Radhanath Swami's Blog, page 2
June 2, 2024
Uprooting the Weeds of Ego
/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 18-04-2024 */.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block} The false ego, also known as the ahankar, is the root of all the weeds in the forest of our hearts. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has explained that each of us are like the gardener of our own hearts.
The seed of bhakti, known as the bhakti lata bija, is within us and is awakened by the association of devotees. That seed is nourished through the water of our sadhana (spiritual practice), seva (service), and through satsang (relationships). This process of watering and tending to the seed of devotion in the heart fosters a gradual evolution of bhakti awakening within our hearts.
However, there are many weeds that crop up around that seed, and these weeds obscure us from being able to recognize the true purpose of our life. Based on our level of experience in bhakti, our seed may be in a sprouting stage or it may be in later stages of flowering and bearing fruits.
In either situation, there is a continuous need to take care against the effect of the weeds of selfish desire, anger, arrogance, envy, illusion, and their various counterparts that develop from them – the desire for personal prestige or greed.
For anyone who has done gardening, you will know that no matter how much you may cut away at weeds, they continue to grow back. Sometimes the more you cut weeds, the stronger they grow back. The only way to actually free yourself from these weeds is to pull them out at the root.
And the ultimate root of all weeds is the false ego which bewilders the soul into thinking that we ourselves are the doers of our activities, which are actually taking place under the laws of nature. Therefore, each of us has to deal with the root of our own weeds that hamper the growth of our bhakti lata bija in order for our bhakti to grow and flourish.
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May 24, 2024
Unity in Diversity
/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 18-04-2024 */.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block} In my journey through various religious traditions, I encountered individuals deeply committed to their practices. I found beautiful, inclusive-minded people who really were striving to live with compassion. I also found many people who had very extreme and narrow views, who considered that their path was the only path and all others were ignorant or evil.
My study brought me to what the Sanskrit Vedic literatures called ‘Saragrahi,’ which means ‘one who seeks the essence.‘ I found that at the essence of all true spiritual paths, in all real practitioners, that there is a transformation of character.
From arrogance to humility.
From greed to generosity.
From hate to love.
From complacency to compassion.
From selfishness to a selfless will to serve others.
That is the core of true faith. Unfortunately, our world often lacks unity in diversity. Yet, in both the Old and New Testaments, the message resounds clearly: to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself. Everyone is our neighbour.
In the Sanskrit text Srimad Bhagavatam, there is a beautiful verse that really touched my heart: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmoyato bhaktir adhokṣaje.’ It says that true religion (or Dharma) isn’t a sectarian concept. It’s that which inspires and awakens from within us love for the Supreme Being and an actual compassion for all beings. In the same way the Bhagavad-Gita tells us that a truly enlightened person sees all beings with equal vision, recognizing the sacredness within each soul.
This body is ever-changing, and the mind changes even faster.
But who am I?
Who is that person seeing through the eyes, hearing through the ears, tasting through the tongue, thinking through the brain, loving through the heart?
That conscious force is sacred. When we come in contact with our own sacredness, we see it within all life. Whether one is a Hindu, Muslim, Jew, Jain, Christian, Parsi, agnostic, Buddhist, or an atheist. Whether one is black or white, from the East or West, male or female, a human or a dog, a cat, a cow, or an elephant – wherever there’s life, it is sacred.
When we come in contact with the sacredness within our own hearts (who we are), we can then appreciate how in truth we are all related. The Bible, through Jesus, said, ‘What profit is there for a person who gains the whole world but loses their eternal soul?’
Similarly, the Bhagavad-Gita tells us, ‘na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin.’ That the soul, the essence of our life, is beyond birth and beyond death.
Appreciating this truth within ourselves, we can realize that we are simply caretakers: our abilities, wealth, the environment around us – are all sacred property entrusted in our care. All living beings are part of the same source; we are all related. The character of any true follower of the various great religious paths of the world is that they live with compassion and humility. True spirituality does not divide humanity; it harmonizes humanity.
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There is a saying:
‘If you lose your wealth, you lose nothing.
If you lose your health, you lose something.
But if you lose your values and your character, you lose everything.’
Today the world is in such a difficult situation – in the environment, the economy, and politically there are so many difficulties. It becomes increasingly evident that the root cause for many of these problems is a lack of personal character. When people exhibit arrogance, greed, or envy, there is no way to pacify them. The more you feed them, the more they grow. From a spiritual perspective, the most meaningful and fulfilling life is when we find a happiness within ourselves, rooted in love and compassion. Then, whatever we do and whatever we have, we use to express that compassion and love.
