Radhanath Swami's Blog, page 20

Bhakti Immersion Retreat with Radhanath Swami & Guest Teachers: January 24th – 30th, 2016

Visit Holy India and spend time with renowned teacher and spiritual activist Radhanath Swami. From January 24-30 spend a life changing week at the Govardhan Eco Village for the inaugural Bhakti Immersion Festival diving deep into the essence of India’s Yoga traditions, with Radhanath Swami and a host of wonderful teachers and artists including kirtan musicians Gaura Vani and Vishvambhar Sheth, master yoga instructors Raghunatha Cappo & Gopi Kinnicutt, Dhanya and Virabadha teaching Ayurveda and marma therapy and Kaustubha Das teaching yoga philosophy. The week culminates with the epic Flower Festival in Mumbai. Let your heart rejoice as two tons of flowers are showered on the singing and dancing crowd at the Radha Gopinath Temple, an oasis in the heart of Mumbai.

Important: Availability to attend the Bhakti Immersion is not open on it’s own. In order to attend, one must register for one of four other extended programs, two of which are extended pilgrimages to other holy sites in India and two of which are yoga teacher trainings.




To learn more about how you could take part, visit the links below:

The Bhakti Center’s India Through the Eyes of the Soul
Led by Virabhadra Rama & Dhyana

January 23 – February 8, 2016
GOVARDHAN ECO VILLAGE / MUMBAI / RISHIKESH / VRINDAVAN

All proceeds are donated to the Bhakti Center.

http://bhakticenter.org/india-pilgrimage-2016/

India Pilgrimage with Gauravani & Visvambar
January 23 – February 7, 2016
GOVARDHAN ECO VILLAGE / MUMBAI /PANDHAPUR (home of poet saint Tukaram) / Nasik

http://www.bhaktiyogaretreats.com

Supersoul 500-hour Advanced Yoga Certification
with Raghunath & Brij Cappo & special Guests
January 8 – January 30, 2016

http://www.supersoulyoga.com/500hour/

Bhakti Yoga Teacher Training with Gopi Kinnicutt
January 14- January 30th, 2016

https://sambandha.wordpress.com/teacher-training/module-breakdown/

Radhanath Swami Attends United Nations Church Center Service

On September 24th, 2015, Radhanath Swami was invited to a special service at the United Nations Church Center in New York City. This event was to mark the involvement of faith leaders in helping to realise the goals of the United Nations and World Bank over the next 15 years.

The new set of 15 year goals for the UN are known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A total of 18 goals, they aim to address global issues ranging from gender equality, eduction, and climate change. Separately, over the next 15 years the World Bank aims to eliminate extreme poverty in the world.

The intimate gathering at the UN Church Center brought together UN and World Bank officials, the heads of large non-profit organisations, and international religious leaders. During the event people spoke about the challenges the world faces, the commendable actions of the UN and World Bank to help address these, and the importance of working with religious communities.

Radhanath Swami Speaks at the Theosophical Society Headquarters

The Theosophical Society in America encourages open-minded inquiry into the world religions, philosophy, science, and the arts in order to understand the wisdom of the ages, respect the unity of all life, and help people explore spiritual self-transformation. Radhanath Swami was invited by the Theosophical Society to share his wisdom and message at the National Headquarters in Wheaton, Illinois on October 1, 2015. In front of an audience of seventy-five, Radhanath Swami discussed unleashing the power of the soul. His message was well received and, according to the society members, he attracted the largest crowd in the history of the Thursday talks.

Radhanath Swami opened by emphasizing the value of each moment and the power of time. He explained the nature of time is so mystical that even though we cannot directly experience it with our five senses, it is in the process of extinguishing the sun, evaporating every ocean, and pulverizing every planet. Unlike humans, bribes cannot corrupt it, beauty cannot seduce it, and greatest military with the mightiest arsenal cannot stop its progress, even for a moment.

He quoted a verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam – “Whoever we are, whatever we have, with every rising and setting of the sun, we are one day closer to death. But those who utilize their time for higher spiritual purpose, with every rising and setting of sun, we are one day closer to the eternal life”. He emphasized the need to ask: who am I? He stressed that unless we know who we really are, we cannot understand our true relationship with each other, with the environment, and with God.

Radhanath Swami provided an answer to this basic question by stating: “We are all the eternal force, known in Sanskrit as atma (soul). This force is eternal, full of knowledge and happiness. Atma is actually who is seeing through our eyes, hearing through our ears, tasting through our tongues, thinking through our brains and loving through our hearts. The nature of the soul is pleasure-seeking. Whether it’s a little ant crawling on our kitchen counter or a CEO of a big corporation, everyone is looking for pleasure and everyone has a relative way of finding that pleasure. Things can give some pleasure to the body, mind and senses, but only love can give fulfillment to the heart. To give love and to receive love is the most fundamental need of every living entity.”

