Radhanath Swami writes his realization that a guru or a spiritual master with the stick of knowledge cleans the dirty wax of egotism accumulated in the heart of the disciple. This wax of ego prevents us from clearly hearing God’s voice within. But the guru lovingly cleans us. Another lesson that young Richard learnt was just like the man demanded money to clean the other ear, similarly in spiritual life, we get a free sample of religious experiences. However for more we must a pay a price of sincerity and dedication.
Radhanath Swami explains that advancing in spiritual life is not a cheap thing. Therefore Krishna, God first gives us a ‘free sample’- initial ecstasies and joy in executing spiritual practises. Radhanath Swami compares God with an expert marketing manager. He reasons if you want to get people hooked on your product, you first give them a free sample. Then after the first dose of free samples, we have to pay for the product. Similarly happiness in spiritual practices is free in the initial days. However, to sustain and grow in our spiritual lives, we have to work hard and pay the price of sincerely endeavouring to clean our hearts from all the unwanted, dirty, egoistic tendencies. And this is quite an expensive affair. This only proves that connection to God requires hard work because the result of connection is supreme bliss. To get ordinary pleasures of this world we pay a price, many times exorbitant rates. Similarly to get spiritual pleasures, we should be willing to pay the price of giving our time and energy to God.
In one talk Radhanath Swami compares God to a drug pusher. A drug pusher may never charge you the first time. Once we are hooked, you have to pay. Similarly Krishna or God gives us the highest drug and intoxication and that is love of God. There is no intoxication that can come closer to the experience of loving God. But for the ecstasies and pleasures of God intoxication, we have to pull out the weeds of negativities from the heart. That may appear painful, but that is the price for genuine spiritual ecstasy.
At the beginning or the neophyte stage, Radhanath Swami says, we may not be able to see the weeds in our hearts. Through careful devotional service and practice of Bhakti yoga we get purified and begin to see the anarthas or unwanted things in our hearts. Then comes the time to pay the price for spiritual taste- are we willing to let go off our negativities or do we hold on to them as dear objects and possessions. To the extent we are honestly introspective and willing to pluck out the weeds of false pride, God gives us the strength to pull them out. Although plucking them out is a painful business, God Himself arranges these weeds to disappear and then He plants in the hearts, pure love. “We have to be willing to pay the price of having pure aspirations in spiritual life”, says Radhanath Swami, “then everything in spiritual life appears ecstatic and blissful.
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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........
Great lesson by Radhanath Swami
View CommentHH Radhanath Swami is really amazing and who ever follows his instructions can really over come the material sufferings.
View CommentOne thing That i like most is that radhanath swami Teaches us a lesson from each and every incident in our life and connects it to krishna.
Thank you maharaj…
View CommentNext time when I get my ear cleaned up, I will definitely remember this 🙂
View CommentI pray that the quote, “To the extent we are honestly introspective and willing to pluck out the weeds of false pride, God gives us the strength to pull them out” of Radhanath Swami Maharaja may always be etched in my heart in all circumstances.
View CommentWonderful explanation…
View CommentYes it is absolutely right.Those who are practicing spiritual life for quite some time must have gone through this experience.We are in this material world which is perverted reflection of spiritual world and therefore devotional life in this world is also not so easy and simple.In this world performing spiritual practice means swimming against a current.When we try to reconnect ourselves to God then He welcomes our move but to remain fixed in that connection we have to pay price for that.
View CommentThank you very much for nice lecture.
View CommentThere is no free meals in this world!
View CommentQuite true.. Outstanding article.
View CommentVery nice article from HH Radhanath Maharaj. Thank you very much for sharing the same.
View CommentVery truthful and practical realizations spoke by HH Radhanath Swami ji, any aspiring sincere practitioner of Bhakti yoga can easily correlate to it even after spending significantly less time in the path of devotion. This is a faith lifting realization. Thank you very much for inspiring us with this wonderful talk.
View CommentExcellent explanation & realization by Radhanath Swami Maharaj !
View CommentThank you !
Hare Krishna !
It is really true Maharaj said that at neophyte stage, , we may not be able to see the weeds in our hearts. Through careful devotional service and practice of Bhakti yoga we get purified and begin to see the anarthas or unwanted things in our hearts.
View CommentThank you for sharing :).
View CommentThese realizations shared by Radhanath Swami are true jewels..
View CommentKrishna consciousness is all comprehensive and answers and explains all the conceptions of God across all faiths
View CommentVery true,without the price of sinceriety and dedication it’s very difficult to advance in any thing.Wt to talk about sprituality.
View CommentAdvancing in spiritual life is not a cheap thing.
View CommentNo great thing is cheap and no cheap thing can ever be great.
View CommentWonderful, Swamiji Explains the importance of guru in once life..
View CommentThank you
Hare krishna
It is a general tendency of everyone to work hard in our work understanding that without hard work we would not have success, but when it comes to sprirituality, the general tendency is to go in front of Lord’s deities whenever we get time, bow down once head, and if relly in a ‘devotional’ mood put some Lakshmi in hundi, and the expectation is that we would get all experience of Bhaki, and become a pure devotee.
Thank you Radhanath Swami for setting the expectations right-“We have to be willing to pay the price of having pure aspirations in spiritual life”.
View Commentyes this is so true that we need to pay the price, to us it seems a exorbant price but actually it is negligible. sincerity of one life will give us eternity with krishna
View CommentI really liked the real life time examples given by radhanth swami maharaj to explain us that getting love of god is not very cheap and we have to pay price for it in terms of our time and energy. It is foolish idea to think or dream that one day we will become pure devotee without really endeavoring from our side with sincerity and seriousness.
View CommentThank you for sharing such a wonderful realisation really without paying something we cannot get anything in this material world but for bhakti we don’t have to pay anything except our heart and mind in the service of God. wonderful realization.
View CommentGreat to read this..”for the ecstasies and pleasures of God intoxication, we have to pull out the weeds of negativities from the heart. That may appear painful, but that is the price for genuine spiritual ecstasy.”
Thank you Radhanath Swami for elaborating on this vital principle !!
View Commentwonderful article.thank you so much maharaj.
View CommentHow true it is that we are ready to work hard for getting comfort and luxuries, but want spiritual advancement in as short-cut way as possible. We need to change this attitude and learn to work hard for achieving spiriual goals as well. Thank you so much Radhanath Swami for this very deep lesson.
View Comment“To get ordinary pleasures of this world we pay a price, many times exorbitant rates. Similarly to get spiritual pleasures, we should be willing to pay the price of giving our time and energy to God.” To get the invaluable spiritual pleasure, this is a very small price.
View CommentMaharaj has said rightly we need to pay the price.
View Comment“God helps those who help themselves.” We need to pay the price for what we initially get as sample to advance fast in our spiritual lives. All glories to HH Radhanatha Svami Maharaja.
View CommentEverything comes with a price!
View CommentWow. God intoxication. A beautiful concept. No intoxication can even come closer to it … Well said, Radhanath Swamiji.
View CommentA compassionate saintly person such as Radhanath Swami shows a glimpse of spiritual bliss for attracting people to their real nature but they have to pay the price of sincerity to advance in spiritual life.
View CommentGood one !!
View Comment“In spiritual life, we get a free sample of religious experiences. However for more we must a pay a price of sincerity and dedication”. It is very much true in our experience.
View CommentVery Instructive lessons on the basics of spiritual life. A million thanks to swami radhanath 🙂
View CommentVery amazing. Such deep realisation from such an apparent small incident. Great people always think in a different way from ordinary man like us.
Thank you for sharing.
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