During the course of his travels, Richard had become quite attached to the spiritual books he carried. He had gradually gathered a small library in a cloth bag. Many times he considered reducing the weight of this burden, but every time he looked through the books, trying to decide which ones to give away, he found he could not part with a single one. Among them were the Bhagavad Gita, Bible, Upanishads, Autobiography of a Yogi, books on Buddhism, one by Shankaracarya, and the Krishna book personally given by Srila Prabhupada. He lugged this bag of books wherever he went, and was often exhausted from the load. One day near Connaught Circus in New Delhi, he set the books down on a street corner, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. When he reached down to lift his bag of books—it was gone. Richard frantically searched the four directions, and finally came to grips with the reality that his books had been stolen. Terribly sad, hopeless of their recovery, he walked away. But now he became aware of how easy it had become to walk. The heavy burden of the bag of books that had troubled him for so long was gone. Richard felt liberated and he reflected:
“The nature of the mind is to interpret nonessentials essential. The mind creates artificial needs, believing it cannot live without them. In this way we carry a great burden of attachments throughout our life. Attachment is itself a great burden on our minds. We may never understand the extent of the burden till, like my books or the earwax, we’re free of it. But if we find joy within, we can live a simple life, free of endless complications.”
This reminds me of the strategy of a hunter in catching a monkey. He makes a hole in a coconut shell and fills it with peanuts. A monkey puts its hand inside, and collects all the nuts. However he is then unable to take his hand out because his fist is closed. If he lets go the nuts, he could be free, but the nuts are precious for a monkey. He clings on to the nuts and simultaneously tries to pull his hand out. The hunter quickly catches his prey. We may have our own precious nuts in the form of non essential attachments of this world. This burden of attachment may then be the biggest hurdle for us in obtaining God’s mercy. As Richard experienced, letting off these attachments of desires gives us the freedom from unending muddles.
Material desires push us to seek more and more, and they also pull us further away from God. This reminds me of an ancient saying from the Niti shastra– the book of Indian wisdom, “Oh these ropes of desires are strange indeed. One tightly bound by them runs all around seeking happiness. One freed from these ropes stays calm in one place.” Talking about non spiritual ropes of desires and ambitions, Radhanath Swami quips, “Once our dreams are fulfilled, misery begins.”
The selfish desire of the mind, driven by our false sense of identity keeps us miserable. To save ourselves from the mind’s constant harassment, Radhanath Swami offers a simple solution, “There is a spiritual principle for controlling the mind. Completely give your mind to God. This means to become so absorbed in God that you completely transcend any false egoistic identity that I am this body, I am this particular sex or particular race or particular color, particular religion or nationality or any other thing.” If instead of offering our mind to God we seek to satisfy its material desires, happiness eludes us. As Radhanath Swami says, “Mind always searches for some reason to be dissatisfied.”
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........
These are truly revolutionary thoughts. “Once our dreams are fulfilled, misery begins.” and “Mind always searches for some reason to be dissatisfied.”
View CommentI never thought this way. Thanks Maharaj for a different and a better perspective into looking at things.
Cling on too any and everything! This is the prevalent attitude, which eventually becomes are core nature and when we move into the closing chapters of our life this tendency causes so much agony and anguish. Radhanath Swami helps us by channelizing this tendency to cling on to the service of lord so one can blissfully accept the inevitable.
View Comment“Mind always searches for some reason to be dissatisfied.”
View Comment“Once our dreams are fulfilled, misery begins.”
NICE LINES!
Nice article.
View CommentThank you very much for sharing
View CommentI liked reading about the minds imaginary burdens as related by Radhanath Swami
View CommentRadhanath Swami Maharaja thank you for this realization of yours
View Commentvery nice realization .Thanks
View CommentThank you Maharajah for revealing the true nature of mind in so simple yet effective words. what a powerful reminder from you for us to realize
View Comment“Once our dreams are fulfilled, misery begins.”
The nature of the mind is to interpret nonessentials essential- H H Radhanath swami
View Commentwith help of Radhanath Swami hope one day my mind becomes lighter soon…
View CommentRadhanath swami has given th formula for peace and happiness.To live a simple life devoid of unnecessary attachements.
View CommentRadhanath Swami has given us a wonderful explanation of how to be happy with ‘Simple Living High Thinking’.
View CommentIt is easy to see that attachments are the source of all suffering. However, mind deludes us to think that the objects of attachment are the essence of our very life and we would die if we lose them.How to sort out the essentials from non essentials. Maharaj’s example of the spiritual books is extremely apt. Spirituality is indeed the ultimate solution to our suffering and it is natural that one would become very attached to the books. But, attachment to the very books is a material attachment! How powerful is maya and how powerless are we to overcome. How valuable is the guru’s mercy !
View CommentI can easily relate this example with books because I too had a vast collection to which I had become very attached. After coming to KC I disposed of all those books with ease. Now ofcourse I have a whole lot of KC books to whichI am vey attached.Only Maharaj can help me !
Even after losing the only possesion , Radhanath Swami takes it philosophically. It is a great lesson to be learnt for me.
View CommentThe author does a great job in exposing the inner working of mind and also offers an excellent solution.
View CommentRadhanath Swami has offered so many solutions to become completely free and happy. Now it depends on us, how much we surrender to his advice. It is so unbelievable that one can actually become free by surrendering !!
View CommentAll Glories To.H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj
What an beautiful explanation of the dealings of the mind to keep ourselves happy.
Hare Krishna
View CommentWonderful realization which Radhanath Swami has shared with us. It’s not easy for us to understand the nature of our mind, but here Radhanath Swami has explained this to us in general.
View CommentTwo gems:
View Comment1)“Once our dreams are fulfilled, misery begins.”
2)“Mind always searches for some reason to be dissatisfied.”
Thank you Radhanath Swami.
Very Insightful – “The nature of the mind is to interpret nonessentials essential. The mind creates artificial needs, believing it cannot live without them. In this way we carry a great burden of attachments throughout our life.” Thank you so much Maharaj for this wonderful message.
View CommentMind is so close to us , the soul , that it is difficult to see and separate mind’s desires from soul desires. Even if is able to see some of them , it is difficult to give them up.
Thank you Swamiji.
View CommentMind is such a complication.Only way to get out of these complications is to offer it to Lord. Thank you Radhanath Swami. One day by your mercy, I will be able to follow this.
View CommentWhat an beautiful explanation of the dealings of the mind to keep ourselves happy.
View CommentRadhanath Swami debunks the modern consumptive philosophy when he says “The mind creates artificial needs, believing it cannot live without them”
View Comment“The nature of the mind is to interpret nonessentials essential. The mind creates artificial needs, believing it cannot live without them. In this way we carry a great burden of attachments throughout our life. Attachment is itself a great burden on our minds. ”
View CommentThis really helps us understand how our mind works.
Thank you swami ji.
Thank you Radhanath Swami for throwing light on most complicated subject of mind
View Commentvery nice and instructive thought
View CommentThank you Maharaj for sharing how the mind works and also telling us how to overcome it’s hankerings.
View CommentAll gories to hh radhanath swami maharaj .. Thank you Maharaj for teaching us that mind always searches for some reason to be dissatisfied, so Completely give your mind to God.
View Comment