Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 30.09.2017 morning, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

The worship of Shri Guru is not a personality cult, but this is a personal divine culture. There is a big difference between the two. This is not guruism, it’s a humble worship of Shri Guru.

But how to bring this principle closer to us? Shridhara Maharaj helped with some theoretical background: acharyam mam vijaniyan [1]– “Know that I am the acharya”, says Krishna; or “Religion means proper adjustment and according to our capacity we will be positioned in service.”

And you help me a lot today to remember my master. He was like a divine volcano, but sweet. Strong! If a volcano erupts close to you, you feel devastated, right? Nevertheless it was sweet, so sweet that we could not separate ourselves from those eruptions. And you know, Gurudev was very sensitive on so many issues. Once he said: “Preaching krishna-bhakti is not like a salesman trying to sell vacuum cleaners.” This was his conception about preaching. It’s not canvassing, it’s trying to show the supreme reality to others.

Once on 1988 on Janmashtami day he entered the temple room in brilliant clothes, with freshly shaved head and he was like a powerful angel entering the place to bring everybody closer to their ideals. So he was fully representing the guru principle – to be so strong that it’s irresistible.

Other times he was playing football with his disciples. I don’t know if you expect your divine master to play football with you. But I tell you, if you play football with your spiritual master, it’s not so easy. Because just imagine yourself – you are a better player and he is in the party losing. What can you do? It’s a very uneasy feeling.

Therefore spiritual life is, I think, a great experience. To meet the divine principle in our life in a personal form will crush all the conceptions that we had before. You expect something and you will receive something else.

And in 1984, December he gave a lecture; it was a very serious lecture, most of it we didn’t really understand, we didn’t catch why he is talking about that. But the essence of this lecture was three pieces of advice: “Krishna is never lost, guru is never lost and service is never lost”. I’m very grateful to have had the chance to be present on that lecture, because if you would remember only these three pieces of advice, you can accomplish successfully your spiritual journey. So please take it as an offering, it might serve you well.

Of course this is an unlimited principle, unlimited topic. But from time to time it’s good to return to this point and to see how the divine principle starts to act on my life. Shri Guru, Guru-dev – that will always join something more, not simply the person, the vaishnava, but also Shri Guru, divine tattva, Guru-dev, divine personality.

Who is an angel? What does an angel do? He brings the message.  Angels enter our life not only to make us happy and to make our life easy. They come to make our life more complicated. At least before I didn’t have the message. All right, my life was a dark dungeon, but at least I didn’t have any concept of light. Less trouble. Now the same dungeon is here, but I have a concept of light. And I have got the message: search for divine light, divine truth. More difficult, more complicated. So think twice!

Comment: It’s too late.

Swami Tirtha: What can we do… Then let’s follow the angels. Let’s bring the message to others.

(to be continued)

[1] Shrimad Bhagavatam 11.17.27