Radhanath Swami on Reciprocating with Nature

Today in the environment, ecological problems are looming over us. That is because we are not honoring with gratitude what God has given us through Mother Nature. Nature is like our mother. She is providing everything to nourish us, to sustain us. You cannot just take from your mother without honoring, respecting and giving back. Like we honor our own mother and father, this is one of our commitments too. Nature is like our mother too and all living beings are like her children. Exploiting her and not reciprocating with her needs is causing great problems. The basis of these problems is spiritual negligence, and the lack of proper perception and appreciation of God's creation and our fellow living beings around us.

Radhanath Swami on The Substance of Life

Death has to happen to everyone, in one way or other, inevitably and eventually. What is really important till then? During the time of life is when we actually can do something. What values did we leave behind for the world? What example did we gift to our children and to the world around us? What did we actually do to develop and show our love for God and for humanity and all other beings? That is all that really matters, because whatever money we make, whatever fame and power we acquire, whatever political successes we may have, it is all like the waves, ripples and foam on the surface of the Ganges. It is all coming and going; none of it has much substance. But to awaken to the eternal truth, that is the greatest success of life.

Radhanath Swami on Willing to Follow the Divine Will

Real wealth is within. One could be a billionaire and not be happy at all. If there is no real foundation, and if you build a massive beautiful sky scraper, a big storm is going to make it all topple to the ground. Any negative situation in our life could cause our entire fulfillment and satisfaction to come crumbling down, unless we have a strong foundation of connection to the Divine, and that connection comes by using our free will for God's purpose. God has given all living enities the free will to choose between right and wrong. The essential purpose of giving us free will is to choose selflessness over selfishness, humility over arrogance, charity over exploitation, love instead of hate, forgiveness instead of vengeance. And to choose these virtues is to do the will of God by putting aside our own selfish greed, lust, envy, anger, arrogance, to be an instrument of God’s will.

Radhanath Swami on Love - The Mystical Essence

Whether we are Jews, Christians, Hindus, Parsis, Muslims, Sikhs, or even atheistic, the tendency of the masses is to use God for their personal benefit. God is there for me. When I need something God is my order supplier. And it is alright to think that whatever I need, let me ask God for it. When I am in danger, let me ask God to help me. When I want success, let me ask God for help. That’s good, because we are recognizing a superior divine power above ourselves. But in every great religion, there is a mystical essence which goes beyond that. This essence is love, and most people miss out on this. Love is not to take, love is to give. Everyone says God give me this, God give me that, God I want this. But eventually we must learn to say, "God, I love You. What can I give You? What do You want me to do for You?" That is the higher principle.

Radhanath Swami on A Time to Reflect

Prioritizing integrity and values within one’s life, especially in today’s world where there is so much stress, so many demands and temptations, is really important. Sitting on the banks of a river, watching the current rushing by, you can realize that if you are in the river, you really get tossed around. You have not much time to think about anything else except the next wave that will be hitting you. But if you are sitting on the bank, you can observe the river with detachment. Similarly when we get side-tracked with the external activities in the demands of life, we may miss the point, the essence of where we are really going. We should take the time out to stand back and reflect on what really is of true value in life.

Radhanath Swami on Greatness of Character

Who is a great person? People come to adore great people or envy great people. And people like to become great in their own way somehow or the other, but what is actual greatness? What are the actual qualities of a great soul? Is it greatness to have a lot of money? Some of the most degraded people in the world are billionaires and millionaires. We see very wealthy people are funding terrorism and cruelty to innocents. Is that great? Is greatness fame, being a good singer, being a great dancer or having a beautiful body or being very strong and athletic or being heroic? According to the universal principle of all spiritual paths, one's greatness has to be estimated by one's ability to tolerate provoking situations. It is easy to make a show of being great, but when you are challenged, when provoking situations face you, then is the actual test of the substance of your character.

Radhanath Swami on A Humbling Experience

The great problem we face in life is that we all want to be in control of our destiny, today and tomorrow. But the problem is, no one is in control. There are higher powers, dictating circumstances upon everyone; we have control over our future destiny by our activities today. That is the law of karma. But what is coming upon us is something not always under our control. Ultimately we all are being controlled by time. You loose your beauty, you loose your memory, you loose your physical capacities, does any one want to be old? But can anyone stop the process? It is a humbling experience to live in this world, because we are not the controllers.