On a lonely Himalayan footpath, Richard saw a fearsome tribe of Naga Babas. They held tridents crowned with human skulls. Heavy coils of matted hair on heads and thick ashes covered their flesh. Even in the biting cold, some of them were completely naked. Richard burned with eagerness to understand why they led such a severe life. With their permission he travelled with them and they threw furious stares at him for wearing rubber sandals. He instantly threw them off and then they offered an intoxicating chillum pipe. He hesitated and after some nervous moments when Richard wondered if he had offended them by declining, they finally honored his vow to abstain from intoxicants. He also saw them levitate about a foot above the ground. He met their guru who demanded that Richard become a Naga, one amongst them, immediately. Richard hoped the guru of Nagas would understand him and appreciate his desire to follow his heart. The guru finally blessed Richard to go on his way. Richard left impressed by their camaraderie and loyalty to the sect. Although they were wild, rough and lived severely, in their own way Richard concluded it was all in search for God.
Radhanath Swami has personally lived an austere lifestyle on a mountain rooftop for over a decade. However to his students, he is reasonable and emphasizes on the need to maintain cleanliness and purity of thought. His students follow the basic austerities of abstaining from immoral activities. This he says keeps the body and mind clean and conducive for spiritual practices. The serious students, initiated into the spiritual discipline, additionally vow to chant a minimum of twenty five thousand names of God on the chanting, prayer beads. In the ashrams overseen by Radhanath Swami, there is no emphasis on austerities, the kind witnessed by Richard in the Himalayan forests. As Radhanath Swami says, “A spiritualist is known for his favorable remembrance of God, and not for his control of senses.” To the extent austerities are favorable for serving and pleasing God, the practitioners accept them. After all the austerities are not an end in themselves, they are the means to attain God.
Radhanath Swami is careful to guard his students from performing severe austerities in an exclusivist way. He warns that tough austerities performed, while living with others in an ashram or a community may send wrong signals to others who are incapable of such severe austerities. Besides, the practitioner himself may become a victim of false pride, considering himself to be better than the other lesser austere spiritualists. His acutely insightful words penetrate my heart, “Collective unity is more important than individual purity.”
Many beginners on the path of spirituality struggle with conflicting desires that threaten to pull them away from God. Radhanath Swami gives hope to such sincere aspirants, “Austerity means even if our mind and senses are disturbed, our actions and words are performed according to the will of God.” He thus appeals to our inner aspirations, rather than our achievements in spiritual disciplines. His words of wisdom echo in my consciousness, “Real austerity is not in climbing mountains, but to make the right choices in life- the choices that will please God.”
Once a student asked him why he went through so many austerities, and was tough on himself, whereas we have got it all so easy in our spiritual quest. Radhanath Swami humbly replied, “You are all so simple and sweet, and easily came to the shelter of God. But I am fallen, and very complicated. Therefore I had to go through severe austerities before I got shelter.” Nothing could be further from truth; his sincerity is beyond doubt, witnessed over four decades of tireless service to his guru’s mission. His endearing quality is while he is austere and tough on himself, and doesn’t compromise on the strictness of his personal practices, he is lenient and accommodating with the others struggling in their spiritual lives.
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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........
very good article.thanks for sharing it.
View CommentBefore reading Radhanath Swami’s book, I was not even aware of so many spiritual paths. We know that if he is saying something, its with deep realizations, personal experience, and deep conviction.
View Commentthe statement “A spiritualist is known for his favorable remembrance of God, and not for his control of senses.” shows how mature Radhanath Swami Maharaj is in practice of devotional service.He looks only for the essence and nothing else.
View CommentIt is amazing how mature Radhanath Swami is in his spirituality – he does not want his students to face the level of austerities as he did, because he has realised that the path of love and service to the Lord and His children, is so much more meaningful and fulfilling.
View CommentThanks very much for the wonderful post
View CommentHare krishna,
View CommentIts amazing that Maharaj went through such difficult and wonderful austerities.
How sincere maharaj in search of god
H H Radhanath Swmai was very serious in his path and to reach his destination he accepted so much trouble and austrities.Because of so much pain what he had taken that’s why so many lives are saved and others are being to save.
View CommentThis is really marvellous quality of Radhanath Swami of being strict on himself but not on others. And the humility with which he says that he is fallen and complicated, really shows how much simple and humble at heart he is.
View CommentThank you very much !!!
View CommentVery nice… Thanks.
View CommentI like and second the comment made by Rakesh Chandra about Radhanath Swami endurign so many austerities. It is becasue of the austerities that Radhanath Swami underwent that we have got so much benefit.
View CommentThis is too good…rather answered some of my questions
View Commentmharaj has really created an envirnment where with can come close to god without performing some unnecessary austerities
View CommentLast sentence really show the nature of saints!
View CommentAll GLories to H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj
Austerities are the means and not an end in itself, leaves us speechless. Rightly said, austerieties like the Fasting done on certain days of the month as followed in the vedic calender may give us little pain but we should be reminded that these are just the means to attain spirituality / Bhakti .
