Monday, June 28, 2010

Radhanath Swami on nature of devotees

Devotees of the Lord are Para- Dukha- Dukhi which means that they perceive others suffering as their own. The root cause of all suffering
is that people in general have forgotten their relation with the Supreme Lord.
Therefore pure devotees of the Lord Spread God Consciousness throughout the World, providing an opportunity to the people to get connected with God once again. And in that process they don’t mind taking all discomforts and risks themselves.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Radhanath Swami on Doubt – The Worst Enemy or The Best Friend?

For a spiritualist doubt could either be the worst enemy or be the best friend. How? This is because doubt could either force the spiritualist to go deeper into spirituality or force the spiritualist to fall away from the spiritual path. That doubt won’t allow the spiritualist to remain on the same spiritual level that he/she is on.

When we have doubts, we must take shelter of the scriptures, we must take shelter of the words of guru and sadhu, trying to really understand what they mean, and we must take inventory of our own consciousness. It’s the time when we must question our own sincerity, our own dedication and our own commitments; it’s the time when we must fight against all obstacles to improve ourselves. But if at that time we do not do these essential procedures we will fall away from the spiritual path.

For example, sometimes we read something in the scriptures that does not make sense and does not seem logical. Or sometimes we hear something based on scriptures that contradicts all technological and scientific discoveries and so creates doubts. Is this just symbolism? Is this mythology? What is happening?!!

We are sometimes lost in bewilderment, “Should I just pretend as if I did not hear it, go on with my service, and blank it out of my mind? I already tried that, but the doubt keeps coming back. If I cannot accept this part of the scriptures, how can I accept the rest? Then, how will I go on with my spiritual life?”

This is our situation when serious doubts come in to our mind. Actually, it can be a benediction. Why? In that condition, if we are sincere, we will go very deeply in to the scriptures and will thus get a deeper realization of what true spirituality is. But simultaneously we have to question our own conditionings and our own motivations for being a spiritualist, and we should strive to improve and purify ourselves. And thus we make great spiritual advancement and our realizations go deeper and deeper and deeper.

But in that doubtful condition if we are not sincere we will use our good intelligence to rationalize and justify a material life of sense gratification and go back to living according to your own independent whims. “After all, what is given in the scriptures is not true. Then, why should I go on like this? Why should I give up so much for something I do not even believe? So let me enjoy material pleasures while I have the opportunity. While I am a little bit young let me utilize my mind and senses to find the pleasures that the whole world is seeking.” So that justification to leave the spiritual path is also facilitated by that doubt. Therefore, doubt is a test.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Radhanath Swami on Goal of Life

Although we may have very high education, although we may be situated in great material wealth and influence, still there is suffering in this world. Whatever endeavors we make to free ourselves from sufferings, still we must suffer, because it’s the nature of this material world. And until we understand the process of deliverance from all suffering, it is to be understood that all of our so called education are just decorative forms of ignorance. The goal of life is to free oneself from illusion and we cannot free ourselves from illusion until we humbly present our condition before the great physician, the Supreme Personality of Godhead or his representatives.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Radhanath Swami on Dharma

If we repose our love in the mortal forms of this world, it cannot satisfy us. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna has the unlimited capacity to fully satisfy us if only we repose our unadulterated and exclusive love on Him. And to repose our love on those devotees who help us to remember Krishna is non-different from loving Krishna directly and personally. So the only real fulfillment of our soul’s desires can come about by learning to love Krishna and His devotees. And the expression of the desire to love is to serve selflessly. Therefore selfless service to Krishna and His devotees is the only true path of dharma.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Radhanath Swami on Kirtan

During kirtan when people become really absorbed in singing the glories of God, all the barriers between them, created by the false ego, are removed. I have seen the worst enemies smiling at each other when put together in the middle of a kirtan. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even look at each other’s faces.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Radhanath Swami on Humility and Servant attitude

What does it mean to be humble?
Real humility is to truly from one’s heart accept I am the servant. How can I serve you and mean it. Not just say it but mean it. Back your words by action and be the servant.

What does it mean to be the servant?
To not be the enjoyer. To live for the pleasure of Krishna.

- H.H.Radhanath Swami

Radhanath Swami on Compassion

Everybody is searching for immortal happiness. But in this world there are so many impediments to our sensual happiness, which cause so much pain. There are three types of pain that are described in the Vedic literatures. Adhiatmika or pain created by one’s own body and mind; Adhibhautika or pain caused by other living beings; and Adhidaivika or pain that is caused by natural disturbances that are beyond our control. The greatest need in this world today is men/women who have pure hearts and compassionate desires to help people overcome suffering. The greatest welfare is to inaugurate within a person’s life the understanding by which he could be really happy.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Secret of Mother Teresa’s enthusiasm to serve humanity

While I was with Mother Teresa, someone asked her, “How do you get all your strength and enthusiasm to do so much for others?” She held up her beads and said, “It’s all coming by the chanting of the holy names.” Every religion teaches that the name of God is non-different than God, and chanting those name is the means of purifying our hearts.

-Radhanath Swami

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Radhanath swami on Secret of Success in Spiritual Life

You can give a rich man much money, but he doesn’t need that. Yet, he may thank you. But if you give something, though a ‘little’ something—even just a nice word—to the son of that rich man, the rich man will be indebted to you forever , because his son is more dear to him than himself . Similarly, what can we do for God? God needs nothing from us. But when we serve someone he loves, then Krishna is most pleased. This is the actual secret of success in spiritual life.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Deity worship in world traditions by Radhanath swami

When you go to the church, there is generally always a crucifix with Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone kneels down in front of him and cry and pray. He is a deity. They are focusing their attention on him. One of the greatest of the Catholic saints, St. Francis of the Assisi, his spiritual life really began when he went to a church in a helpless destitute position and prayed to the deity of Christ. He saw the deity cry and then he heard the deity speak and give him an instruction to surrender.
In Islam, they have big mosques and there is nothing in the mosques. But they are all bowing down in the direction of Mecca. That is their deity. Mecca is a place; it is not just an imaginary concept. They are concentrating their minds on something physical, offering their respects and their worships to something physical. They also worship Quran.
In the Jewish faith also they have some sort of deity worship. One time I was in Jerusalem for one of their biggest festivals. It is festival where they take out Torah, their holy books, and they were offering crown to it.
The Sikhs, too, worship their holy book Guru Granth Sahib. Their book is their deity.