Meditations on The Journey Home – Lesson from Chapter 2
Inspirations from ‘The Journey Home ‐ Autobiography of an American Swami’
Richard savoured each session during the ‘World Yoga Conference’ and waited with anticipation for the grand finale. Three thousand people thronged for the closing session, each seeking knowledge, and blessings from such an august assembly. The organizer, Christopher Hills reminded the audience about their special good fortune to get association of so many spiritual teachers. He also announced that the programme must conclude at sharp 7.00 p.m. Richard wondered how could a programme of so many Swamis end on time; after all that meant not all would get a chance to speak. As the deadline approached and it became clear that not all would speak, some of them began barraging Hills with insults. As tension built up and one yogi began chanting Om to signal the conclusion of the session, there was uproar; many yogis fought to grab the microphone. As they rambled aggressively like politicians, the yogis’ behaviour shocked the audience. The men supposed to bring peace and harmony to the world, were fighting bitterly on stage, right in public eye.
Richard’s innocent expectation was disappointed. Later he felt consoled by Swami Satcitananda who in a tender voice said to Richard that all are struggling at their respective level of progress, and we can’t expect all to be perfect. He warned of a trap in spiritual life, of judging others for their faults. It’s better to work on our own spiritual practises sincerely, and put faith in those of good character.
Having known Radhanath Swami personally for over a decade, I find a refreshing quality in him- refusal to find faults with others, whatever the provocation. Whenever I have pointed out faults of others, he has expressed irritation, and helped me see the good in the other person, and insisted I focus on my own spiritual practises. His golden words reverberate in my heart, “Fault finding is a vicious weapon of the illusory forces that wants to divert our attention from what we have to do in life, and that is to clean up our own hearts. Physician heal thyself.” He repeatedly points out that when we look for faults, our heart gets contaminated. “But”, I wondered, “what if the faults are obvious, and is affecting others’ spiritual lives?” “Then, while addressing the fault, do not judge the person”, answers Radhanath Swami. “We should remember a spiritual practitioner has entered a hospital. We are all getting cured here for our negativities. Some are responding to the treatment of spiritual practises fast, others take time, and in some cases the symptoms or even the disease relapses. Be sympathetic while administering the treatment.”
Monk Thomas Kempis addresses this question of fault finding in his thirteenth-century work Imitation of Christ:
“Try to bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure. If you cannot make yourself what you wish to be, how can you bend others to your will? We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we ask. We would have them bound by laws, yet we will allow ourselves to be restrained in nothing. Hence, it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do of ourselves.”
On one occasion Radhanath Swami gave the example of bathing under a shower. We are all dirty due to material consciousness and are bathing under the shower of spiritual practises. Some may have got cleansed of the dirt and others are just beginning to take a bath. We can’t criticize others for having dirt. Appreciate their attempt to get cleansed. While giving others’ time, we need to work diligently on our own weaknesses. Radhanath Swami says our original nature is pure, and in the purified state we see everyone superior to us. Presently we are trying to purify ourselves with spiritual practises so that we can revive this original nature of ours. However when we are lax in purifying ourselves, we go further away from our pure nature and finding fault becomes our second nature.
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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 maharaj’s quality of bringing out the best and seeing the good in each everyone without giving notice to one’s faults is one of his great beauty.
This is what he has said in one of his lectures which is very inspiring:
“It may be true .. that devotees may have their faults .. but so do we.
It may be true .. that devotees may have their weaknesses & make mistakes .. but so do we.
It may be true .. that sometimes devotees commit some offenses .. but so do we.
…
Devotees, even if they may have weaknesses and faults, we are all fighting the battle together; and sometimes one of us is weak and sometimes one of us is strong; and when you’re weak I will pick you up, and when I’m weak you will pick me up; and in this way we will march forward together in this great battle against Maya.”
View CommentAfter reading this meditation I remembered one relevant analogy:
The sieve is full of a thousand holes and is criticising the needle, “Hey needle, there’s a hole in your back!”
There is nothing like a graphic example to grab our attention and help us clearly understand a point!
