Radhanath Swami on Tolerating Religious Differences

Everyone has their own logic, even in the circles of religion. Everyone has their scriptural quotes to show that we are the way to truth and light and there is no other way except through me. That I am the greatest, my religion is the greatest and everyone else is subordinate or evil. I am Hindu, I am a Christian, I am a Jew, I am a Zoroastrian or I am a Jain and because I am that, that is the greatest because if that is the greatest, that makes me the greatest. Look what this has done to the world. Religion is supposed to create a sense of seeing every living being with equal vision. Religion is supposed to bring about a sense of compassion and love for everyone. If you don’t love everyone you cannot love God. But religion today has the opposite effect of its purpose. It creates sectarianism, bigotry and hatred toward others. We have to learn to tolerate the envy in our heart in the name of God.

Radhanath Swami on Good Leadership

Our aspiration should be to serve. Leadership is just a very wonderful opportunity to serve. We shouldn’t be attached to be a leader; we should be attached to the service that we can render. Sometimes people strive to be a leader because they think they can really do great service to the society. And sometimes people don’t have any inclination to be a leader, but because of their selfless service others put them in the position of leadership. Yes, that often happens. Sometimes the most qualified person to be a leader doesn’t want to be a leader. Whether we are leading a family, whether we are leading in a small circle of friends, whether we are leading a business or whether we are leading an entire nation, we should all cultivate and strive to be leaders by example — by the words we speak and by the example that we live. I have even seen humble street sweepers whose character and virtues are so good that can be considered great leaders. The real thing is to lead by setting an example of high ideals and high integrity. And whether or not we come to the top of a particular field that we are working in, we can be a great leader if we live with character, integrity and devotion.

Radhanath Swami on Honor and Dishonor

To tolerate dishonor is very difficult, but it is more difficult to tolerate honor. When you become dishonored, you may become angry or you may become depressed, depending on the person and the circumstances. Some people, when they become dishonored, they might pull out a sword and call a war against theoffenders but other people might just remove themselves from society, go to a lonely placed and cry in depression. In fact, the scriptures say that for one who is honored, dishonor is worse than death. But more difficult than that is to tolerate honor, without becoming proud.

Radhanath Swami on The Lord's Pastimes

It is described that when a cat is about to kill a mouse, usually a cat just does not simply kill the mouse because just killing is not fun. They like to play with it first, they catch it and then they let it go and then they catch it again and let it go and then they catch it and sometimes they make the mouse think that it is going to defeat the cat and get away. But it is all play, and finally when all things are said and done, the mouse is dead. Somehow or other for some reason people in this material world have a very deep tendency to be excited and entertained by violence and anger. God is so merciful and kind that He wants to attract all of our minds, so therefore He performs pastimes with the most incredible war stories that seem so inconceivable. But nobody could ever defy them - they reach beyond anybody's imagination. No one can never put on such a production. And someone has put them down in writing simply for the sake of putting excitement into the Lord's pastimes, just to attract our minds.

Radhanath Swami on Holy Matrimony

For a marriage to work in this world is very difficult. In fact, anything great is difficult, cheap things come easy. If you want a cheap relationship then everything will be easy, but when the going becomes difficult then the relationship breaks. If we really want our relation to have deep substance and deep meaning, difficulties have to be conquered. From the day of marriage, throught our lives, deeply within our hearts, we have to accept that our relationship is based on higher principles. Because the nature of the mind is that sometimes we like each other and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we are happy, sometimes we are angry. The ego is very flickering and the mind is even more flickering, and the senses fuel them both. If our relationship is based on this superficial principle of pleasing the mind and senses, then our relationship is very superficial, without much substance.

Radhanath Swami on Believing the Scriptures

People of this world are so much conditioned to the news of the radio, the television and the newspapers where everything is based on the relative activities of conditioned souls and therefore we have a certain conditioned idea of what is possible and what is not possible. When we read history books about various wars and various discoveries and various political revolutions, they are all done by people who are influenced by material nature. Therefore what can such infinitesimal conditioned beings do that is very great? And if they do something little greater than somebody else, then it is considered wonderful. And then everyone must read about it, see it, and talk about it. But the holy scriptures are something completely different. They describe the activities of the Supreme Absolute Truth that has no limitation who is all-knowing and completely independent. There is nothing impossible for God. If there was anything impossible for God, there would be no such thing as God, because God by definition means The Complete Whole, The Supreme Controller. Therefore it is not difficult for us to have faith in any story that comes in the authoritative literatures such as Srimad Bhagvatam.

Radhanath Swami on The Boon of Our Life

Who am I? Where am I coming from? Where am I going? Why am I suffering? Why is there so much suffering in this world? From the very beginning the Vedas explain that human life actually begins when we ask these questions. How could I learn mathematics or how can I learn science, or business, or housekeeping, this is not so important. But even the lower species have their mathematics and science. The way the spider makes its web is very mathematical, very architectural. A cow takes care of its calf - they are good housekeepers. Even a little cat takes care of its little babies. Human life actually begins when we really feel we need to know, not just out of curiosity, who we really are. When we feel a need to know, and we ask ourselves and others, that, according to the scriptures, is when human life begins, because human life is especially meant for self realization. It is the boon we have.