search for material ambitions and want material blessings from God, or they suffer and they want to mitigate their suffering through God. Or they are simply curious and they want to try something new. So we can say that they are the searchers, they are searching for something. But what about the wise, the fourth category? He is not searching anymore. Although he is called ‘the one who is searching after the Absolute Truth’, he is not a simple searcher. That is what we can call a practitioner. Do you see the difference between the searcher and the practitioner? So from a simple searcher with any motivation we need to upgrade ourselves to a practitioner. And it doesn’t matter what was your motivation for coming. But it does matter what is your motivation to stay. If our motivation is growing, then it’s best.

And ultimately, devotees are always happy, always satisfied. Why? Because we know that if we have devotion, then all that is necessary in spiritual development will be provided. And two main things are necessary. One is knowledge or wisdom, and the second is non-attachment. Devotion is first, and the sons of Bhakti Devi are Vairagya and Gyana – automatically they will come. Not only renunciation, but freedom from attachment.

Many, many spiritual practitioners traverse the path of suffering. But there must be some other ways as well. So it’s not only through the difficulties that we can grow, but also by favorable conditions we can grow.