Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 07.01.2017 morning, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

 For a long time I thought that people should join only the spiritual tradition, the sampradaya. And then when some of our young devotees started to get married, I saw that they join another tradition, the family tradition. Then immediately they were supplied with all the benefits of that tradition – like receiving gifts from the others, somebody starts to take care of their housing, then money is supplied. And of course everybody was very satisfied that ‘Somebody is joining our style.’ Then I understood that actually this is very nice. Because that means that all the blessings of that family tradition are coming to you if you follow the rules of that certain line. It’s natural that we try to share what we have, we try to maintain the tradition that we belong to – it’s nice. And if we can unite the benefits of both traditions – like supply the necessities of life in the family line and also provide some spiritual benefits coming from a spiritual sampradaya – I think that’s the best-best combination.

The majority of people live in relationships. Because we human beings are social beings. And I was wondering why it is like this? How is it that we need to have somebody around? We need a partner – why it is like this? Then I understood that this is based in the philosophy. Originally as eternal souls we belong to someone. We are not just flying alone in this vast universe. We belong to someone – that means originally we have a relationship. We belong to God. And on this material plane we have forgotten about that eternal relationship and here we can get only a substitute. Therefore we try to find a partner. If you want to find some company for you, don’t forget about this part – you have originally this tendency, this affinity, and therefore you are searching for some connection here.

Therefore it is a little unusual if somebody is not married. Like an old bachelor or an old maid. Or a monk. Ah, it’s very unusual. Something strange, something different. And this is true, asceticism is not too old tradition – only few thousand years it’s going on.

But family is made up of certain participants: father, mother and children. Today sometimes: father, father and children; or mother, mother and children. Because today people speak about the rights: “I have my rights to choose!” But what about the kids? Do they have any rights to choose a father-father combination or a mother-mother combination? Why don’t you consider their rights, ha? So, if you go according to the freedom of your choice, if you go according to the ‘rights’ to choose your sexual orientation, why don’t you provide the same rights to the kids who cannot choose, who depend on you? This argument is false! It’s wrong. The argument is false – it’s not the sexual orientation, because it’s a private affair. But the argumentation is wrong.

This unit, family as a unit, has different functions. This is a very small association we can say, a sanga. The biological function is multiplication – it’s obvious. The social function is to provide the security and peace of society. The individual contribution of this ashram is that you can develop your character. Family is also a place of affection – the warmth of the home. So this is not only a house, it’s a home – it’s a totally different feeling. It’s for developing these affectionate relationships. Ultimately on the spiritual platform – to help each other on the spiritual path. And finally to see a God-sent partner in my husband or wife – to develop this vision, to see somehow the representative of divinity, in my very close family circle. To see a god in my husband. Who can do that, who can have such a vision? Only a goddess. So if you want to see a god in your husband, please qualify yourself as a goddess. Don’t expect that first he becomes a god, and then ‘I will recognize his qualities’. No, you develop yourself, and then it’s easy.

(to be continued)