Meditations on The Journey Home – Lesson from Chapter 1
Richard and Gary surrendered their lives to the will of God. Not knowing where to go in particular, they decided to travel wherever destiny took them. The duo found themselves at Calais, France, and then at Geneva. Soon a twist of fate bought them to Florence. Through it all, Richard was grateful to God for arranging different situations in their life. After Jim, a friend whom they met at Geneva, lost his money, Gary wondered if it wasn’t bad luck that whoever tried to help them loses everything. Richard insisted there’s a reason for all setbacks, and God had a beautiful plan for them.
It’s difficult to see God’s plan when things don’t go our way. But Richard had faith, and he prayed intensely at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. He also questioned his own motivations for travelling and through serious inner search asked if he was trying to escape responsibilities. The way out for Richard was to offer prayers, and while probing deeply within, he helplessly called out to God, “I don’t really know who you are, but I do believe you hear my prayers. I long for your presence.”
Suddenly Richard went through a spiritual experience-his limbs trembled and body quivered, as Bibilical passages echoed in his mind. His confusions and uncertainties were resolved with a shower of grace from the Lord, as new determination surged in his heart. Now, once and for all, he chose the path of spiritual aspiration with no looking back.
When doubts and uncertainties haunt us and things just keep getting worse, prayers work wonders. Radhanath Swami repeatedly implores us that we should have a prayerful mood and thank God for all situations, even those which are painful. He reasons, “Sometimes we do not understand how a certain situation can be God’s kindness. At such times we should humbly submit a prayer, “Oh God, please give me the strength to see this situation as your mercy although my intelligence fails to see it so”. This way we can attract the Lord’s grace and develop gratitude for all inconceivable situations that God arranges for us in our life”. Once Niranjan Swami, a close friend of Radhanath Swami asked him from where does he draw his strength to practice spiritual life, day in day out, for over the last four decades. Radhanath Swami humbly gave a one word reply, “Praying.” Praying is our talking session with God. I once wondered, if God knows everything that’s there in our heart, what’s the need for us to offer our prayers to Him. Radhanath Swami answered this in a class recently that although God knows us in and out, yet He patiently waits for us to turn to Him. Although our prayers are a distracted performance, yet He derives immense pleasure to see us repose our love in him; just as a loving parent derives great joy in hearing the broken words of his or her infant, attempting to speak. Although the child is incoherent, the parents are joyful; similarly our attempts to offer loving prayers is a baby step in our spiritual life, and God certainly feels happiness at our endeavor.
The best prayers to offer is to beg the Lord to help us surrender to His will. Richard educated Gary on this subject while hitchhiking; a flower grows from a small seed buried in the dirt due to surrendering to the sunshine, similarly we too grow in our spiritual lives when we bask under the shine of Lord’s grace and accept all reversals and success with a quiet grace and gratitude.
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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........
This is a very good meditation series. I work on the internet 12-14 hrs a day and I browse through many spiritual topics and works. But this stands out as I can somehow connect to this descriptions …. I hope all of you also get benefitted …
View CommentThank you very much for the wonderful writeup.
View CommentNice Article. Thank you very much.
View CommentIndeed a nice post. I wish I had stumbled upon this earlier in my life.I have had many situations in life which I did not understand to be part of God’s plan for me and therefore suffered ..I recently heard a lecture by Radhanath Swami on “Power of Prayers”. Please visit http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/index.php?q=f&f=%2F02_-_ISKCON_Swamis to download and hear it!
View CommentThankyou!! The link to the lecture “Power of Prayers” is http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/05_-_ISKCON_Chowpatty/07%20-%20Prerna/00_-_HH_Radhanath_Swami/Prerna_Power_Of_Prayers_Radhanath_Swami_05-11-25.wma
View CommentMay all of us develop the same attitude so that we can see God’s Hand in every situation. Some valuable qutes of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj are available on http://radhanathswamiquotes.com or http://radhanath.com
View CommentThis is simply great, our prayers for the lord, are also loved by the lord. Just like our father loves speaking with him, similarly the lord likes our speaking to him..great…..
View Commenthttp://audio.iskcondesiretree.info or http://dandavats.com/?cat=50
God exists and talks to us all the time and Radhanath Swami’s life is a great example of this phenomena. The Journey Home opened my eyes and transformed my heart. Big gratitude from the bottom of my heart.
View CommentLord please give me also the strength to accept Your plan in every step of my life! Radhanath Swami is simply wonderful personality http://dandavats.com/?cat=50
View CommentExcellent blog posting! It is very enlivening to read this.
View CommentPlease do visit http://www.socialfront.in/ to learn more about Swami
Straight from the heart ! A wonderful article.
View CommentPlease do visit :
http://www.thejourneyhomebook.com/home for more information.
Wonderful post Thank you
View CommentSimply Beautiful… It really inspires me to pray seriously and not as ritual. Thanks a lot.
View CommentYes its true Man proposes and God disposes.
