Radhanath Swami explains The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Listen again, O mighty-armed Arjuna. Because you are My dear friend, for your benefit I shall speak to you further, giving knowledge that is better than what I have already explained.
The word bhagavan is explained thus by Parasara Muni: one who is full in six opulences, who has full strength, full fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty and renunciation, is Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. While Krsna was present on this earth, He displayed all six opulences. Therefore great sages like Parasara Muni have all accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now Krsna is instructing Arjuna in more confidential knowledge of His opulences and His work. Previously, beginning with the Seventh Chapter, the Lord has already explained His different energies and how they are acting. Now in this chapter He explains His specific opulences to Arjuna. In the previous chapter He has clearly explained His different energies to establish devotion in firm conviction. Again in this chapter He tells Arjuna about His manifestations and various opulences.
The more one hears about the Supreme God, the more one becomes fixed in devotional service. One should always hear about the Lord in the association of devotees; that will enhance one’s devotional service. Discourses in the society of devotees can take place only among those who are really anxious to be in Krsna consciousness. Others cannot take part in such discourses. The Lord clearly tells Arjuna that because Arjuna is very dear to Him, for his benefit such discourses are taking place.
Radhanath Swami – This is a relative world
Transcendental knowledge is knowledge which reawakens our natural innate understanding of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the source of all that exists. To be transcendental means to go beyond the illusory conditions of relativity. This is called a relative world because everything’s existence is dependent on its relationship with something else. Whatever we see around us, it is not very difficult to understand how it came into existence, from where it came into existence and who put it into existence. And all the people around us, we have so many relatives. That means we are all coming from the same basic sources. We have our fathers and our grandfathers and our great grandfathers and our great great grandfathers. And it goes on and on and on. And those who have some common connection to those persons who brought about our physical being, they are called our relatives.
Radhanath Swami on The Absolute truth – Krishna
But Krishna declares in Bhagavad Gita that beyond all relative truth there is an Absolute Truth. And what does it mean – Absolute Truth? Krishna declares Sarva karana karanam
bahünäà janmanäm ante
jïänavän mäà prapadyate
väsudevaù sarvam iti
sa mahätmä su-durlabhaù
one who after many, many births of understanding so many varieties of knowledge, both mundane as well as spiritual, when he becomes a great soul, realises that Krishna ,who is the absolute truth, is the cause of all causes. That is the culmination of knowledge. bahünäà janmanäm ante jïänavän mä prapadyate –when one comes to the platform of perfect knowledge, he knows that Krishna is the source of everything.Tonight our dear associate, Shri Shyamananda Prabhu has instructed to me speak on the subject of cultivating knowledge and ignorance. Material knowledge and spiritual knowledge. And he is very expert at these matters. So I will try to repeat what I have heard.
Krishna – The source of everything by Radhanath Swami
So Krishna explains that after cultivating so many varieties of knowledge, when one finally comes to the perfection of true knowledge one understands simply that Krishna is the source of everything that exists. And whatever we learn, even in our schools and in our occupations, if we are conscious of the fact that Krishna is the source of all of this and ultimately all of this is meant to be brought back to its source. Just like the ocean evaporates, and it goes into the atmosphere and becomes cloud. And then that cloud is the water of the ocean. And it is blown by the wind. And it falls way up high in Himalayas. And that Himalayan …it falls down, it freezes, it turns to ice, becomes glacier, and then it melts, and then it becomes Ganga or Yamuna. Of course, we understand that the original source of Ganga and Yamuna is the water from the lotus feet of Krishna. But still this is also happening. And when these rivers begin to flow, they flow thousands and thousands and thousands of miles, and ultimately they go back into the ocean, the source of the water. So in the same way, all knowledge, everything that exists, comes from Krishna. And even in this world, we may utilise so much of what Krishna has given us. Because factually all material knowledge comes from Krishna. But when we utilise it, like the holy rivers, to bring it back to its source, the ocean, Karunasindhu, the ocean of mercy, Krishna, that is bhakti. That is yoga. That is real knowledge. How to utilise everything for the purpose of Krishna Consciousness. So many of you are young students, studying medicine or nursing or engineering or whatever, and you should understand that this knowledge without understanding from where it has come, and where it is meant to ultimately go, it is all ignorance. It is all ignorance. All your learning in college is so much ignorance. Why? Because anything…if we don’t understand its source, or its purpose, it is ignorance. But when we understand the source of everything, the source of this body, the source of this brain, the source of the sky, the source of the earth, the source of the oceans, the source of everything that exists is Krishna.
