At the famous Kumbh Mela site, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) sat on the bank of river Yamuna and gazed at the sky. Right then he saw a hawk dive into the waters and catch a fish. It all happened so fast and Richard reflected on how we are like that unsuspecting fish. We carry on with our lives unaware that any moment the hawk of fate may shake us from our situation and impose on us suffering, death and tragedies. Richard felt the lesson to learn is to go deeper in spiritual life. If the fish had been swimming deeper, the hawk wouldn’t have probably been able to catch him. Similarly if we are absorbed in our connection to God, we’ll be able to deal with sudden calamities with sobriety and a stable mind.
Radhanath Swami once gave the example of a boat in the ocean. A boat may be in the water but it cannot allow the water to enter the boat. Similarly we have to be in the ocean of this world but can’t allow the water like situations and problems of this world to affect us. Like the good boat we have to be in the world but not of the world. We can do that if our consciousness is fixed at the Lord’s holy names and form.
Radhanath Swami says we have to go deeper in our spiritual lives by connecting to God in the innermost chambers of our heart. He compares the heart to a palace with many rooms. In the centre of this palace of the heart there are private chambers. It is in these regions of the heart- the deep internal recesses- we keep our private life with separate desires. Our challenge therefore as spiritualists is to allow God to enter these chambers or give these chambers to God and allow him to access. Unfortunately for most of us these private chambers are locked and God can’t enter our innermost areas of the heart. Going deep in spiritual life essentially means opening this part of the heart for God. This is the toughest internal fight in our lives and if we can do that we enter a deep relationship with God.
Our position in this world is flickering like the fish in the water. It becomes all the more fragile because of our preoccupation with activities related to this body and material world. Radhanath Swami recommends that once we are absorbed in rendering services for God, we don’t have any time left for gratifying our senses. Therefore we have to be absorbed in practises of Bhakti yoga and give our mind no time for material pleasures. This is the formula recommended by Radhanath Swami for helping us be absorbed in spiritual life. The reason why we need to be absorbed in spiritual activities is our life is dependent on different swinging moods of our minds. Therefore we have to carefully observe the non-spiritual proposals of our mind and consciously choose ‘no’ as the answer to the distractions offered by it. This requires determination and also a higher taste by which we can easily say no to negative proposals of the mind. The higher taste comes from absorption in acts of spiritual services like chanting of God’s names, hearing about spiritual subject matters and rendering various kinds of services
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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........
Radhanath Swami recommends that once we are absorbed in rendering services for God, we don’t have any time left for gratifying our senses
View CommentHH Radhanath Swami Maharaj Ji gies wonderful realizations that help us to progress on path of bhakti.Thank you so much Maharaj Ji.
View CommentVery wonderful!!!
View Commentvery nice…
View CommentVery nice analogy of the hawk and the fish. We should also be engaged deeply in devotional service that we are not affected by Maya which strikes on the surface.
View CommentWonderful article !!!
View CommentNice instruction by HH Radhanath Swami, i.e., constantly be absorbed in chanting and hearing Krishna Katha, as otherwise it is very easy to become prey to material illusions.
View Comment“The higher taste comes from absorption in acts of spiritual services like chanting of God’s names, hearing about spiritual subject matters and rendering various kinds of services.”-Nice to know this!
View CommentSurely, we should go so deep in our spiritual lives that maya gets no chance to catch us in any circumstance. otherwise, if we get complacent, then the hawk of fate may anytime devour us. Thank you Maharaj!
View CommentSO many beautiful lessons taught by Swamiji in this sweet article…..thanks.
View Commentwe have to go deeper in our spiritual lives by connecting to God in the innermost chambers of our heart.
View CommentThe analogy of fish & hawk is so graphical that it makes us understand the article very easily……
View CommentVery inspiring, if we dont absord ourself in higher taste our condition will be like fish — if we dont absord in chanting lord names , associates with determined devotees, the chances to say no to negative thought would be less- means downfall
View CommentA very practical way given by Radhanath Swami to come over our mood swings and focus on values.
View CommentRadhanath Swami Ki Jai !
View CommentHare krishna !! Radhanath Swami Maharaja is himself absorbed in the spiritual practices and that’s why he is able to demistify this difficult question on a practicle level.