Radhanath Swami further explained that the entirety of creation is built on the principle of duality: “Honor-dishonor, success-failure, victory-defeat, pleasure-pain, birth-death – like the two sides of a coin, heads cannot be separated from tails. If we are attached to honor, destiny will eventually flip us onto the side of dishonor; if we are too attached to success, it will eventually flip us onto the side of failure. When destiny flips, we will be caused as much pain as we were given pleasure.  Despite this pleasure-pain dynamic, people are naturally pleasure-seekers. Without finding the pleasure within ourselves, we invariably become dependent on the pleasures derived from the dualities and becomes vulnerable to stress, frustration and depression.”

He quoted a verse from the Bhagavad Gita that provides a method to transcend these dualities. He explained that we rise above the dualities only when we experience something higher and deeper. Then we can reconnect to our soul’s blissful loving nature. The origin of that love is the love between the soul and the Supersoul (i.e the soul and God).

The talk had a visible impact on a large portion of the audience. The event ended with audience members having an opportunity to personally meet Radhanath Swami and for book signing. A few members shared their appreciation, views and experiences after his talk.

“It was a great honor to have Swami Radhanath speak at the Theosophical Society. His peaceful and loving presence was felt by all those who attended the program. The heartfelt teachings that he generously shared were not just theoretical concepts and knowledge acquired from study of scriptures, but the insights and direct experiences of a man who is the living embodiment of those spiritual ideals.” John Cianciosi, Director of Public programs at the Theosophical Society in America, Wheaton, Illinois

“I found him to be very enlightening and delightful but most of all I appreciated that he was so down to earth and for a lack of better words – he practiced what he preached! I actually went on YouTube the next morning and listened to one of his meditations and I was so moved that I cried!”  Anna Christina Nelson-Park District Manager, Illinois

“I went to School with Swami and I am meeting him, my classmate after 45 years. I really enjoyed his talk and being around him. His peaceful presence was deeply felt.” Robert Chesrow, Photographer and Reiki Master, Self-employed, Deerfield, Illinois.

 

Sharad Purnima Festival

Sharad Purnima Festival

On October 27, 2015 Radhanath Swami celebrated Sharad Purnima with two thousand devotees at the Radha Gopinath Temple in Mumbai. Sharad Purnima is the first day of the holy month of Kartik, the full-moon night when Krishna danced with His beloved devotees, the gopis, in the forest of Vrindavan.

Radhanath Swami’s talk, the kirtan, and the beautifully decorated altar that resembled a grove of Vrindavan made the ambience spiritually enchanting.

Below is an excerpt from Radhanath Swami’s talk.

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Today is Sharad Purnima. In Vrindavan it is one of the most special of all festivals. 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sukadev Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Raghunath Das Goswami, these are some of the greatest renunciates in the history of this world. Sukadev Goswami, he did not even differentiate between one sex and another, or between one race and another; he was only seeing the atma, the spirit soul everywhere. He glorified this Rasalila as the deepest, highest level of ecstatic realization and love without comparison. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exclaimed that of all forms of purity and love, nothing is equal to that of the gopis of Vrindavan. Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami were billionaires with great power, beauty, and strength, and they left everything at the peak of their youth to live as goswamis under trees, begging for some chickpeas or wheat flour, sleeping on the ground. And through their writings and teachings they glorified this Rasalila, the love of the gopis and Krishna, to be the purest and highest level of spiritual ecstasy. 

On this night, which is considered the most beautiful night of the whole year, in the enchanting forest of Vrindavan, Krishna wanted to fulfill the gopi’s desire and fulfill his own desire to give the highest pleasure to his devotees. By his own sweet will the yogamaya potency created such an enticing atmosphere: the full moon rose from the eastern horizon. Because Krishna appeared within the dynasty of Chandra (the moon), so Chandra manifested a beauty like never ever before. As the moon rose, it filled the entire sky with reddish colors; all the flowers of Vrindavan began to blossom. In this spiritually intoxicating, enchanting environment, Krishna stood in his threefold bending form under the Vamsi Vata tree on the bank of Yamuna. He played upon his flute, and the innermost ecstasies of his love emerged from his heart into his breath, through the holes of the flute. It was Krishna’s love that took the form of music and it filled Vrindavan. 