ahaà sarvasya prabhavo
mattaù sarvaà pravartate
iti matvä bhajante mäà
budhä bhäva-samanvitäù
Krishna says, “All things in this spiritual world and all things in the material world are coming from me alone. And the wise, who know this perfectly engages all of these things in my service, and worships me with all the heart. ”
Dhanvantari – The origin of Medicine by Radhanath Swami
So the same education you are all receiving, if you understand that the source of it all is Krishna. If you are studying medicine, medicine originates with Dhanvantari. He is the first medical. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead himself who millions and millions of years ago, in this earth, he appeared and he propagated the System of medicine, the original system of medicine. And how to utilise the herbs and the roots and the facilities of nature, of the creation that he has made, and how to adjust them in so many ways to treat any type of illness. And westernised medicine is simply various more crude, in one sense, ways of just taking those same type of herbs and portions from the earth, and adjusting them to cure illnesses. Whether it is ayurvedic medicine, homoeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine, allopathic medicine, they are all taking, basically, what Krishna has provided within the earth. And there are just different ways of manipulating it to make it act against a particular disease in your body. But all medicine, all knowledge, is coming from Krishna. Everything you learn in college, it’s original, perfect source is Krishna. So we should understand that. And we should understand that the source of our memories is Krishna.
sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöo
mattaù småtir jïänam apohanaà ca
Krishna says “I am the source of remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.”
The source..you cannot even remember your own name without Krishna. Every time you wake up in the morning, you brush your teeth, you may take bath, you cannot even remember how to brush your teeth from one day to another unless Krishna gives you that remembrance. And if Krishna takes away the remembrance we have seen people cannot do anything. The simplest thing in life – Krishna is the source of remembrance. He has given us our intelligence, He has given us our brain, he is within our heart, He is giving us life, He is giving us breath. So this is the beginning of knowledge: to understand how God is the source of everything that exists.
Real Knowledge – To offer everything in the service of Krishna
And what is the end? That is the beginning of knowledge. And what is the end of knowledge? To know how to utilise everything for the pleasure of that Lord who is the source of everything. And that is the process that is given in Bhagavad Gita. How to utilise all of the wonderful, wonderful situations and opulences of this world for the purpose that will liberate us from the clutches of ignorance and bondage. And that is real knowledge. So if we utilise our education, we utilise our occupation with this understanding, that it is all ultimately meant to be offered back to Krishna. Just like the rivers are offering water back to the ocean. Then we find our real resting place. In our real transcendental nature. In reunion with the supreme almighty God.
Radhanath Swami on A Blind following a blind and both falling in a ditch
But these days it is a society of the blind leading the blind. In all the great scriptures of the world, this analogy is given. In the Christian scripture, the New Testament, Lord Jesus Christ said, “When the blind lead the blind, they both fall in the ditch.” And in Srimad Bhagvatam, Prahalada Maharaj…this is millions of years before Lord Jesus. Prahalada Maharaj tells us that when the blind lead the blind, they both fall in the ditch. Everyone falls in the ditch. And this is society today. People are simply taking others’ opinions. But they never really bother to understand what is the source and what is the goal of life. And that is what makes all of you specially intelligent. Whatever you are learning, there is no harm; it is very good. Provided you understand its source and its purpose. Then you are in knowledge. Then according to Krishna you are a mahatma, a great soul, not a duratma, an unfortunate soul.
