At Varanasi which is considered by millions of Hindus to be the holiest of all cities, Richard was affected by people mourning in a funeral procession. He later decided to sit on the banks of Manikarnika burning ghat, a place where dead bodies are burnt. He sat from sunrise to sunset contemplating on the mystery of death and prayed to get a deeper insight into this inevitable reality of our lives.
Richard observed that the dead body was placed on a pyre of wooden logs, and the closest relative of the deceased touched a flaming torch to the pyre. Richard carefully observed the hair sizzling into nothingness. The flesh shriveled away, organs melted and bones crumbled. Gradually the entire body was devoured by the flames and only a pile of ashes remained that were then carefully swept into the current of Mother Ganges. He felt the sweet song of Mother Ganges was inviting him to an eternal reality, beyond this world of death.
Realizing the inevitability of death sobers us up. It’s simply a matter of time before all the wealth and fame we seek is washed away by the force of time. The body goes through six stages- creation, growth, maintenance, producing offspring, dwindling and finally death. Still we hope to live on forever; a glimmer of eternity is felt somewhere deep within and a life devoid of decadence is desired. This hope is natural because the real ‘I’ or the ‘soul’ doesn’t die with the end of this body.
Radhanath Swami often repeats his guru’s lucid thinking and logical presentation on the subject of soul. Just as a vehicle needs a driver to maneuver the machine, similarly within the body resides a ‘driver’, a spiritual spark animating the bodily automobile with consciousness. Symptoms of walking, talking, sitting, and feeling reveal the working of this spiritual energy, in an otherwise lifeless lump of flesh. When questioned ‘who are you?’ we often introduce ourselves with a name or by identifying with a religious sect, family or Nation. However if we change our name, faith or citizenship do we actually become a different person? No! We remain the same person as we continue to think, feel and will with changing designations of the body. We can easily point to our hand, legs, face or even our own body. But if ‘I’ owns ‘my body’, a logical question arises, ‘who really am I?’ Just as ‘my watch’ or ‘my book’ implies my existence separate from the watch or the book, likewise ‘my body’ implies my eternal state of existence separate from the transient body.
Richard got a realization of the soul watching and meditating on the burning dead bodies:
“It’s not the body that people love, but the soul. The body is a temporary vehicle. Without the soul, the body is like a car without a driver. I see through my eyes, smell through my nose, taste through my tongue, hear through my ears, feel through my skin, think through my brain, and love through my heart. But who am I? Who is the witness, enjoyer, and sufferer that activates my body?”
Radhanath Swami explains that we are presently attracted by the layer of bodily covering. This superficial attraction to the body is called maya or illusion. Spiritual reality is to go beyond the body and seek a relationship at a deeper level. “Relations of the soul, established in relation with the Supreme Soul, are factual relations”, reveals Radhanath Swami, “the skin relation is the cause of material bondage, but the relation of the soul is the cause of freedom. This relation of the soul to the soul can be established by the medium of our relation with God.”
A spiritualist ignores neither his body nor the bodies of his loved ones. He simply practices and encourages others to render devotion to God, while doing the needful for the body; the body is after all a vehicle to help us go to God. Radhanath Swami aptly puts it, “If you really love a person, will you not care for his or her soul? And if you love the soul, would you ignore the body? ”
Table of Contents
Founder-acharya of the International Society For Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
“Go to India” a sweet but commanding voice; spoke up in the heart of young Richard (later Radhanath Swami) who was immersed in meditation, his search for meaning in life has brought him to the Isle of Crete. Today he was ordered to go to India. Born and raised in the middle class suburbs of Chicago, Radhanath swami grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s era when popular musicians protested war, prejudice and social injustice. Radhanath swami would listen to these songs again and again, but their lyrics referring to God stirred his soul. Peter, Paul and Mary- the folk trio from Greenswich village sang in their debut album
“Early in the morning, about the break of day
I ask the Lord, to help me find my way”
This simple prayer was to guide Radhanath swami in the coming years of his life........
How important it is to know that actually we are not this body but the spirit soul.Thank You Radhanath Swami.
View Comment“Spiritual reality is to go beyond the body and seek a relationship at a deeper level…. This relation of the soul to the soul can be established by the medium of our relation with God.” – what a complete picture is being given by Radhanath Swami herein.
View CommentRadhanath Swami so nicely explains that we are not the bodies but the spirit souls and are related to each other through the medium of God.
View CommentRadhnath Swami oftion talk about the subject matter The Soul.
View CommentSo simly and nicely explained is understtod well.
“Relations of the soul, established in relation with the Supreme Soul, are factual relations” this is very striking statement by Radhanath Swami Maharaj. It points out that our relations based on body are not real nor are they permanent but on the platform of soul they are both real and permanent.
View CommentWonderful Article!
View CommentNice article – As mentioned in the article – “Realizing the inevitability of death sobers us up”. Thanks a lot Maharaj for sharing the great realizations of meditating on the burning dead bodies.
View CommentThank you very much Maharaj for teaching us this most important lesson of human life without which we would be nothing but two legged animals.
View CommentSuch a deep understanding of the relationship between the body and soul…So clearly explained….!!!
View Commenta very inspiring incident
View CommentVery Inspiring to read this incident .Thank you very much .
View CommentRadhanath Swami once told that he learnt the Truth(about the difference between the body and the soul) the hard way. THe easier and the better way was to learn the Truth from the scriptures.
