Kailash Baba taught Richard to live in harmony with Mother Nature. Richard learnt to use neem twigs to brush his teeth and riverbed mud to wash his skin. Besides, Kailash Baba also taught Richard to respect sacred rivers, temples, trees, the sun, moon, and also snakes, scorpions, and wild animals. Richard learnt to see the soul within a deadly cobra. Over the course of days, Richard saw a leopard intently hunting through the foliage. He saw cobras and mongoose, and respecting these animals, and remembering the instructions of Kailash Baba, Richard prayed to develop fearlessness. As he saw different animals struggle for survival, he reflected that human life is not meant for struggling like these various species; it’s meant for a greater pursuit.
Roaming in jungles has always been a fearful prospect for me. I once asked a travelling monk who roams in the Amazon jungles, if he wasn’t afraid of the wild animals there. He replied with a cheerful grin, “Of course not, because the most dangerous animal is nowhere to be seen in these jungles.” I realized he meant the humans. Humans are distinct from animals in their ability to quest for enlightenment, for the basic needs of eating, sleeping, mating and defending are fulfilled in all life, but seeking God is a rare privilege of mankind. Not pursuing this sublime goal, humans become victim of selfishness, and slowly degenerate to less than animals. Today we see humans are the biggest threat to the security of life on planet earth. With their advanced intelligence humans have subjugated all species, but strangely with the same intelligence man has created weapons of mass destruction, which threaten to destroy all life on this planet. The irony of modern times is that the greatest strength of humans-their advanced intelligence-is also their weakness, because it isn’t used for a spiritual purpose. Hence human beings live in constant fear. Richard however was learning to become fearless.
Radhanath Swami advises, “Our fear should not be death. Our fear should be that we may forget God. Because if we remember God, when death comes, we may go back to the kingdom of God. It’s better to die remembering God than to live a fearful life in this temporary world.”
Richard’s desire to pursue spiritual life became more intense in the Himalayas:
“A spark of spiritual longing, ignited in my childhood, had been fanned into a flame while praying in a cathedral of Florence. It was kindled into a blaze while meditating on the Isle of Crete and fueled higher and hotter by my challenges in the Middle East. Roaming the Himalayas in the company of holy men, that sacred fire in me now blazed furiously. Resigning my life to this purpose alone, I prayed to the Lord to help me.”
Observing a black bee drifting from flower to flower, seeking nectar, Richard too was moving from place to place, seeking to collect the nectar of spiritual wisdom and inspiration. Suddenly he heard in a distance, a baby cry for its mother and he too felt like a baby spiritually, and wondered when the day will come when he will cry like that baby for his beloved Lord.
Radhanath Swami emphasises that chanting of God’s names should not be performed mechanically. “Even a parrot can learn the art of chanting. But that’s not our goal. Our goal is to chant like a child for its mother.” His stunning analysis on the need to take shelter of God leaves me amazed. In his intense voice, choked with spiritual emotion, Radhanath Swami appeals to all of us, “When the baby is in danger he doesn’t go to the internet, he doesn’t analyze his strengths and his weaknesses’ and neither does he philosophize. He simply spontaneously and instantly cries from the core of his heart for mother’s help. We also have to give up our own endeavours and rather beg for shelter, and cry for mercy from God.”
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........
I liked this statement very much “human life is not meant for struggling like these various species; it’s meant for a greater pursuit”. Its really so meaningful. Animals struggle, and we also struggle to survive in such cut throat competition , then in one sense, there is no difference between us and animals.
View Commentvery interesting article, thanks for putting up, regards, bhakti
View Commentinspiring and the quality of words radhanath swami applies are just too thought provoking, thanks, rajesh
View CommentI am very inspired where Maharaj reminds us not to chant mechanically. In his words“Even a parrot can learn the art of chanting. But that’s not our goal. Our goal is to chant like a child for its mother.” Very powerful reminder to chant attentively with devotion, depending completely on mercy of Guru and Krishna.
View CommentVey touching article
View CommentThankyou Radhanath Swami for this wonderful insight in chanting God’s names.
View CommentIf we could sincerely strive hard to follow this instruction or rather request by Radhanath Swami on chanting our lives would be successful.
View CommentI get the message, but am still far from putting it into practice.
View CommentAll GLories TO H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj
Hari Hari, What wisdom! we need to go nowhere to seek spiritual wisdom, which Maharaj can give us while even we are sitting in our office chair,tucked in a corner AC room.We cant even think of the inconceivable pains and tribulations that our Maharaj would have been subjected to during his quest for spirituality.
We can only Pray for our fellow human beings,who may have still not even touched spirituality, so that they can to relish this nectar of spiritual wisdom.
Hare Krishna
View CommentLife is a preparation and death is an examination. Radhanath Swami’s words based on bonafide scriptures really make one fearless of death, because we depend fully on God.