Radhanath Swami explains the story ‘Sarval Singh is Dead’ – How the society can be mislead by the common public opinion
Srila Prabhupada told a story, a simple story. I am sure many of you have heard. It just gives an illustration of how easily people of all levels of society can be misled by common public opinion. And the way Srila Prabhupada tells the story is that one time, a man was walking, and he happened to see another man weeping and crying. And not only was he weeping and crying, but he shaved his head. He said, “Why have you shaved your head? Why are you weeping and crying?” the man was beside himself with depression. He said, “You have not heard? You have not heard? Sarval Singh has died!” and of course, he said it in such a way that everyone must know who Sarval Singh is! So the man was afraid to admit that he did not know who Sarval Singh is. So he started crying. And he shaved his head. And then he went. He was a military man. He went and into his village. And he was crying with a shaved head. And people from the village asked, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” he said, “you have not heard? You do not know? Sarval Singh is dead!” so he said, “oh my God! Sarval Singh – he has died!” so they all shaved their heads and started weeping and crying. And doing everything for mourning for the great soul.
So the military was marching by. And they saw the village. Everyone crying and everything. “What is wrong? Why everyone in the village has shaved heads?” they said, “you haven’t heard? You haven’t heard? Sarval Singh has died!” so they all became very, very upset. Sarval Singh has died! This is terrible! So they all shaved their heads. So the whole army was marching with shaved heads. (Laughter) They were all crying. So they came before the king. The king inspects the army. And they were all with tears in their eyes and shaved heads. And the king asked, “Why do you all have shaved heads? And why are you all weeping?” And they all, millions of people in the army, they all said at the same time, like a big kirtan, “King, you have not heard? Sarval Singh is dead!” so the king thought, “Oh my God! Sarval Singh has died!” so he told his minister, “we have to shave our heads. (Laughter) because Sarval Singh is dead!”
And the minister was an intelligent man. He asked the king, “who is Sarval Singh?” he said, “You have not heard? You don’t know Sarval Singh?” the minister answered, “no, who is he?” he was the first one humble enough to (Laughter) admit that he doesn’t know. King said, “Well I don’t know either. (Laughter) maybe we can find out.” So the minister went to the whole army. They were all like, “ Ohhh…Sarval Singh is dead!…”
He said, “Who is Sarval Singh?” they said, “You do not know Sarval Singh?” He said, “No. I don’t know who Sarval Singh is. Who is he?”
And they all said together, “We don’t know either. (Laughter) We found out from that village.”
So he went to the village. Now whole village still was mourning and doing all rituals. “Sarval Singh is …” “who is Sarval Singh?” they said, “How could you not know who Sarval Singh is?”
So the minister said, “So what do you know?” and they replied, “No, we don’t know.”
So ultimately he went back to that little man, sitting in that corner. With his head shaved, crying. The minister said, “Why are you crying?” the man said, “You have not heard? Sarval Singh is dead!”
The minister replied, “I heard! But who is Sarval Singh?”
“You don’t know Sarval Singh?”
“No, I don’t know. Who is Sarval Singh?”
“I am a washer man. And in order for me to carry the clothes of people, I need a donkey to carry the clothes. And that donkey had been serving me faithfully for so many years. And he died. And his name is Sarval Singh.”(Laughter)
So when everybody found out that Sarval Singh was a donkey, they were all very embarrassed.
It is an illusion that material things can give us happiness – Radhanath Swami
So we are simply accepting people’s conclusions of what is truth, what is reality. People are telling us that if you have a lot of money, you will be very happy. If you have a nice place to stay, you will be very happy. If you have a beautiful wife or handsome husband, you will be very happy. But nobody is happy. That is the problem. But still we believe. And that is a great illusion.
In this way people are working so hard, struggling, struggling and struggling to get more and more and more material assets, more and more material knowledge to think with the understanding that they will be happy. Because that is the propaganda of the world.I remember when I first left home to become a sadhu, my parents were very upset. They said to me, “We are so miserable. We are so unhappy because you have left home. If you come home, we will become so happy.”I said, “I lived at home for eighteen years. And you were never happy. So why should I think that if I come home now, you will be happy?”
It is an illusion – this conception of happiness in this material world. But now they are quite happy. Because they are chanting the Holy Names of Krishna…
Audience – Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Hari Bol.