View CommentHis humility is because his knowledge is realized not theoritical.
Brilliant description of harsh reality!
View CommentRadhanath Swami realizations are very deep.
View CommentRadhanath Swami has learned everything through his own experiences….Very rare to find such people like Radhanath swami who influence the society positively,even though externally it may appear so negative!
View CommentTo do such act requires real courage and brave heart especially to see the burning bodies. Realizations came out of this is amazing. Thank you swami ji
View CommentIn one sense a simple truth – abc of Spiritual life; however most of us are so caught in maya/illusion that we are this body and even though heard it many times, dont move away from this conception.
Radhanath Swami not only contemplated/meditated on this truth, but fully absorbed this reality into his being and lead a life on this spiritual platform. He is now very teaching this rare science to everyone…the greatest charity anyone can give to this world – Spiritual knowledge…
View CommentHH Radhanath Swami Maharaj has a amazing way of making a deep understanding of various spiritual aspects in a most simple way to all aspiring to go back to godhead. Thank you Maharaj for all such message and articles!!
View CommentExcellent Article
View Commentnice artilce.. i agree with Manish says to remember about the death and maharaj said our body is vehile to take to the god..very nice…
View CommentMaharaj has told us that this life is a preparation and death is the examination.
View CommentVery nice explanation about the soul and the body.
View CommentDeath is the only truth in this material world, inspite of seeing such things everyday we still behave as if death will not come to us,thank you Radhanath Swami for giving this warning bell to wake me from the comfort zone.
View CommentVery thought-provoking!
View CommentOnly Krishna consciousness can help a person to face death fearlessly.
View CommentSo simple and yet so profound !
View Commentvery nicely presented by Radhanath swami. Thanks to everyone that is part of this wonderful blog about Radhanath swami’s book.
View CommentIt is so important to realise the fact that we are Soul and not the body which we are getting so much attached to.We may know this but not have true understanding and realisation of this.Only saintly personalities like Radhanath Swami may realize this important fact!
View CommentSuch profound insights! Thank you Radhanath Swami
View CommentBeing illusioned in this material world we completely forget about Death, Radhanath Swami is making us realize about the futility of material life.
View CommentWonderful explanation. Radhanath Swami speaks just what we need to hear. Death of a beloved is truly a harsh reality, but realisation of the eternality of the soul as completely separate from this body and the possessions of this body, is such a soothing experience. Thank you for this article.
View CommentGreat site!!!
View Commentvery nice meditation on Maharaj’s book!
View CommentThis incident gives us a glimpse of the depth with which Radhanath Swami examines serious issues of life. Most of us would be barely aware of such phenomena such as death.
View CommentWell written article. I also remembered the gloom and learning experience described in the book by His Holiness Radhanath Swami in the cremation grounds of Varanasi.
View CommentThe two viewpoints mentioned in the article are like two railway lines of a track. One needs to balance the needs of the driver and the car. Neither should one drive speedily without purpose, nor should one just polish the car and keep it always covered.
Radhanath Swami has provided a very elaborate distinction between the temporary nature of our material body and the eternal existence of the spirit soul within. This will help us in understanding the basic essence of spirituality in a much deeper way.
View CommentVery inspiring article. Thank you very much for sharing the same.
View CommentRadhanath Swami has made it vey clear through his analogy that the soul is the spark of life within the body. So we should all heed his instructions for our own benefit and try to “spiritualise” our lives by associating with saintly people and abjuring the material desires & sense gratificatory tendencies associated with the body.
View CommentMaharaj had broke the illusion that the time and energy that we are putting to pamper the body is ultimately destined to put in fire, and this vehicle should be used to develop the love of God with is eternal.
View Commentthis meditation on death, is really wonderful i wish everyone reads it and understands the reality and takes necessary steps towards it.
View CommentI feel fortunate to be able to read these meditations of Maharaj’s realization of Death and soul. This is a very practical knowledge. If this knowledge is properly cultivated with faith and devotion we can definitely overcome death.
View CommentRadhanath Swami is a personality who has been seen practically every play of this world and very realizes soul that we can understand him by his teachings and personal example. Here Maharaj practically presenting us very hard truth which we are really unaware about it. Jai Gurudev!!!
View CommentWe all take great pains to pamper our bodies with all kind of products available in the market, but how much do we nourish our soul? The question begs an answer. Radhanath Swami always stress the point and quotes from the bible, “What is the gain of the whole world if thou losses ones soul”. We need to wake up to this reality.
View CommentSuch a nice realisation by Radhanath Swami. We come to know of his thirst for seeking answers to deep questions in life, otherwise who would spend hours just watching burning dead bodies?
View CommentNice Article! Thank you for sharing this
View CommentVery nice explantion by HH radhanath swami maharaj. Maharaj ki jaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.
View CommentI think if we become conscious of Death as explianed by radhanath Swami- we will progress rapidly in Krishna Consciousness
View CommentDeath is not very popular. But because its talked about by HH Radhanath Swami, it becomes a super-hit subject. Thats the magic of Radhanath Swami – presenting harsh realities, not soft untruths, in such a charming way that not only does one accept the truth willingly, but also gains strength to face it. Not just face it, but use it positively for reaching the spiritual goal of life. Hats off!
View CommentVery nice explanation of true realtionship. Thank you very much for shairng the same.
View CommentThank u very much 4 sharing!
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