Bhagavatam-daily 45 – 11.07.35 – Shelter comes not by ritual formalization but by learning disposition

Steadily and strongly in our inner journey towards Krishna. Thank you.
The Avadhut Brahmana is speaking to Maharaj and the previous two verses 33 and 34 has listed the 24 Gurus and now he is explaining that. Okay. These are my Gurus.
I have taken shelter of these Gurus. And the lessons which I have learned, instructions which I got, how I have got vritti-viretesha, from their vritti, from their activities. Now, what has happened by that? Anvashiksham Ihaatmanaha.
Anvashiksham means by observing their activities, I have learned here aatmanaha, about the soul. I have gained knowledge, deeper understanding about the soul. So, I have taken shelter of these Gurus.
Now, often we think of taking shelter or taking initiation as a very formal ceremony-centered process. There is an initiation ceremony where a spiritual master gives initiation. Now, yes, the ceremony is important, but the ceremony is meant to formalize the link of the heart.
It is meant to formalize the transmission of knowledge, not from head to head, but heart to heart. And what is important, what is most important, is that transmission of knowledge from the spiritual master and reception of knowledge by the disciple. So, here, Aashvithaha.
The Brahman is saying that I have taken shelter of these Gurus. Now, obviously, what can we do with a wasp or a pigeon? It’s not that you ask the pigeon to give initiation. So, still he’s using the word Aashvithaha, I have taken shelter.
How can a honeybee give shelter to anyone or to speak up to a Brahmana? But when he’s using the word shelter over here, he’s saying that, actually, I have learned from them. And how I have learned? By shiksha vrittibhira. Shiksha that I have got it by vrittibhira, by observing their activities.
So, here when he’s saying I have taken shelter, it is actually the mood of the heart to learn from everyone and everything. So, all the more, in fact, not only most of them, none of these actually speak words of instruction to the Avadhut Brahmana, specifically. There is not even formal instruction what to speak of formal ceremonial initiation.
But still he’s referring to them as Gurus and he’s saying that I have taken shelter of them. That shelter is a matter of inner disposition. And once one takes a shelter as a matter of inner disposition, then thereafter one can learn from various sources.
And that is what is being demonstrated over here that the Avadhut Brahmana has learned from them. And interestingly, what has he learned? Ihaatmanaha, Anvashiksham Ihaatmanaha. I have learned about the soul.
Now, this is significant because normally we may say by observing the world, we may learn about the world. Okay, if I watch how cricket match is being played, then I learn how to play cricket. Similarly, if I see somebody how shopkeeper talks and sells and handles cash and handles goods, I may learn how to do shopkeeping.
But how is it that by observing external things, one can learn about the inner reality, about the soul? Actually, what we learn depends on what we focus, what our purpose is, that determines where our focus will be when we observe things. So, if one is deeply interested in learning about the soul, then one will see lessons related with the soul, even external things. Just as a greedy person sees everything in terms of money, and a lusty person sees everything in terms of sexual gratification.
Similarly, a spiritual person, a person who is interested in spiritual truth, sees everything in terms of spiritual truth. So, actually, we don’t have to go into the external world on a sightseeing mission to find out what we can learn. It is not that the Avadhut Brahmana specifically went to these different people or just went around exploring to see if I can learn something.
No, he focused on spiritual cultivation, his thoughts were focused on spiritual cultivation. And while we focused on self-realization, and ultimately God-realization, as he observed the world, it’s not that because one has to focus on self-realization, one just cuts oneself off from the world. For functional purposes, we may still have to live in the world and we have to act in the world.
So, at such times, we keep our eyes and ears open, not looking for sense gratification, but looking for spiritual truths being demonstrated. So, that way, when we are interacting with the world, we will not be so defensive or jittery. Sometimes, as devotees who want to focus on spiritual purpose of life, because the external culture around us is so materialistic, so often we withdraw from the world.
And that is a good policy. If we are walking along the road and all around there are alluring forms and on top there are hoardings everywhere, there is no need to let our eyes wander everywhere. We can just look at the pavement or look straight ahead and keep walking.
But we can’t close our eyes and we don’t have to close our eyes. During the routine functioning of life, we can learn a lot. And we can approach material nature at various levels.
At the grossest level, we see it as an object for enjoyment. And when we refer to become free from that, the obsession, we see it as an object for renunciation or something that I have to give up. And that distancing from worldly objects in the initial stages of spiritual life is good.
Because when there is proximity, then there is greater probability of indulgence and relapse and fall down. But once we have developed some detachment, once you develop some realization, then we can look at the world and remember Krishna in connection with the world. So of course, those things which are directly connected with our past indulgences and gratification, we may avoid them.
Just like a drunkard should avoid alcoholic dens, bars and such places. So similarly, whatever anarthas we may have, specifically things connected with those anarthas, we can be cautious. But other things, we can see the world as, not that we have to go again on sightseeing in the world.
But while in our normal function, we observe the world, we can see it as a place where we can learn the spiritual truths being demonstrated. And that way, even by seeing external things, in this world, our spiritual convictions will become stronger and we will move onwards towards