But it is the propaganda. And who has begun all this propaganda. That if you just enjoy your senses and have material prosperity, you will be happy. Where has this propaganda begun from? It has come from maya. We must understand systematically, historically, how this world has come about the way it is. That it is the propaganda of the illusory energy. She is constantly trying to create waves and waves and waves of propaganda within society to mislead people to dedicate their lives away from God.
But Krishna descends again and again within this world. He comes through so many avatars, so many great rishis and sages and repeats so many scriptures. Just to tell us who Sarval Singh is. That we are all becoming like donkeys. We are all under the wrong conception of reality, of truth. And there is so much propaganda. But Krishna comes to set the truth straight. That ultimately we are not this material body. Ultimately no amount of pleasure to the senses attached to the body can give us real happiness.
Radhanath Swami on We ignore the needs of the soul
Srila Prabhupada uses the example of bird in cage. How a very wealthy lady had a beautiful bird and she made a wonderful, wonderful cage for that bird. And she spent her whole day making this cage more and more decorative and nice. So much she was making the cage nice that she completely forgot about the bird. She was just thinking about the cage. And one day, a neighbour came, and she said I want you to see my beautiful bird and cage. And the neighbour said, “Ah, let me see.”He saw this very wonderfully cared for, decorated cage. But looked inside and was horrified because the bird was dead. Died of starvation. She never bothered to give it any food. What is the use? The whole purpose of the cage is not to look at, but to be a nice place for the bird. But if you forget the bird, then the bird dies. The bird suffers.
Radhanath Swami on Wordly happiness is momentary
So this body is a cage. And the soul is the person living inside this body. And human society at large, throughout the world has very much forgotten the needs of the soul, the needs of the person. And they are becoming, in the name of science, and technology, becoming very, very expert at trying to decorate this body, this cage. Trying to get more and more of various extents of material enjoyment. But still however much enjoyment and however much advancement, so much suffering comes upon us, so much fear, so much anxiety. In this world, people may say I am very happy. But just watch them over a little time, and see how much they are happy. How long can happiness last? When you are young, and you are youthful and everything is going your way, you are happy. But one little thing goes wrong and you are miserable. It is a fact.
In any given situation there are innumerable ways that you can suffer. Just like sitting here today. How many ways that something could happen. The roof could fall, the fan can spin off its axis. Someone could come and dishonour you. All of a sudden you could get a disease. So there are innumerable ways that anyone at any moment could be in a suffering condition. The scriptures explain that like a drop of water is on a lotus leaf for a moment, and it drifts away, that is the way all the experiences of this world are. It is destined to be gone. We are happy because we have our loved ones, and we have good health, and we have youth and we have money.
We were just speaking the other day about America, the wealthiest country. Back just a few decades ago, the stock market dropped out. And within a day, all the wealthiest people had nothing. They were miserable. They were living in big, big houses. And they were going to the roofs and were jumping off to commit suicide. Because they knew they could not afford it any longer. They lost everything. This is the nature of this material world. At any moment something could happen to spoil all your happiness. Because the body is just the cage. Krishna comes to tell us all this propaganda that everyone is telling you – eat, drink and be merry! Be happy! Get a good education, get a good job, get a good family, get lots of money – you’ll be happy! It’s all a lie. It’s all an illusion.
Radhanath Swami on The goal of life – To become attached to Krishna
The soul is starving. The soul is hungry. The soul wants love. The soul is eternal and needs eternal connection with real pleasure. In this material world, to the degree we become attached to something we get happiness from it. But that same thing, when it disappears we suffer. So Krishna says, “I am the all-attractive. Become attached to me.”And how to become all attached to Krishna? That is the goal of life. That is the purpose of human existence – To become attached to Krishna. And Bhagavad Gita is spoken in this way. It was spoken on a battlefield to Arjuna. Krishna said, “Do your duty.” Arjuna was an educated man. He went to a university; what was equivalent to a university. He studied under Dronacarya, who was a military arts Guru. And he had a school. And he had so many students. He had the hundred Kauravas, The five Pandavas, and he taught them very systematically. He was a great professor. Of politics, military arts, how to mobilise phalynx of the soldiers, how to perform diplomacy in order to preserve your kingdom, how to fight with the club, how to fight with the bow and arrow, how to fight with the fists and feet, how to protect yourself, how to create astras out of mantras, like brahmastras.
