Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had a profound experience at the convent of Mother Theresa. Richard saw that Mother Theresa was happy washing pots and serving the poor. When one person asked her how she could do so many chores, she humbly replied that serving God and humanity was not a chore. Any type of service is a blessing. Mother Theresa also spoke about the source of all her spiritual strength. She said she derived immense nourishment and strength from chanting of the Lord’s Holy Names.
Radhanath Swami is emphatic that both, an attitude of service and sincere chanting of God’s Holy Names go hand in hand in spiritual life. To serve God and the world for our whole life we will require spiritual strength and nourishment. The source for this is the Holy Names. At the same time we can’t chant the Holy Names effectively if we do not cultivate proper service attitude.
Radhanath Swami gives the example of his own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada who at the advanced age of seventy travelled to America on a cargo ship. His only purpose in doing that was to save the poor suffering souls of this world. While on the month long voyage, Srila Prabhupada suffered from heart attacks and sea sickness and while in America, he also struggled alone. However, during all this tribulations, Srila Prabhupada had unflinching faith in the Holy Names and that provided him the solace and strength during these hard days. Later Srila Prabhupada transformed the hearts of thousands of drug infected hippies and blessed them with the most special gift of love of God. Srila Prabhupada attributed the miraculous transformation of all the ‘hippies’ to ‘happies’ to the power of the Holy Names.
The faith in Holy Names that Radhanath Swami observed in Mother Theresa is the driving force of all spiritualists in all the major religions of the world. Following the tradition of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the apostle of Love of God who appeared in Eastern India in the fifteenth century, Radhanath Swami describes the Lord’s holy names to be complete in themselves and identical to the Lord in all potency. Hence when we take shelter of the holy names, we derive immense spiritual strength.
In the Judaeo-Christian tradition also there is a great instruction: “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” Not only is this encouragement for chanting God’s name, but the word means “sacred.” We say that the name of God is sacred. But originally the word hallowed meant “whole.” The name of God was considered complete. So “hallowed be Thy name” meant that God’s name was complete in itself, or full of God’s own potency, as what Vedic tradition says.
All religious traditions teach this principle and encourage adherents to chant God’s names, even if, in practice, the instruction is hardly followed. In fact, all religions emphasize the chanting process as the prime means for developing God consciousness. For example, King David, of the Bible, preached: “From the rising of the sun until its setting, the Lord’s name is to be praised.” (Psalms 113:3) Saint Paul said, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) In this way, the potency of the name is endorsed even in the Western religious traditions.
What Radhanath Swami learnt from Mother Theresa, he later perfected under the tutelage of his own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.
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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........
Very very nice, holy names have all the potencies.
View CommentReally Holy name can transform our life.
View CommentAll glories to the Holy name! Thank you for educating us on the potency of the Holy Name.
View CommentSuch articles really helps us to chant the holy names of god very attentively investing our full consciousness.
View CommentThanks for bringing out the glories of the Holy Name..
View Commenthari hari bol……….
View Commentthanks for the nice article
View CommentThanks for enlightening us with so many instances where the potency of the holy name and unflinching faith in the lord and spiritual master helped one to progress in spiritual path.
View CommentThank you for sharing this article on Radhanath Swami and the importance of chanting the holy names.
View CommentThank You for sharing
View CommentHare Krishna a nice article
View Commenttruely great article.
View CommentHare krishna It is very wonderful article.All glories to the holy names of Krishna.
View CommentWonderful article. Thanks for sharing it.
View CommentJust wonderful… Thanx for posting.
View Commentwonderful insight about how chanting the holy names of God is a universal principle and very important in our spiritual lives
View CommentThere is no difference between the holy name and the Lord. Yes! we can derive divine strength from holy names. All glories to HH Radhanatha Swami Maharaja.
View Commentwonderful!
View Comment“To serve God and the world for our whole life we will require spiritual strength and nourishment. The source for this is the Holy Names. At the same time we can’t chant the Holy Names effectively if we do not cultivate proper service attitude.”
View CommentVery deep article. Thank you
Thank you for sharing.Hare Krsna !
View CommentBrilliant article.Haribol!
View Commentthanks a lot for explaining about the imp of the holy name
View CommentAll authorized religion accepts chanting the Holy name of the Lord.
View CommentChanting holly names of Lord with love and service attitude provides spritual strength and nourishment. Thank you maharaj ji for reminding the attitude for a spiritual aspirant.
View CommentGOd’s holy names are indeed very magnaninimous…thanks for this wonderful article….
View Commentgive me some more strength
View CommentThank you for elaborating on the glories and power of the holy names. Wish all of us could chant effectively.
View Commentwhen will i b able to c the lord and talk with him one to one
View Commenti dont knlw how t o thank for yr valuable article which inspires beyond boundries………thanks once again
View CommentHolly Names of Lord have all potency to solve any problem be it material or spiritual.
View CommentAmazing!
View CommentThank you for elaborating on the power of the holy names.
View CommentVery true! “An attitude of service and sincere chanting of God’s Holy Names go hand in hand in spiritual life”.We have to follow this principle.
View Commentvery nice article.thank you for sharing.
View CommentChanting the holy names of the Lord really gives us the strength to face problems and obstacles that come in our lives and also gives us peace and happiness.
View CommentTrue! Service attitude and chanting of the holy names is the basis of spiritual life!
View Comment