This essence resonates across cultures and faith traditions. In the Bible, there’s a beautiful verse: ‘What profiteth a man who gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?’ I had first heard this growing up in America and immediately thought, ‘This is what religion is! It’s not about what you call yourself. It’s not about how many pages you memorize from scriptures. It’s about how much we really understand this principle, to actually reconnect with our true self.’
The Bhagavad-Gita tells us, ‘na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin‘ The nature of the true self, the living force within us (that which sees through our eyes and hears through our ears) is eternal. We are all eternal, full of knowledge, and full of happiness. Like a driver in a car, the Atma (the soul) is within this body. We cannot keep the same car for very long in this world; we have to trade it in. Similarly, the Atma or the soul does not die at the time of death.
The nature of the soul is that we are part of the Supreme Soul or God, who has many names across many religions. We call Him Krishna, but God is one, just as there is one Sun in the sky which has different names as it rises in different continents. One who is actually in connection with his or her own self will then see the divinity within everyone. We will see every living being as our brothers and sisters. We will see the environment as sacred property and we will respect people in that way. With this foundational conception of the mind and experience of the heart, we will then be far more motivated to excel and to do good, even more so than someone who is just greedy. Because love is a far greater incentive than greed. This is what the world needs: people who will really learn and become accomplished based on this higher purpose of making a positive difference – to their families, to their society, to the world.
If you water the root of the tree, naturally that water goes to every part of the tree – the leaves, the branches, the flowers. Similarly, when we understand the love of our own hearts and actually connect with the inner experience of God’s love, then naturally that love flows toward everyone. That inner fulfilment is really the best way to manage the mind.
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The Secret of Giving & Receiving Love
In reflecting on my own journey, I often recall a moment from my childhood involving my mother and father. It was a revelation that shaped my understanding of love and commitment.
When I was about eight years old, my mother spoke these words as I was sitting on her bed, ‘Everyone loves your father and everyone loves me, but we do not love each other. We have decided to separate now.’ As a small child, I couldn’t even fathom that idea – my parents didn’t love each other. I was so disoriented, so brokenhearted, that I couldn’t say a word. I simply sat and cried.
My mother, shocked to see my reaction, didn’t know what to say. I got up and ran through streets, hiding in bushes, grappling with the turmoil within me. This was almost 60 years ago. I waited a few hours to see my father’s car coming down the road. After he entered, I secretly snuck in the back door. When he went into his bedroom to meet my mother and they closed the door, I secretly put my ear to the door, wanting to know what were going to discuss. My mother explained to my father what had happened and there was complete silence. Then what I heard next was completely unexpected – ‘For the sake of our children, we are going to make this work.’
Their journey wasn’t easy; they faced challenges and disagreements. Yet, they held on to a higher principle. Over the years, it was hard work for them, yet what eventually unfolded was the most united, loving relationship between two people that I had ever seen. They earned it by focusing on the higher principle. They let all the little things pass.
I remember my own guru, Srila Prabhupada, was once giving a talk at a marriage, sharing an anecdote about Mahatma Gandhi. One time, Gandhi and his wife had a serious argument. Gandhi got angry and said, ‘Get out of here!’ So his wife left and sat out on the street in front of the house for some hours. Then Gandhi returned outside.
Seeing his wife sitting there he said,
‘What are you still doing here?’
‘I have nowhere to go’ she replied.
‘All right, let’s just forget it.’
‘Yes, let’s just forget it.’
Srila Prabhupada’s words brought out a fundamental truth: When we have disagreements, if we focus on a higher purpose then we can easily, or perhaps not so easily, understand the necessity of forgetting the little things and somehow or other adjust. Just like in electronic circuits, conductors ensure that the current can flow in an effective way to fulfill the purpose of that device without overheating, without conflict between the different components. That type of circuitry is required in our relationships with each other.
Essentially, people are looking for love. Only love can give fulfillment to the heart. That flow of love, like the heart itself, pumps blood and receives blood. But if there’s plaque within the arteries, then the flow both in and out of the heart is blocked. The plaque of selfish desires, of false ego or arrogance, can block our ability to love and experience love.
The essence of yoga and spirituality, the mark of true humanity, is when we learn how to love and how to be loved. Everything we have in this world, whether it be technology, strength or our own intelligence, can be of great benefit or great danger, depending on how we use it. A knife is neither good nor bad; but its impact is determined by the one who possesses that knife. A thief will use the knife to kill someone, yet a doctor will use the same knife to save a person’s life.