Why do we see faults in others?
Radhanath Swami gives a helpful explanation: We view the world as a reflection of our own consciousness.
That is, the qualities we see in others are often the tendencies we have in ourselves.
Ever heard someone shout in anger, ‘He is always angry at everyone!!’
Other times, some people conclude, ‘Well he or she is exactly the same, everyone else does it, so what’s the big deal?’ As the saying goes: Two wrongs don’t make a right. But if, as this meditation is encouraging us to do – we can revive our original pure nature, that is the path to happiness that we can aim for ourselves, and help others to aim for. And it is achieved by learning from those who are awakened to their original nature.
What to do if our mind leeches on to the faults of others?
Radhanath Swami once said: If your mother had cancer, would you hate the cancer or your mother?
In other words, hate the disease, love the diseased. Hate the sin but love the sinner.
People clam up when they sense the opposite party is only interested in putting them down for the sake of it. The blame game is easy to play. It’s not difficult to complain or criticise.
The challenge is to change ourselves first and then try to inspire and encourage others to change. Of course this depends on our relationship with that person. There has to be trust and a genuine concern to help the other person improve for their welfare, as part of meaningful friendship. I know from my own experience, that such kindness from those around me, helps me to see in myself what I am otherwise blind to, and be inspired to change.
We can be grateful when someone points out our faults…if we are walking down the street and we have mud on our face, who will be the first to see it? Ourselves? Or those around us?
View CommentRadhanath Swami in his lectures emphasizes one should have a mentality of a honeybee which looks for good in flowers not like a fly which always sticks to garbage and unwanted things. this is so true…. not finding faults in others is a herculean task one must overcome it to make progress in spiritual life. Radhanath Swami lives by this principle.
View CommentI learned from HH Radhanath Swami to fault find with oneself and not with others. Even if other may have fault, but as they are connected to Krishna, their ‘apparent’ faults will go away.
More on this can be learned on http://www.radhanathmaharaj.net
View CommentThis aspect of Maharaj’s teachings has helped me to deal with so many difficult situations in life, embrace one and all, and become humble.
View CommentRadhanath Swami says what ever we see the contamination outside is actually from the inside which is in the heart.
View CommentIf we clean the heart then everything is perfect. There are Heart melting stories on the website http://www.itsohappened.com, please visit it.
Yes, i fully agree with this..
View Commentits true. we forget that when we point finger at others, three fingers are pointing at ourself.
View CommentBe patient and not judgemental is what we need to remind ourselves at all times in all situations. Inspirational words which need to be engraved in our system.Hare Bol.
View CommentH.H.Radhanath Swami is truly an example to the whole world
View CommentVery nice and amazing article.
View CommentVery practical. Lot to learn and implement in our own lives.
View CommentThis important aspect of human conduct is so beautifully explained by Radhanath Swami in this story
View CommentVery very true……….
View CommentI heard in one of the classes i guess – fault finding is the cancer of heart! A nice article.
View CommentRadhanath Swami has an amazing quality of looking only at the positive aspect of a person. Radhanath Swami never engages in faultfinding. These are symptoms of a very very saintly person.
View CommentThis quality of Radhanath Swami of only looking at the positive aspect of a person’s qualities has instantly endeared him to so many people who have just met him or spoken to him only once. In his ever famous discourses, he calls this faultfinding the “fly mentality” as against the “bee mentality” which is ignoring the faults of others.
View CommentSrila Bhaktisiddhantha Saraswati Thakur said that we find faults with others cos we’re honeycombed with faults. How true. What we see is a mirror reflection of ourself. Being a saintly and pure person at heart, Radhanath Swami does not see faults in others but sees only the good.
View CommentRadhanath Swami is absolutely correct. If we overcome our fault-finding nature, more than half of the world’s differences would simply disappear & conflict resolution will also become easily achievable.
View CommentIn which course in this world do they teach such subtle aspects of ourselves? It is only possible with Vedic scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagvatam.
Understanding of these scriptures is not easy unless we see a living example for it – we need a proof – we need to experience.