Arjuna was educated very, very systematically. And Duryodhana also, in the same college learnt the same art. But Arjuna understood that Krishna is the source of everything, and everything is meant to be utilised in his service. Bhagavad Gita was meant to teach Arjuna that. Yours skills are good, if they are used for the right purpose. If they are used in harmony with the desire of your soul. If they are used to nourish and feed your spiritual existence. But if they are utilised in such a way that it deprives your very soul of the very purpose or meaning of life, then that is ignorance, and it will be the source of death. For the soul, there is no death. Why are we all afraid of death? Because we have forgotten, we have lost touch with reality. Those who are afraid of death have lost touch with reality. They are thinking with this machine called the body.
Radhanath Swami on Temporary body can be used to serve an eternal purpose
Many of you are nurses and doctors. You know what kind of a machine this is. You know what type of sufferings. You see it every day. And it could happen to anyone at anytime. One little mosquito just stabs you with his nose, and you are immobilised for so many days. And who can tell when the mosquitoes will come? We have seen, I Malabar hill, the wealthiest, multi, multi millionaires. The mosquito stabs them, and they are like everyone else. They can’t do anything. They can’t go to work. So nothing can protect you ultimately. That is the way this world is. So we should understand that the soul, the atma within this body, is desperately longing to be reconnected with its own eternal existence in relationship with God. And to the degree we become attached to Krishna, to that very degree our soul will rejoice. Our soul will be again in touch with eternity rather than this temporary thing. This temporary thing – we should try to keep it fit as far as possible to serve an eternal purpose. The body is temporary but it can be utilised to serve an eternal purpose, and that is devotion to God.
As long as we are in this temporary material world, our service to the Lord is to try to help others, to be enlightened in transcendental knowledge. This body is meant to be utilised as an instrument of compassion, to bring others closer to God. And it is meant to be using ourselves closer to God. And whether we are of the occupation of Arjuna, being a warrior, using his education, or whatever field we may be educated in, we should be acting and serving with whatever capacity and intelligence a we have with this knowledge. That Krishna is the source of everything. And if we simply utilise whatever gifts of our skills, of our intelligence, of our physical energies, of the assets Krishna has given us – we utilise it for the noble purpose, the soul’s purpose of glorifying God and serving God. And helping others to come closer to God. That is the perfection of life. That is knowledge. And that is how we can cultivate knowledge and ignorance simultaneously. To understand what is this material world, what is its connection to God. What is its connection to the soul and to use it according. That is how to harmonise everything in God’s service.
Radhanath Swami on Complete renunciation – Yukta Vairagya
To reject the world is incomplete renunciation. Srila Rupa Goswami has explained what is yukta vairagya. Yukta vairagya means how to utilise everything in this world for Krishna. Srila Prabhupada gives another simple example. That if someone sees a hundred dollars laying on the street one person will look to see if anyone is watching and then he will pick it up, and say it is mine. That person is called a thief. Another person will look at it and say, “This is not mine, and if I take it I will be a thief. And if I am a thief, I may enjoy temporarily that money, but eventually I will be caught and I will suffer. So I will leave it on the street and I will run away from this money.” That is like the yogis who say, Brahman satyam, jagat mithya: this whole world is an illusion. “I won’t do anything. I just will not do anything. I will not touch money, I will not do anything because it is all an illusion.”
Srila Prabhupada used to tell us that there are some yogis, to whom if you offer money, they will say, “no, no, get it out, get it out. Away, away; it’s an illusion. It’s maya.” Srila Prabhupada said, “Try offering me money. I will take everything. Everything you have I will take, and I will use it to glorify Krishna, use it to elevate the world in Krishna’s service.” So the third person – he sees the money, and he picks it up, and he understands whom it belongs to. And he brings it back to its true owner. He is the first class person. Sarvaloka Maheshwaram: everything is the property of Krishna. So we want to utilise everything for the service of Krishna.