View CommentOnly by gaining higher taste can one be freed of the lower tastes.
View CommentVery nice lesson Radhanath Swami has given here. We have to have strong conviction for our spiritual practices.
View CommentWe carry on with our lives unaware that any moment the hawk of fate may shake us from our situation and impose on us suffering, death and tragedies.
View CommentWe should be engaged deep in devotional service to not be affected by Maya who strikes on the surface. Thanks for the beautiful analogy.
View CommentLike the good boat we have to be in the world but not of the world.
This is such a nice analogy how to work in this world. Thanks to Radhanath Swami for this.
View CommentHerein Radhanath Swami tells us how is the nature of this world.There is danger at every step and we do not know when the lord of death would come and pick us from this world and where we will go in our next birth.Therefore it is very useful guidance herein by Radhanath Swami to remain absorbed in loving devotional service unto Supreme Personality Godhead Lord Sri Krishna who will ultimately helps us remember Him at the time of death.This is only the goal of human form of life.
View CommentA beautiful analogy.”A boat may be in the water but it cannot allow the water to enter the boat. Similarly we have to be in the ocean of this world but can’t allow the water like situations and problems of this world to affect us. Like the good boat we have to be in the world but not of the world. We can do that if our consciousness is fixed at the Lord’s holy names and form.” We can learn so much from this.
View CommentAbsorption is the very essence of Spiritual life.
View CommentNice mediation by HH Radhanath Swami on how to keep our minds constantly engaged and abosrbed in glorifying Lord so that we don’t have any time for material pleasures.
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami for sharing this wonderful formula of “how to be in this world but not to be of this world”.
View CommentWonderful thought provoking article…
View CommentRadhanath swami shares wonderful nectar here, wonderful realization.
Specially following line gives how to be addicted to bhakti.
“Therefore we have to be absorbed in practises of Bhakti yoga and give our mind no time for material pleasures.”
View CommentAbsorption is the key thing in spiritual success!
View CommentOur mind needs absorption in something, better it is spiritual than anything else.
View CommentAbsorption is the one word answer by HH Radhanath Swami for the question, what is Krishna Consciousness
View CommentNice tips for absorption.
View CommentA meditation that needs to be in the forefront of our minds.
View CommentIt will surely help me & all in there meditation.
Thanks,
View CommentH H Radhanath Swami also says that absorption of the mind while chanting God’s names is all important
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami for this important aspect of devotional service
View CommentThank you for sharing this wonderfu; article :).
View CommentThank you Radhanath swami for your practical tips to controlling the mind and engaging in activities beneficial to our spiritual life.
View CommentIts really very inspiring article. By being deeply connected to God inside deep chambers of our heart one can remain aloof from the material miseries and tribulations.
View CommentRadhanath Swami shares very powerful examples.
“The higher taste comes from absorption in acts of spiritual services like chanting of God’s names, hearing about spiritual subject matters and rendering various kinds of services.” Devotinal service is invaluable.
View CommentThank you Radhanath swami for this wonderful article.
View CommentIf the fish had been swimming deeper, the hawk wouldn’t have probably been able to catch him. Similarly if we are absorbed in our connection to God, we’ll be able to deal with sudden calamities with sobriety and a stable mind.
View Comment– Thank You Radhanath swami for this instruction
Radhanath Swami so nicely explains it hows through our free will we become absorbed in Krishna Consciousness and allow the lord to enter into the inner most chambers of our heart which we have locked due to our selfish desires.
Thank you
View CommentA much needed message to hear for the flickering and attention-deficient mind.
View CommentWe need to be absorbed somehow or other in the devotional practices we do.
View Commentwonderful article.Thank you Radhanath swami for this.
View CommentDefinitely an enlightening read!
View CommentVery nice explaination by Radhanath swmai. ‘The higher taste comes from absorption in acts of spiritual services like chanting of God’s names, hearing about spiritual subject matters and rendering various kinds of services’
View CommentThank you Radhanath swami for sharing this inspiring and though provoking article.
View CommentVery true. Radhanath Swami has nicely explained, here that without having deeper connection with Lord, we will never get inner fulfillment.
View Comment