View Commentthis is really amazing!
View CommentI have been following him on line for almost a year now. I am slowly getting closer to him.
View CommentI am very inspired to his determination to seek the higher truth. Truely very inspirational experience. Thanks,
View CommentHH Radhanath Swami tried of the various spiritual paths and duly respected them. He actually decided to dedicate himself to a particular path of Devotion only after deep deliberation and dedicated wholeheartedly . This actually shows how we are supposed to dedicate ourselves to the spiritual life with that faith and conviction.
View Commentvery interesting article, thanks for sharing with us, regards, bhakti
View Commentradhanath swami is very tough in his sadhana(spiritual practices) but at the same sime very soft like lotus petals for his followers,
View CommentIf Radhanathswami can sustain with tese tapasvi naga baba s – he is a real saint
View Comment“Austerity means even if our mind and senses are disturbed, our actions and words are performed according to the will of God”.
View CommentSuch a profound statement. This definition completely descibes what is real austerity as against false austerity for name and fame.
thank you for sharing
View Comment“Collective unity is more important than individual purity.” really gives a very important message. thank you Maharaj
View CommentEvery action, word, thought shared by Radhanath Swami is centered around how teaching the world how to develop love for God. He puts everything in a perspective that brings the audience closer to God.
View CommentThat tells Radhanath Swami Maharaja’s spiritual maturity, a neophyte devotee like me expects others to do what he is doing, how he is doing the devotional service, when anybody doesn’t met his so called standards, he takes it to his false-ego. But an advanced devotee hard on his own practice in devotional service but very liberal on others to help them up lift their consciousness towards God.
View CommentThank you very much for sharing.
Nice Article
View CommentThank you very much for sharing. H.H.Radhanath Swami always remembers the words of his Guru, Srila Prabhupada and shares that nectar in his lectures. He says that Prabhupada used to say always to his disciples that ” You can show your love for me only by how you are cooperating with each other”. And the only way to please Radhanath Swami Maharaj is how we cooperate with one another to spread the Love of God.
View CommentRadhanath Swami has learned so many lessons with in matter of few years and has become a guru giving direction to thousands of aspirants. I pray to Him to give me wisdon so that I can choose right choices, I pray to Him to give me sincerity so that I can do my duties without fail.
View CommentHe is my inspiration and motivation. Please bless me and the world with the Love for GOD.
thanks for sharing
View CommentJust reading the austerities is too much for me. Salutes to those who can do it and to HH Radhanath Swami maharaj.
View CommentLiked the following sentence by His Holiness
View CommentRadhanath Swami maharaj “A spiritualist is known for his favorable remembrance of God, and not for his control of senses.”
I think that is the essence of Krishna Consciousness.
“Collective unity is more important than individual purity.” this statement says it all!! Also Radhanath Swami considering himself as complicated and taking time to shelter is expression of his utter humility.
View Commentthank you for the nicely worded and referenced article.
Hari Hari..Thank you very much for sharing this
View Commentwonderful,thank you
View Commentvery nice
View CommentH H Radhanath Swami teaches by example in what mood austerities should be performed.
View CommentRadhanath Swami wants us to perform austerity of the mind, not of the body. All he wants us to do is restrain our minds & senses and dovetail all our propensities in the service of God.
View CommentMaharaj is very hunble & compassionate to everybody. what austerities he performed is purifying us all that was for us. we have taken shelter under him. he went through all the troubles to give us this comfort spritiual life other wise we would not be in isckon. thanks maharaj eternally how can we repay you for this. we are etrnally grateful to you.
View CommentThe real austerity that Radhanath Swami expects his followers to perform is that of chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra and maintaining the four regulative principles, namely – no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling & no illicit sex. No need for us to go to the Himalayas and live like a hermit. If we sincerely follow Radhanath Swami’s instructions, then we can achieve the highest spiritual success which cannot be attained even by those yogis who for many decades perform severe tapasya in seclusion.
View Commentwow, to have lived with the nagas in severe austerities in the himalayas for over a decade that too originally from affluent america. HE seems to have been there done that.
View CommentI really liked this article, His Holiness has really strive hard to reach God…….
View CommentVery inspirational.
View Commentausterity is the key to success, very correctly explined in this article, regards, bhakti
View Commentbeautiful experience and it shows the nature of difficulties and the austerity the author has gone through for his search of god, thanks, rajesh
View CommentMaharaj is truely a very great soul. I am very fortunate to read about his experience. Thanks for sharing.
View CommentMaharaj is speaking the essence of the essence that everything ultimately should culminate to please the Lord. Thank you very much.
View CommentI had very pessimistic view about Naga babas because of how they appear and behave.
View CommentIt is said do not judge book by it’s cover.
Well I would have never known about positive side of Naga babas without this book.
Actually only someone positive like Radhanath Swami can only see positives everywhere.
Radhanath Swami himself propogates that while practising Krishna Consciousness we should be strict with ourselves but lenient with others.
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