When the gopis heard Krishna’s flute, they heard Krishna calling them to give him pleasure, to give him happiness. The gopis didn’t want to enjoy; they wanted to be enjoyed by Krishna. They went deep into the forest in the moonlight and there at Vamsi Vata they approached Krishna, and as they looked upon the beautiful form of Govinda, they took that form into the core of their hearts and embraced him for his pleasure. 

Krishna said, “You have left everything of the world behind just to come to please me. I am very satisfied. You have fulfilled your purpose, so now you could go home. After all, you have your duties to your families.” The gopis replied, “Why are you speaking so cruelly? Don’t you know that we’ve given up everything only for you, those things that are most precious, most dear to everyone? We have left it all without a second thought only to please you, only to serve you. Please do not send us back. You’re talking about faithfulness to society, family, friendship and love. We agree with all those things, but the only reason anyone is lovable is because you are supremely lovable. You are within everyone’s hearts. The only attractive thing about anyone is because they are part and parcel of you. If you leave the heart of anyone, there is nothing left but a dead corpse. So ultimately you are the only husband for everyone. Everyone is female, you are the only male. And you are the only supreme lovable object. So, when we love you, we are expressing our deepest, highest, fullest love for everyone.” 

Krishna satisfied the gopis by walking with them along the banks of the Yamuna. Krishna was joking with them, he was singing with them, he was speaking with them, and he was making so many gestures of pure love with them. The gopis were considering themselves so fortunate: “We are the most fortunate in all of creation. On this beautiful moonlit night, in the forests of Vrindavan, on the banks of Yamuna, to be with Krishna! Krishna is speaking to me! He is glancing upon me! He is touching me! Such blessings!” The gopis loved Krishna, they gave everything for Krishna, but they were thinking themselves more fortunate than all others.

Krishna performs one activity and fulfills many purposes and gives many lessons. 

Shukadev Goswami describes one of these lessons in the Srimad Bhagavatam: Krishna saw that there was pride in the gopis; it was pure spiritual pride, but for our sake he wanted to teach them a lesson. So he suddenly disappeared. Gopis were looking everywhere, crying. They began to chant Krishna’s names and went into the forest. They were mad in their enthusiasm to find Krishna. As they were going through the forest, they found Krishna’s footprints, and began following those footprints. And further ahead they discovered two sets of footprints. They were speaking among themselves, “There is another gopi and that gopi, her love, her worship, her service to Krishna is unparalleled, it is supreme. Krishna left all of us to be with this one gopi.” And then they were examining these footprints carefully. “Who is this gopi? This gopi is Srimati Radharani. Krishna left all other gopis only for Sri Radha….. 

And here we find only one set of footprints. That means Krishna must have been carrying this gopi because she was tired. And here we find only half set of Krishna’s footprints; he was reaching out to get flowers from trees just to decorate this gopi. And here we see they have sat together in the dust of Vrindavan; Krishna is decorating her hair with the flowers that he picked.” Then again they saw only one set of footprints. “Krishna traced pride in her heart and he left her just like he left us.” As they walked deeper into the forest, they found Srimati Radharani. They shared Srimati Radharani’s separation and Srimati Radharani shared their separation. 

With one heart, with one voice they were praising Krishna, the Gopi Gita, beautiful prayers of love in separation. At the culmination of their loving separation, Srimati Radharani and the gopis performed kirtan together and Krishna appeared. 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu comes in the mood of Sri Radha to teach us how to actually connect with Krishna in the mood of gopis. In the line of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, this Sankirtan, if we understand it properly, it is not just something musical, it is actually the means by which the gopis of Vrindavan captured Krishna’s heart. 

The gopis made a nice setting on the bank of Yamuna, and they all sat around Krishna. They asked Krishna, “Some people are affectionate to those who are affectionate to them. Others are affectionate even to people who neglect them or are inimical to them. And other people are unaffectionate to anybody. So Krishna can you explain this for us?” Obviously, they were trying to teach Krishna a little lesson. 

Krishna said, “Those who are affectionate only to those who reciprocate with them with affection are like merchants; their love is not real. Those who are affectionate even to a person who is inimical or neglectful to them, they are actually affectionate. They are saintly people. And there are two types of people who don’t show affection for anyone: one is the atma-rama, great sage, who’s just aloof from all of these dualities of material existence, and the other is a person who is the lowest among people, who is simply ungrateful; they are receiving so much, but they are ungrateful for that. But please understand gopis, I am not like that. I only appeared to neglect you when I left you to increase the ecstasies of your love for me. Just like a person who is poor and who gets a great wealth of money, if that person then loses all that money, 24 hours a day all they could do is think of that money. Similarly, when I show my mercy, I attract the hearts of my devotees. And then when I appear to neglect the devotee by leaving them in separation, I do so only to increase their love, only to increase their attachment in their ecstasies of prema. When I left you, I was with you, I was seeing you.” And Krishna apologized. He said, “You gave up your homes, you gave up your safety, you gave up your reputations, you gave up everything in your lives only for me, and even in the entire lifetime of Brahma, I cannot repay you. I have no power to repay you. So please just be satisfied with the love that you have.” 