Radhanath Swami on Balancing material and spiritual responsibilities
Some of our very sincere and honest devotees – they are building a hospital at Mira Road. It is a very big endeavour. Why sadhus want to build a hospital. First we are saying we are not this body, and then we are building a hospital! For what? So much effort, so much anxiety, dealing with contractors and dealing with the local people and dealing buying cement and whatever else they do. It’s very difficult. But they are doing it for a purpose. Because they are family people. They have children; some of them. They have wives and husbands. They want to show the world how you can live a respectable life and have a very honourable institution, and utilise all of that energy in the service of God. It is an occupation to heal people’s bodies. But they will never tell anyone. That this is perfection of life: to come out of this hospital healthy. You will get diseased again. And eventually you will get old. And eventually you will die, no matter how well a doctor fixes you.
So why not understand this principle: that you are the eternal soul. And cultivate the spiritual consciousness. And through their very hard work, and through their expertise in the field of medicine, and everything else, they are actually trying to show the world how one can be very responsible in pursuance of service to God, in enlightening others in spiritual truths. And there so many examples in this way. And this is what the world needs.
Radhanath Swami on Need for Varnashrama system
Krishna explains that the Varnashrama System was created by him in such a way that the whole society could progress together toward spiritual truth, liberation from suffering and ultimate love of God. And how is that possible? We have brahmacharis who are simple, living in an ashrama, preaching the message of God consciousness, sannyasis doing the same thing. And we have grihastas in every type of occupation within society. The society, in order to function, needs politicians, it needs teachers, it needs housewives, farmers, architects, construction agents, builders…these are all necessary. These days, the way our society is, just to survive you have to have lawyers. This is a condition.
So there are so many necessities within human existence for survival. And the Varnashrama System is that all these necessities are met with in a harmonious way amongst various classes of men and women. But they all have the same aim: to work together for the pursuance of desire and the needs of the soul. To make this world a wonderful place. By which we all can find real happiness, real peace, and eternally connect with our source – Krishna. And that comes through becoming attached to Krishna.
Radhanath Swami on We should direct our attachments to Krishna
Now we have so many attachments. The nature of the soul is to become attached to something and someone. Otherwise why is everyone attaching themselves? Because it is our nature. But we are attaching ourselves in the wrong direction. We should attach and reunite with that object of eternal attachment that the soul is longing for. And that is God. That is Krishna. And we see how devotees are so attached to each other. But that is a different attachment. Because Krishna is the centre of that attachment. Because their consciousness is always working together to serve Krishna, to remind each other of Krishna. To the degree devotees become attached to each other, to that degree they naturally help one another to become attached to Krishna. So we are not saying you should not be attached to people of this world but you should learn how to be attached for the right purpose. So that that attachment will ultimately culminate in Krishna. And that is the perfection of life.
As we become more and more and more attached to Krishna, the beauty, the sweetness and the love of Krishna manifests more and more from within our hearts. And naturally we will receive the beauty and the grace of Krishna everywhere within this world. We will hear Krishna, we will smell Krishna, we will taste Krishna. When Krishna begins to manifest his supreme excellencies and opulences within our hearts, we will naturally perceive him in everything. Then we will see how everything can be utilised for his pleasure. And that is the ultimate truth of life. And that is what Krishna is speaking in the Gita.
So to learn the process of dovetailing everything of this world in pursuance of truth – that is the great goal of life. Thank you very much.
Questions and Answers
Radhanath Swami on using studies in Krishna’s service, balancing our worldly activities with good sadhana and association
If a person is unreasonable and insincere, then they do not want to hear. But isnt it reasonable? Did they create their brain? Who created their brain? Who created their lungs? Who created their heart? Could they be doing their business without those things? Who created the air that they are breathing every moment to keep them alive at every second, and the oxygen in the air? Were they created in the factories? Was it created by the majority party of politicians? Was it imported from Japan? It’s created by God.
