Sharanagati

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: “My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most confidential knowledge and realization, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence. This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting and it is joyfully performed.”[1]

So, this divine science will give us direct realization of ourselves. Just like when you look into the mirror. What do you see? First you see the bodily reflection, right? Sometimes even that picture is not very positive. But if you search deeper through the eye – this is like a gate – you can see something deeper. You can enter your inner realms. Because it is said that the eyes are the reflections of the soul, while the face is only a reflection of your mind. Do you see the difference? Your face is only a reflection of your mind, while your eyes are the reflections of your soul. Sometimes you cannot control your face, it will show directly, immediately all your emotions. Sometimes you can control your face – to put a smile, artificially there. But the eyes – they can never tell a lie.

So, who am I? I should search for that. In our original divine consciousness we shall find our home.

And therefore this divine knowledge is “the perfection of religion”. What is religion? These days’ people are not happy to identify themselves as religious. Religion is out of fashion. Although this is very important for the human beings. Because religion should mean my connection to the Supreme. This is real religion. Because „religion” means „connection”. Religare – to connect back to God, to the Supreme. It is yoga: yoga is connection between the human and the Supreme. But what would happen if on a yoga course you would say: “O, now I will teach you religion“? The students would protest: “No, no, no, give me the asana only, no religion!”

Yet actually to understand ourselves in the divine context, this divine science is the best religion. This is not an old-fashioned brainwash system, but it’s a real spiritual science. “It is everlasting and joyfully performed.” This point is very important. Because we are originally, naturally blissful, joyful. So if we come closer to our original state, we shall perceive that bliss, that satisfaction, irrespective of the outside environment, because we are connected eternally to the Supreme and then this is our reality. This is living faith, this is living connection.

[1] Bhagavad Gita 9.1-2