Our bodies, wealth, science, technology and economics – everything is potentially destructive or constructive for the well-being of ourselves and others.
It’s all depends on what is there within our own hearts.
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/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 18-04-2024 */.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block} We all know that diabetes can cause death. And that cigarettes can reduce our life expectancy. But what most of us do not know, is that loneliness can have a similar effect on our health.
On Valentine’s Day last year, the BBC launched the largest ever Loneliness Experiment with 55,000 people from around the world. They found that loneliness is as bad for our health as having a long-term illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Loneliness has shown to be as bad for our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and to reduce our life expectancy by up to 8 years. The epidemic of loneliness is spreading so fast that it is estimated to affect 1.1 million British people and up to 50% of all Americans.
In the U.S. 1 in 4 people have said that they have no one person to confide in. To make things worse, 75 % of people say that they’re unsatisfied with the friendships that they do have.
Loneliness is not simply that we are alone, rather it is the feeling that you are not connected or loved by the people around you. This is why so many people feel lonely even though their lives are full of people. We may be in relationships, friendships or even be married, yet feel that ache in our hearts.
The root of our disconnection from others is a disconnection from ourselves. When we are not in touch with ourselves, it is very easy to feel alone even in the company of others. We may spend time following others on social media and less time discovering ourselves. We may spend time taking selfies, but less time becoming self-aware. We are prone to superficial relationships with others, simply because we have superficial relationships with ourselves. However, we can overcome loneliness by reconnecting to our true inner self.
The common thing between all of us is the spirit inside. Once we connect with that spirit within us, we are naturally connected to everyone else, in the deepest and most meaningful way. This lets us transform relationships centered around gossip into those focused on giving, from interactions based on lust into ones built on love, and from exchanges based on the externals of our bodies into those based on the internals of our heart.
We may fail to have exchanges of love, because our own hearts are empty. But, when we dig deep and connect to the spirit inside, we are able to access the
foundation of love which lies within, allowing it to flow into every aspect of our lives. Making every exchange we have more fulfilling and feeling fulfillment even when no one else is around.
Mother Teresa has said: “We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love.”
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Introduction to Radhanath Swami’s Teachings
Start here to learn more
EXPLORE THE COLLECTIONRadhanath Swami has always been a seeker of true spirituality and universal truth. For over 50 years he has been a monk within the Bhakti Yoga tradition and is invited to speak all over the world at renowned institutions and with many thought leaders of our age.
As a teacher, he speaks wisdom that has been passed down by a lineage of teachers that spans thousands of years. As a scholar, he derives spiritual principles from ancient wisdom texts within a variety of traditions, but namely, from the sacred texts known as the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatum. He has created an art form of communicating the essence of these teachings in a way that is applicable to the modern era.
The following is a collection of resources that act as an intimate introduction to His Holiness Radhanath Swami and get to the heart of his teachings.
FEATURED ARTICLEBHAKTI YOGA The Yoga of Divine Love
An essential introduction to the timeless wisdom and practice of this ancient Yogic tradition.
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IN CONVERSATION Play THE RICH ROLL PODCAST | Spiritual Wisdom to Open your Heart & Mindwith Rich Roll Play LONDON REAL | How to Transform Struggles into Strengths with Brian Rose Play PRINCETON UNIVERSITY | On Happiness, Love and Compassion with Dr Cornel West Play IMPACT THEORY | How to Connect with your True Self with Tom Bilyeu Previous Next /*! elementor - v3.16.0 - 20-09-2023 */.elementor-widget-divider{--divider-border-style:none;--divider-border-width:1px;--divider-color:#0c0d0e;--divider-icon-size:20px;--divider-element-spacing:10px;--divider-pattern-height:24px;--divider-pattern-size:20px;--divider-pattern-url:none;--divider-pattern-repeat:repeat-x}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider{display:flex}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{font-size:15px;line-height:1;max-width:95%}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__element{margin:0 var(--divider-element-spacing);flex-shrink:0}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-icon{font-size:var(--divider-icon-size)}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider-separator{display:flex;margin:0;direction:ltr}.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator{align-items:center}.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:before,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:before{display:block;content:"";border-bottom:0;flex-grow:1;border-top:var(--divider-border-width) var(--divider-border-style) var(--divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:first-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider-separator:before{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider__element{margin-left:0}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:last-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider-separator:after{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider__element{margin-right:0}.elementor-widget-divider:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text):not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon) .elementor-divider-separator{border-top:var(--divider-border-width) var(--divider-border-style) var(--divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern{--divider-border-style:none}.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern.elementor-widget-divider--view-line .elementor-divider-separator,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:before,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not([class*=elementor-widget-divider--view]) .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;min-height:var(--divider-pattern-height);-webkit-mask-size:var(--divider-pattern-size) 100%;mask-size:var(--divider-pattern-size) 100%;-webkit-mask-repeat:var(--divider-pattern-repeat);mask-repeat:var(--divider-pattern-repeat);background-color:var(--divider-color);-webkit-mask-image:var(--divider-pattern-url);mask-image:var(--divider-pattern-url)}.elementor-widget-divider--no-spacing{--divider-pattern-size:auto}.elementor-widget-divider--bg-round{--divider-pattern-repeat:round}.rtl .elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{direction:rtl}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-divider,.e-con>.elementor-widget-divider{width:var(--container-widget-width,100%);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)} Video TED Talk: How to find a Spiritual Connection
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SUGGESTED READING THE JOURNEY HOME AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
Within this extraordinary memoir, Radhanath Swami weaves a colorful tapestry of adventure, mysticism, and love.
