Sharanagati

(continues from previous Monday) 

Then what is our version of happiness and perfection? What is the vaishnava version of happiness and satisfaction? What is your version? Chitra, what is your version? If somebody approaches you: “Ah, Chitra Devi, please, explain me the secrets of spiritual life, what to do? I am so much suffering, help me, tell me the correct path!” What would you say?

Chitra: Service.

Tirtha Maharaj: But if you tell to people: “If you want to be happy, become a slave and a servant”…

Chitra: I think everybody can understand that if you love somebody you will try to do something for him or her.

Tirtha Maharaj: Correct. We all have heard this propaganda that there is a world crisis these days. Although crisis means everything goes down, but in certain field the turnover is going up. For example in what field? How it is called when people are searching for a partner on the web-sites? You know, there the turnover is increasing like anything. Because people instead of consuming and buying and possessing, they started to think: “Hey, wait a minute, I need someone who will comfort me. I need someone whom I can love, whom I can serve. So instead of some outside resources they try to find some emotional or human solutions. So in one sense that crisis period is very good, at least it makes you think that:  “I am a human being, I need a human being. I am a soul, I need a soul, I don’t need the stupid things around me to make me happy.” So the key to happiness is not outside of you, it is inside of you. Maybe the next step is when they will search for vaisnava.org, the turnover there will increase like anything. Because during the last many years we have learned that happiness is outside; if you buy, if you have, if you possess then you will be happy. But happiness is just not coming. So from the outside search we have to turn inwards and there you can find your connection, therefore this is called meditation. Because we are not born to this planet earth to love the things and to misuse the people, but to use the things and to love the people. So it is a very simple message: do not exchange things, objects for humans. We are here to use the things, the objects and love the people, and not vise versa – to love the objects and to use the people.

So, this is our version – to approach the Supreme Truth in an emotional way, and this is called bhakti-yoga.