Everything that we require to survive at every second is a gift of God. If you were dead, could you remember anything? Krishna is the heart, he has created the blood that the heart’s pumping. He has created the air and the oxygen. He has created everything that makes it possible for you to think. And he is within your heart. And it is only by his help; it is only by his sanction that you can remember anything. Krishna will fulfil your desire to some extent on a temporary basis.
It is said, first deserve and then desire. Based on our desire, Krishna will facilitate it. When we study we think that we will just chant Hare Krishna, and we will do well in our exams, then that is not Krishna Consciousness. Krishna Consciousness means that you will do well in your final exam. At the time of death, if you chant Hare Krishna. If you want to do well in your immediate exam, then you should study. But if you understand that ultimately Krishna is the one that is giving me the power to study, but it is for me to utilise it. Krishna is the one who has given me the power of concentration, but it is by choice whether I want to utilise it. So yes, unless you utilise what Krishna gives you to its maximum capacity you are not going to do well. But ultimately it has been given by Krishna. Does that answer your question? And if we don’t do it for Krishna, in a service to Krishna, then we might do well from the material point of view but we get nowhere spiritually. If we do the same thing and balance it with a good life of sadhana, with nice association of devotees then even in our studies, we actually become purified and elevated, and our soul becomes liberated even through our studies. If we do it in the right frame of mind, in the right conscious environment.
Radhanath Swami on Guru, Sadhu, Shastra
We have to see through the eyes of scripture. We have to see through the eyes of those who have knowledge. That is called faith. Faith which is based on the foundation of philosophy, logic, and the word of God. So we may not see Krishna directly manifesting within the hearts of others. In a very purified state, you could. Through spiritual vision you could actually see Krishna in the hearts of all living beings. You could feel Krishna in the heart of every living being. You could hear Krishna in the words of every living being. That is the purified state of the soul. Then he is manifested to us.
When he is not manifested to us through our direct perception because our senses are not so spiritualised to perceive, then we have to see through the eyes of truth. Chakshusha Sastra: Sastra, through the Guru and through the great sadhus. With faith in their words, we can actually experience Krishna. And reciprocate with Krishna in everyone.
Krishna tells us, Ishvara sarva bhutanam hrdese arjuna tisthati Krishna says “I am in everyone’s heart.” We have complete faith that he is in everyone’s heart. We may not see him, but he has given us this understanding, so we believe, that yes, Krishna is in everyone’s heart. He is the source of life, wherever life exists. Therefore we have to deal with every person in that consciousness. That Krishna is in their hearts. Krishna is always manifesting. Krishna is manifested everywhere. But you cannot see him, unless he personally favours you and reveals himself to you.
Radhanath Swami on Devotees remain faithful inspite of testing situations and persecution
At New Vrindavan. At one time, there was a leader there who was removed from the community, who was pleaded guilty to certain charges. That does not change the Krishna Consciousness movement. Krishna Consciousness movement is a movement of the highest truths, and those who live by those highest truths, are truly representatives of the movement. And those who do not, they are not. As far as that person getting kicked in Yugoslavia – that is part of begin a devotee. Prahalada Maharaj was also kicked so many times by his father. But because he remained faithful Krishna always protected him. Arjuna was shot with so many arrows. But still he went on fighting. So wherever there are sincere devotees who are truly following the principles that Krishna has given, then Krishna is protecting and empowering those people. And that is the Krishna Consciousness movement. It cannot be stopped. The propaganda of material energy is always trying to utilise every situation to defeat people’s faith and aspirations for God-consciousness.
And sometimes soldiers in a war become wounded. In the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Abhimanyu was killed. But still, the pandavas went on and marched forward and defeated the kurus. So in the march of truth, we should understand that maya is very strong. And sometimes soldiers in the army of Lord Krishna will get wounded by maya and sometimes they may even fall into illusion for a temporary amount of time. But that is no great surprise. That happens. But those who continue following the truth and those who do not deviate from the truth, we will take our inspiration and guidance from them. And we will all march forward.