Readers follow Richard Slavin from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas as he transforms from young seeker to renowned spiritual guide.
The Journey Home is an intimate account of the steps to self-awareness and also a penetrating glimpse into the heart of mystic traditions and the challenges that all souls must face on the road to inner harmony and a union with the Divine.
READSrila Prabhupada Teachings
Radhanath Swami’s teacher
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
SRILAPRABHUPADARadhanath Swami’s teacher
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
I was in Vrindavan, India, in 1971, and I was among five or six other people sitting around Srila Prabhupada. He wasn’t my guru then; he was just one of the saints I was coming to visit.
Somebody asked him, ‘Are you the guru for the whole world?’
He didn’t say anything.
I was really very excited with anticipation—what is he going to say? Most people would say, ‘Yes.’ And after he paused for a few minutes, he looked down to the ground. With tears of humility in his eyes, he said, ‘No, I am the servant of everyone. That’s all.’
RADHANATH SWAMI
A PRE-EMINENT TEACHER His Divine Grace, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) was the principle teacher for thousands of people around the world, including Radhanath Swami.
He is regarded as the world’s pre-eminent exponent of the teachings and practices of Bhakti-yoga, outside of it’s roots in India.
A STUDENT OF SRILA BHAKTISIDDHANTABorn Abhay Charan De on September 1, 1896, in Calcutta, as a young man he became involved with Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement. It was, however, a meeting with a prominent scholar and spiritual leader, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, which proved most influential on young Abhay’s future calling.
At their first meeting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta asked Abhay to bring the teachings of Krishna to the English-speaking world. Deeply moved by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s devotion and wisdom, Abhay became his student and dedicated himself to carrying out his mentor’s request. But it wasn’t until 1965, at the age of seventy, that he would set off on his mission to the West.
AROUND THE WORLD In these eleven years, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe twelve times, bringing the teachings of Bhakti to thousands of people on six continents. Men and women from all backgrounds came forward to understand his message. With their help, Srila Prabhupada established centres and projects throughout the world including temples, self-sustainable communities, educational institutions, and what would become the world’s largest vegetarian food relief program.
With the desire to nourish the roots of Bhakti in its homeland, Srila Prabhupada returned to India several times, where he sparked its revival. In India, he opened dozens of temples, including important centres in the holy towns of Vrindavan and Mayapur.
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We should be in harmony with our own consciousness; our mind, body, and soul should be one in interest and in purpose. And in that unified condition, we can actually express that natural innate love that we have found in our own life in everything we do in the world.
RADHANATH SWAMI
A tree full of ripened fruits bows down naturally, because of the weight of the fruits and it’s willingness to make it’s fruits accessible to others.
A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SRILA PRABHUPADA
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ALLEN GINSBERG“By patience, good humor, and singing and chanting and expounding Sanskrit terminology, Swami Bhaktivedanta day-by-day established Krishna consciousness… What kindness and humility and intelligence… The main thing, above and beyond all our differences, was an aroma of sweetness that he had, a personal, selfless sweetness like total devotion. And that was what always conquered me.”