Radhanath Swami is such an example – living Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.
View CommentWonderful article. I also liked the posting by Sonal Prabhu. Thank you for this.
View CommentThe world is a mirror of our own consciousness. The fault one sees in others are due to them being in ones self.
View Comment– Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
Maharaj please bless me
View CommentWonderful Message. Thank you
View CommentVery inspiring article. We all have this in-built fault finding mentality. We must try to overcome it by practice.
View CommentRadhanath Swami is a rare personality
View CommentI pray that one day i will be able to follow whatever he gives instructions in his amazing elctures
View CommentRadhanath Swami, is a living example of compassion, since the time i have been fortunate to hear and see him ,my life is changed and i often wonder how in ignorance we waste our human birth caught up in our surroundings .
View CommentMaharaj is a leader, a loving leader
View Commentvery true.. Praying to the Lord to help me overcome this fault finding mentality.
View CommentSince we have been this material world birth after birth and we have gathered so many material qualities but by following the footsteps and taking the association of these great souls we will surely come out from this tendency and where we actally appreciate devotees.
View CommentThis is true what faults we see in others the same is present in a large quantity with inside of our hearts.
View CommentJai Gurudev
View CommentI have heard devotees saying this ….if you can see a fault means you have it.
View CommentFault finding is almost like a second nature. It’s so easy to find fault in others while overlooking our own. It takes a lot of practice and letting-go of our ego to really find only good in others. Thank you Radhanath Swami for this wonderful guidance and hope one day we can put this into practice in our lives. It’s so true that fault-finding really cripples our spiritual progress.
View CommentH. H. Radhanath Swami life teaches us “Seeking Krsna through renunciation”
View Commentso true.
View CommentFault finding degrades us down this we should always keep in mind. To advance in Krsna Consciousness we should first see to ourselves and respect others. Thank you Maharaj, Hare Krishna!!
View CommentFault finding:-
View CommentThis is a trap that i generally fall for.
The qaulity of seeing good in others is really something that is basic to internal growth in our spiritual aspirations.
It is said that whatever is there in our heart, that we see in others. Therefore we are able to see faluts in others only because that falut finding mentality is there in our heart. If we want to see good in others than even though that person is fool then also we will find something good in that person and that is the difference between an ordinary person and great personality like Maharaj.
View CommentJai Gurudeva.
Radhanath Swami sees hope in every living being. Radhanath Swami is sure if one takes up to spiritual life he is in the hospital where he will be treated and soon be free of material attachments. Patience is the key we need to give the person enough care and love so he responds to he medicine. I am sure if we keep this in mind we will be always happy and the person whom we try to find faults with might get cured much faster instead of getting bitter by being hated…
View CommentRadhanath Swami speaks from his heart and his words have so much meaning. A truly inspiring person he is.
View CommentVery Inspiring Article!
View CommentWhat an amazing realization! I hope one day I can try to apply in my own life.
View CommentVery nice writeup, thank you for sharing.
View CommentI am going to make sure that I purify myself by the process of bhakti.
View CommentVery inspiring article. I pray to God that one day by bathing in spirituality my all dirt’s of anartha will wash away.
View CommentH H Radhanath Swami told once that if we find fault in others be sure that its there in us, otherwise we will not be able to see in others. So whenever we see other’s shortcomings, we must work hard to get rid of it ourselves. Surprisingly we will see that others don’t have that fault anymore…This really helps in our anartha nivritti..Thanx for this wonderful teaching, Maharaj.
View Commentwhat do u expect in this material world..everyone with all kinds of faults..which includes us too!!!
View Commenteven by common sense logic,if u want to achieve any goal u have to focus on positives only,simultaneously avoiding the negatives. so just understand what the faults are and avoid them yourself instead of idle gossip and prajalpa.
leave the persons to be corrected by superior authorities
praying that they will also tolerate our faults and coexist cooperatively.
maharajs actions really speak louder than words.
Only a person of maharaj’s stature can lead people to light. maharaj not only preaches but he himself is practicing those finer points in Bhakti yoga which is very rare to find.
View Comment