Sharanagati

(continues from the previous issue)

Question of Premananda: Gurudev, while we are still on the vampire’s topic…

Tirtha Maharaj: Ah, you are still there!

Premananda: I want to ask about another example in another movie about vampires…

Tirtha Maharaj: This was a trick to understand all the nonsense that you are doing!

Premananda: What they were doing was catching these creatures, bringing them into light and then they were dissolving. And if we take this as a metaphor of our inner vampires, what is the way to approach them, how to handle, how to get rid of these hidden demons inside?

Tirtha Maharaj: Vaishnava vampirology! First of all, who is a daemon?

Yadunath: Very talented person.

Tirtha Maharaj: No, this is the demon. Talented, but the direction is not correct. This is the demon. The word “daemon” is coming from Plato. He identified it like inner creature. He said: “You can create your own daemons”. And they can be good or bad. Sometimes due to bad conditionings or bad habits we create these inner vampires, daemons, demons in that respect, but they reside in your mind structure. In most of the cases they are creatures of our own imagination. For example you expect something from yourself and then you become a slave of your expectations. And then you start to feel guilty when you do not meet your own created expectations. Then you start to think that your spiritual master is expecting something from you. Then you start to be afraid of him. Because you do not meet your own created daemonic expectations and you project it on somebody else. But if you go there and ask him: “What is the expectation from me?” He says: “Nothing. Or yes, there is one – be happy!” Then in the light of spirit, in the light of divinity these inner daemons are just dissipated.

Of course there are demons who are not your creatures, but some outside forces really, yet by determined practice and under correct protection you can escape such influence also.

But as it is said, without pain you cannot attain, all the great ones are tested. Lord Jesus was tempted by the Satan. Lord Buddha was also tempted by Maya Devi. Haridas Thakur was also tempted by being bitten on marketplaces – and many others. So do not think that without being tried you will achieve something high. We should be ready to accept that part of the purification also – be prepared.

Anyway, our process is not much based on frightening people with inner and outer demons, but rather submit yourself under divine protection.

But the question was how to fight them, how to get rid of them. There is a nice story. Once two young brahmacharies approached an old swami, old master. And one said: “Ah, master, I have a problem!“ “What, my dear, what is your problem?” “Ah! I have my temptations.” “Everybody has his temptations.” “But what to do?” Then the master said: “Well, you should hide in the ashram, close the door and do not let the temptation in.” Then the other boy said: “Master, I also have my temptations.” Then the master said: “Open the door of the temple and let them in!” The boys were perplexed: “But for me you said to close the door against the temptations. For him you said to open the door. What to do now?” Then he said: “You are weak, so you better hide and do not let the temptations attack you. But you are strong, so you can let them in and fight them.”

But it is said: “There is only one thing that I cannot resist. There are so many prohibitions, so many rules and regulations, so many bad things – but only one thing I cannot resist. Temptation.” Only one!

So, keep on chanting, keep on calling our beloved Lord by the name. And be sensitive to hear when He is calling you.