American Poet, Philospher & Writer
GEORGE HARRISON“The thing that always stays is his saying, “I am the servant of the servant of the servant.” I always liked his humility and his simplicity. He just made me feel so comfortable. Even though he was at the time seventy-nine years old, working practically all through the night, day after day, with very little sleep… he had a sort of childlike simplicity. Which is great, fantastic.”
Lead Guitarist for The Beatles & Musician
THOMAS MERTON“Swami Bhaktivedanta brings to the West a salutary reminder that our highly activistic and one-sided culture is faced with a crisis that may end in self-destruction because it lacks the inner depth of an authentic metaphysical consciousness. Without such depth, our moral and political protestations are just so much verbiage.”
Catholic Theologian, Monk & Author
“One afternoon I rushed to a garden where Srila Prabhupada was scheduled to speak, but I was late. I found myself amid grazing cows. Leafy trees swarmed with sweetly singing birds and a crowd of native Vrajabasis gathered under the warming winter sun. Srila Prabhupada was just departing and hundreds of people lining the path bowed to him as a gesture of respect. I was among them. As I lifted my head from the sandy earth, I found his feet, covered by simple canvas slippers, planted just inches from my face. On my knees, looking up, I was face to face with him. His demeanor was grave.
“How long have you lived in Vrindavan?” he asked.
My mind squirmed, fearing he too would chastise me for living here. I replied, “About six months, Srila Prabhupada.”
His large dark eyes gazed down into mine. It was as if nothing else existed but that gaze. I felt that he knew everything about me—my strengths and weaknesses, virtues and faults, all I longed to achieve and all I prayed to be rid of. I was speechless. Perhaps a minute passed in this way. Then, before my eyes, his face blossomed into a munificent smile. “Very good,” he said, rubbing my head affectionately. “Vrindavan is such a wonderful place.”
In his glance and in this briefest of exchanges I experienced the love of an eternal friend, a benevolent parent, and of God. Turning slowly, he walked away down the path, his wooden cane tapping the ground with each step. I closed my eyes and pondered.
He is such a busy man, with tens of thousands of people the world over waiting for a moment of his time. Why did he stop for me? I have nothing to offer, I am just a penniless nobody who sleeps under a tree.
That small gesture had a profound impact on me, more than many of the miracles I had witnessed. It was an impact I could neither understand nor explain. Perhaps, I thought, the miracle of being an instrument of kindness is the most powerful of all.”
GRATITUDE FORSRILA PRABHUPADA For millennia, the teachings of Bhakti had been concealed within Sanskrit and Indian vernacular languages, and the rich culture of Bhakti had been hidden behind the borders of India. However, today, millions around the globe express their gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for revealing the timeless wisdom of Bhakti to a world immersed in a hedonistic and distracted ethos.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada passed away on November 14, 1977, in the holy town of Vrindavan, surrounded by his loving followers, who work together to carry on his work today.
Bhakti Yoga
Long ago, I was wandering the world starving for an experience of truth and beauty. The one truth I found which penetrated to the core of my heart was, that beyond the differences that divide us—nationality, religion, gender, race, appearance, health, or illness—lies the common essential quality we all share: the soul’s inherent ability to love.
RADHANATH SWAMI
WHAT IS BHAKTI? The word bhakti refers to divine love; bhakti is the love that is dormant within the heart of every living being, it is the pleasure that everyone is seeking, and it is the highest potential in all beings.
The true self, the atma, or soul, is seeing through the eyes, tasting through the tongue, touching through the body and so, things of this world can give some amount of satisfaction to the mind and senses, but they cannot reach the true self, it is only love that gives fulfilment to the heart.
Bhakti is the purest form of that love which connects our true self to its source, and as a result connects us to every other living being in the most meaningful way.
THE HISTORY OFBHAKTI YOGAIN INDIABhakti has been central to India’s spiritual culture for thousands of years, but over the course of time, it became lost in rituals and prejudiced customs.
Beginning around the sixth century C.E., a bhakti revivalist movement developed around the writings of mystics who were extracting the essence of the ancient scriptures. These mystics were mostly in South India, and they expressed their intimate love and longing for God through philosophy, song, and poetry.
Their devotional revelations were gradually expanded on by their disciples and organized into schools of devotional yoga by scholars and saints like Ramanuja (1017–1137), Madhva (1238–1317), Nimbarka (circa eleventh century), Vallabha (1479–1531), and Chaitanya (1486–1533). Focusing on sincerity of intent and development of character, these revered teachers ushered in a movement that is still growing.
In the 1960s, the bhakti movement finally left India in the hands of Radhanath Swami’s teacher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and arrived on the shores of countries all over the world.