Then in Russia…Russia was the place devotees were most persecuted. And that is the place where Krishna Consciousness is spreading the fastest and the greatest today. Generally persecution helps a spiritual movement to grow faster.
Until Christianity was persecuted, no one took it very seriously. Of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, eleven were murdered. And one was boiled in oil to die, but somehow he did not die. So they him out of the oil and he was still breathing, but it was the Roman law, you can’t execute a person twice. So they exiled him to an island. So those were the twelve. But because of their persecution, it made people so serious that Christianity spread throughout the whole world. So the more material energy tries to stop faith in God, the more the sincere increase their faith and become empowered. And the more the insincere fall aside.
Radhanath Swami on Newspapers are not so much concerned with presenting truth – Attitude like a fly
So the newspapers – the newspapers are not so concerned with presenting truth. They are concerned with presenting truth in such a way to fascinate people to read their newspapers and to buy what is advertised and like that. Newspapers are for money, not for truth. So they often present things in such a way that is misleading.
Rather than explaining all the tens and thousands of people who are people who are so devotedly dedicating their lives to strictly following the teachings of Krishna, and giving so much sacrifice for the betterment of humanity by living such exemplary lives and working so much for the sake of others, why don’t they write about those people. They write about one person who got wounded, who fell aside for some time, and was brought to court. We love these people too. They tried. Krishna will certainly pick them up again. And make them glorious. But why should the newspapers only talk about one? It is explained, if a honeybee is in the dirtiest garbage dump, he will disregard all the garbage, and look for one flower, and drink the nectar from that flower. But if a fly is in a beautiful, beautiful garden of acres and acres of fragrant roses and lotus flowers , he will completely ignore all the lotus flowers, all the nectar, all the roses, and just go to one little, tiny piece of stool, and suck it.
So out of tens of thousands and hundreds and thousands of wonderful devotees who are dedicating their lives to the betterment of humanity, why the newspapers don’t say a word about them, and just one person who is having difficulty? So we are not so concerned with this. We should pray for those who are having difficulties. And we should associate with and take strength from those who are strong.
Radhanath Swami on Nature of the materialistic mind is to be sectarian
Religious sectarianism is everywhere. You should not say that the Muslim faith is bad. Because in America, often times Christians attack Hindus. This is the nature of materialistic mind. Blacks fight whites. Yellows fight whites. The high castes fight the low castes. The Hindus fight the Muslims. The Christians fight the Jews. That is just bodily consciousness. We can’t say there is anything wrong with the Islamic faith or if you study the Quran nicely, it actually teaches peace and love and benevolence towards all living beings. But people – they have misused these scriptures for political reasons, and have created hatred and bigotry and sectarianism. And that is in every religion. Even in Hinduism we find it. So we are after the truth. We are not after the misrepresentations. And so many people are acting ignorantly due to being misinformed. Religion is meant to create love and compassion. Not sectarianism and hatred. And the way the love and compassion develops is when we practice religion for the purification of our hearts. Not just to be a part of a social club. Religion is meant to purify your heart and unveil the natural, godly qualities within you. And wherever we see these qualities we understand that that is where true religion is.
Radhanath Swami on Holy Name – The only method in this age
In this age of Kali Yuga, there is only one really religious principle.
harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha.
The chanting of God’s name- It awakens those godly qualities within us. When Srila Prabhupada was in the West, he said, “Just learn to chant the names of your own God even, but try to do it in a way that we are teaching, humble like a blade of grass, without committing sinful activities.” He said, “We have not come to convert the Christians into Hindus or the Muslims into Hindus. We have come to teach you how to love God.”, and how? By living by these principles And chanting God’s names. And then our hearts become pure. And then we find the real common denominator of all religions- Love and service to the Lord.
Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam But the Vedas explain that there are so many manifestations of God, and they are all God. But the source, the sweetest, the highest and the purest of all manifestations of God Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam is Krishna. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught that all God’s names are invoked with his powers. But he taught us that the sweetest and the most intimate realization of God comes through the chanting of the Mahamantra. (With audience) Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