View CommentHow beautifully Radhanath Swami Maharaj has realized and explained Life is not just for Survival but to attain Higher Goal.
View Comment“Our fear should not be death. Our fear should be that we may forget God. Because if we remember God, when death comes, we may go back to the kingdom of God. It’s better to die remembering God than to live a fearful life in this temporary world.”
View Commentthis is really amazing …. thank you maharaj…
Cry for God like a baby does for his mother, not wanting anything else less than mothers shelter is what we need to do tells Radhanath Swami. He is showing us a simple way to attract the attention of God.
View CommentVery Inspiring – Lot of learning on living our lives in harmony with Mother Nature and connecting with our Supreme Father. Thank you for sharing.
View CommentI’m impressed!!! Really informative blog post here my friend. I just wanted to comment & say keep up the quality work. I’ve bookmarked your blog just now and I’ll be back to read more in the future my friend! Also nice colors on the layout, it’s really easy on the eyes.
View CommentRadhanath Swami knows exactly how to fan the spark of faith in a person so that it becomes a burning flame of devotion and love. He is my spiritual guide and only shelter to lead me to the goal of human form of life.
View CommentRadhanath Swami gives an apparently simple yet spiritually profound way of calling to God by chanting His holy names helplessly like a baby crying for its mother.
View CommentNicely said. “The irony of modern times is that the greatest strength of humans-their advanced intelligence-is also their weakness, because it isn’t used for a spiritual purpose.”
View CommentOne can find Lord by simply calling out to Him.It is that simple.But we have made it complicated with our superficial material intelligence that makes us believe we are in control of everything.We think we have solutions to all our miseries on our fingertips.In our perpetually deluded state, God is the last person we turn to and perhaps not with much faith. HH Radhanath Maharaj is a beacon of that faith.He could withstand so many trials in keeping just his simple faith in the Lord.
View Commentyes Radhanath swami- most of us have to improve on our chanting which is like a parrot
View CommentNice Article!! H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj’s words “When the day will come when I will spontaneously and instantly cries from the core of heart for mother’s help,for the beloved Lord. We also have to give up our own endeavors and rather beg for shelter, and cry for mercy from God.” is so heart-touching.
View CommentVery Wonderful Article.
HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj has resigned his life for the purpose alone for seeking God. All through his book he was completely depending on God to guide him through his Journey. Thanks for making us understand the mood of Chanting.
View CommentGood lesson to learn. Better to live fearlessly and remember God always and especially at the time of death.
View CommentThis realization of Maharaj shows that how the most dangerous animals are not dangerous in front human beings, because of the greed and selfishness, to exploit mother nature, of the of man created a havoc in the world which has brought humans to a level below animals.
View CommentThank you very much for these contemplations. This is very inspiring. Really we have to become fearless of death and Fearful of forgetfulness of KRSNA.
View CommentMaharaj always tells us to keep focus on ensuring that we are krsna conscious always.
View CommentMaharaj had an intense desire from his very childhood to attain god. that was the burning desire in his heart. His intensity is shown by how he compares the situation of a child who is in danger how he intensely take shelter of his mother and does not waste time anywhere else, similarly we also instead of wasting time in useless pursuits we shd take shelter of the Holy Name of the Lord.
View CommentI loved the statement, “It’s better to die remembering God than to live a fearful life in this temporary world.” Thank you Radhanath Swami for sharing this profound realization.
View CommentWonderful realizations of Radhanath Swami
View CommentI liked these articles very much. They are real life experiences the writer has gone through. Very very amazing facts!! Thank you very much.
View Comment“Our fear should not be death. Our fear should be that we may forget God.”
Very enlightening statement by Radhanath Swami Maharaj.
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View CommentAmazing article.
View CommentI need to leave my parrot chanting and strive for genuine one.
View CommentThanks so much Radhanath Swami Maharaj for your guidance.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading.
View CommentVery nice experience of being with spiritual conscious saints by Radhanath Swami. We can cleary see the qualities of saints in Radhanath Swami’s life.
View CommentFantastic analysis by Radhanath Swami. “When the baby is in danger he doesn’t go to the internet, he doesn’t analyze his strengths and his weaknesses’ and neither does he philosophize. He simply spontaneously and instantly cries from the core of his heart for mother’s help. We also have to give up our own endeavors and rather beg for shelter, and cry for mercy from God.”
View CommentVery profound statement by Radhanath Swami: “When the baby is in danger he doesn’t go to the internet, he doesn’t analyze his strengths and his weaknesses’ and neither does he philosophize. He simply spontaneously and instantly cries from the core of his heart for mother’s help. We also have to give up our own endeavours and rather beg for shelter, and cry for mercy from God.”
View Comment