Still, while history provides an interesting context for the development of the bhakti movement, bhakti itself is timeless. Love for the Supreme is the eternal nature of all souls, and all religions or philosophies that strive to help their adherents awaken that love are essentially practicing bhakti.
Becoming self-aware allows you to feel compassion for others because you come to understand that they, too, are souls struggling to recall their nature.
RADHANATH SWAMI
THE PROCESS OF BHAKTI YOGA
The true meaning of yoga is to reconnect, and so bhakti-yoga is the process of reconnecting to God through the process of love.
THE FOUR PILLARS OF BHAKTI
SADHANAOur personal practice of connecting to our true selves and God through the power of prayer, meditation and acquiring knowledge. These spiritual practices allow us to tune into the frequency of grace of love and compassion that’s within us and when we put time aside to do this daily, we actually establish a deep foundation and clear direction in life.
SATSANGBeing in the company of those people who uplift us as far as possible. When we come in contact with spiritual people, their experience and energy inspire us to carry on walking our spiritual path, help us to overcome hurdles and to avoid pitfalls.
SADACHARThis refers to the mood in which we live our life and interact with those around us. The mood of bhakti means to be in the mood of seva (selfless service).
SEVASeva means selfless service; one of the key components and aspects of bhakti is serving God with love along with serving His children and creation. With this principle of seva, we transcend differences based on culture, colour, religion, gender, age and even species, and live together in love and harmony.
DISCOVER The Top 5 Books on Bhakti YogaDive deeper into bhakti-yoga with this excellent selection of books authored by or inspired by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Available at all good online and physical book stores.
[image error]VEDASecrets from the East[image error]Perfect Answers, Perfect Questions[image error]BHAGAVAD GITA
As It Is[image error]The Higher Taste[image error]The Srimad Bhagavatam
April 11, 2023
Talking to the Hare Krishna Leader Who’s Bringing the Movement Into the Age of Lululemon
It’s early Saturday evening at the Rubin Museum of Art, located around the corner from Barneys New York in Chelsea. Every seat in the sleek basement theater is filled by an earnest crowd of limber New Yorkers, many tattooed and top-knotted, wrists heavy with looping strands of wooden beads. They are gathered for a talk by Radhanath Swami, who has been for 20 years a leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna. It’s early Saturday evening at the Rubin Museum of Art, located around the corner from Barneys New York in Chelsea. Every seat in the sleek basement theater is filled by an earnest crowd of limber New Yorkers, many tattooed and top-knotted, wrists heavy with looping strands of wooden beads. They are gathered for a talk by Radhanath Swami, who has been for 20 years a leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna.
It’s early Saturday evening at the Rubin Museum of Art, located around the corner from Barneys New York in Chelsea. Every seat in the sleek basement theater is filled by an earnest crowd of limber New Yorkers, many tattooed and top-knotted, wrists heavy with looping strands of wooden beads. They are gathered for a talk by Radhanath Swami, who has been for 20 years a leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna.It’s early Saturday evening at the Rubin Museum of Art, located around the corner from Barneys New York in Chelsea. Every seat in the sleek basement theater is filled by an earnest crowd of limber New Yorkers, many tattooed and top-knotted, wrists heavy with looping strands of wooden beads. They are gathered for a talk by Radhanath Swami, who has been for 20 years a leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna.
How to cultivate compassion in the workplace
The irony is not lost on Radhanath Swami that he speaks to international financiers but hasn’t had a bank account in 40 years.
“I last signed a check in 1969,” said the author and spiritual figure. “And here are these business people asking me to teach them. I guess we all have our purpose.”The irony is not lost on Radhanath Swami that he speaks to international financiers but hasn’t had a bank account in 40 years.
“I last signed a check in 1969,” said the author and spiritual figure. “And here are these business people asking me to teach them. I guess we all have our purpose.” The irony is not lost on Radhanath Swami that he speaks to international financiers but hasn’t had a bank account in 40 years. “I last signed a check in 1969,” said the author and spiritual figure. “And here are these business people asking me to teach them. I guess we all have our purpose.”. “I last signed a check in 1969,” said the author and spiritual figure. “And here are these business people asking me to teach them. I guess we all have our purpose.” The irony is not lost on Radhanath Swami that he speaks to international financiers but hasn’t had a bank account in 40 years. “I last signed a check in 1969,” said the author and spiritual figure. “And here are these business people asking me to teach them. I guess we all have our purpose.”.