View CommentThere is no other way but to accept Gods plans. Hari Bol.
View CommentWhen doubts and uncertainties haunt us and things just keep getting worse, prayers work wonders.
View CommentWhat a revelation! A revelation to be put into practice.
thank you for sharing this..
View CommentGreat artilce.
View CommentRadhanath Swami perfectly said.Better accept God’s plan than making our own plan.It is always favourable to mankind if he accepts that God proposes and man disposes,otherwise a endless suffering.Thank you very much for sharing great article.
View CommentThis passage protrays and explains to us that whenever we have any problems in life we should always surrender it completely to L. Krishna and He will solve and provide us with the solution for the same…these exp really helps us to increase our faiths and make us strong
View Commentwonderful article…
View CommentI really liked this quote in the article “The best prayers to offer is to beg the Lord to help us surrender to His will”…since this is essence increasing our faith in Supreme personality of Godhead…
View CommentThis proves that God has a definite plan for each one of us in a unique way. We should only have faith and patience.
View CommentNice Info, thank you very much.
View CommentRadhanath Swami’s life is inspires us to search and seek the true goal of life,after all if we fail to do so we can call ourselves nothing but a bunch of Sophisticated animals
View CommentThank you for a wonderful write up.
View CommentYou can go to http://radhanathswami.us for more information on radhanath swami
thank you so much for sharing this…it is so touching and hope-giving.
View CommentThank you 4 sharing!
View CommentThe way out for Richard was to offer prayers, and while probing deeply within, he helplessly called out to God, “I don’t really know who you are, but I do believe you hear my prayers. I long for your presence.”
View Commentsincere prayers can really do wonders
Radhanath Swami makes it very nicely clear for us that, even if we have our own plans, Krishna has His own supremely sweet plans for us in a way that we have to depend on Krishna and thus, experience the bliss in our relationship with Krishna, by mercy of spiritual master.
Radhanath Swami is the best example of this principle and He explains this in his experiences in The Journey Home Book, http://www.thejourneyhomebook.com/.
View CommentSurrender is the key!
View CommentAfter reading the book The Journey Home I happened to visit Rishekesh and had the oppurunity to see the area where maharaj used to sit on the rock and meditate. I also had the oppurtinity to see the cave in which maharaj was living. Unbelievable experince.
View Commentthank you for sharing …..your srvant
View CommentI wish I had come across this article before since this post has taught me how to pray incase we go through unfavorable situations and there are few questions in mind that I cannot comprehend. Thanks Maharaj for this Great post.
View Commentthanks for sharing
View CommentO lord please give us strength to accept your plan!
View CommentOne thing is quite clear from the above article of Radhanath Maharaj and that is, we should develop a simple love for God in all situations and that nothing extravagant is required to please God.
View Commentradhanath swami is an empowered personality
View CommentMaharaj reveals krishna’s heart to us…Thank you!
View CommentWhat a wonderful approach to life…to accept our problems as God’s plans and leave the rest upto him
View Commentnice post it teaches us how just surrender to krishna and totally accept everything as his mercy
View CommentWhen we face difficult situations, to be able to say,:O God give me the strength to this situation as your mercy though my intelligence fails to do so” as suggested by Radhanath Swami, would be the most intelligent thing to do.
View CommentThe thoughts and principles mentioned here are more deeper than any ocean on our planet.
It has those rare Spiritual secrets that could carry us through the rough weathers that every Spiritual sailor has to face in order to reach the shore of Divine Love of God…
My most sincere gratitude to Radhanath Swami for writing the most wonderful autobiography – “The Journey Home” and dedicating his life completely in guiding others on the Spiritual path back to the Kingdom of God
View CommentTrue, its very difficult to understand GOD’s plan. But if we have faith like swami ji then we can definitely undrestand GOD’s plan one day.
View CommentStrong faith in God clears the doubts within the hearts. Radhanath Swami never loses faith in God. It is really inspiring all.
View CommentSuch a wonderful point! “When doubts and uncertainties haunt us and things just keep getting worse, prayers work wonders”.It is during difficult situations that our real test comes and how we react to such situations becomes the litmus test.Thank you radhanth Swami for this wonderful instruction.We pray to you that we somehow adopt this humble prayerful mood …”to beg the Lord to help us surrender to His will”
View CommentI liked this quote the most of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj ““Sometimes we do not understand how a certain situation can be God’s kindness. At such times we should humbly submit a prayer, “Oh God, please give me the strength to see this situation as your mercy although my intelligence fails to see it so”. Thank you Maharaj!!
View CommentThis article is really very wonderful…..Must read…!!!!!!
View CommentRadhanath Swami is a person who has realized true shelter in God and His Holy Name. By taking shelter of the perfect person, our life also becomes perfect. By following footsteps of such exalted souls as Radhanath Swami, that is the real perfection of our life.
View CommentThe qualification to understand Gods plan is to have faith that whatever He does is good for us. Radhanath Swami is the living example of this understanding
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