All of the gopis danced with Krishna and each gopi felt that Krishna was only with her. This night Sharad Poornima, Krishna extended it to an entire night of Brahma; that’s how long the gopis and Krishna danced together in the forest.

 

Radhanath Swami Visits Vilnius, Lithuania

On the 30th of July, 2015 at a prestigious new concert hall built recently in the very heart of downtown Vilnius, Radhanath Swami shared stories from his autobiography “The Journey Home”. The luxurious hall provided a perfect venue for an evening of spiritual wisdom, where Radhanth Swami shared experiences from his journey from suburbs of Chicago to mystical India.

Radhanath Swami was joined on stage by popular Lithuanian musician and songwriter Amberlife (Edgaras Lubys) who performed live. Amberlife’s fan base has also reached Latvia, Russia and Scandinavia; and he has also recently worked with Steven Tyler from Aerosmith and the Backstreet Boys.

Approximately 2000 people purchased tickets to attend this evening of stories and music, with 500 of them purchasing books. The event received substantial media attention, being broadcast on TV and featured in major publications.

The event was also attended by the famous Lithuanian Žydrūnas Savickas, powerlifter and professional strongman, who has won the world’s strongest man title seven times and has set new world records.

You can see a gallery of photos from the event as well as a video of the evening below.

Radhanath Swami to Take Part in Kindle LitFestX

Radhanath Swami has been invited to take part in the Kindle LitFestX, a 10 day virtual festival that will leverage digital platforms including YouTube Live, Google Hangout, Facebook, and Twitter to offer an interactive experience for readers and authors including book readings and virtual book launches. Radhanath Swami will be online on October 24 from 5:00–5:30pm Indian Standard Time.

The focus of the event is to encourage and inspire readers and non readers across geographies to read, discuss & debate on a common platform. Other authors taking part include Ashwin Sanghi, Rajdeep Sardesai, Raghav Bahl, Dr. R A Mashelkar and Deepa Prahaladhave.

The Need for Daily Spiritual Nourishment

In order for a person to do their work in this world you have to eat, otherwise you will be weak and not be able to do anything. Food is nourishment for this physical body. Emotionally, for people to be strong, they need to feel appreciated and encouraged – it gives us emotional strength to carry on. Spiritually, we also have to be strong. The food grains that give strength spiritually to maintain that sincere and devoted disposition while we are trying to do the needful in this world is our sadhana (spiritual practice).

Hearing the discourses, reading from spiritual books, chanting God’s names, performing puja, these are spiritual activities and if they are done with right intent they will give us a spiritual strength that is beyond our own. Our sadhana is to access a grace, mercy beyond ourselves to empower us.

Just as if we don’t eat one day and then come to eat one month later we will not last. If you want to do your work you have to eat everyday. So our spiritual nourishment is not that I will eat just once a week on Sunday, you are not going to be spiritual strong that way. Everyday, a certain time of day should be set aside to focus on our spiritual needs and that will keep our sincerity and purpose very centered. Then, even if the mind or the environment may distract us from time to time, we will have the strength to bring it back. When lust, envy, anger, pride, illusion or greed attack, if we are spiritually strong we will be able to deal with it, by taking shelter of something higher.

When you are hungry for something you can digest it. If you have just eaten a nutritious meal and someone offers you a sweet, you can’t eat it as you are full, and even if you did eat it you can’t digest it properly. Hunger is required for good digestion. Similarly, in order to digest the grace of God, you have to be hungry for it. I want that sincerity in this ever changing world and mind. Because you want and need it, you can pursue it, and when you pursue it you can digest it and be nourished by it and become empowered by it. – Radhanath Swami

Three Basic Views of the World

There are three basic views of the world we live in. One is the very materialistic view wherein people see this world as the only real reality. Another is that world is an entirely an illusion, and the third is the best of view, that the world is the scared property of God. It is real but it is temporary in its manifestations.

Now the conception that the world is the only true reality leaves one with the consciousness that it really doesn’t matter what we do as long as we get what we want. If we hurt people, if we trample on moral values, ethical principles, if we get money, fame, power, sensual and emotional pleasures, its all justified because as that saying goes, “eat drink and be merry because tomorrow may never come”. When we believe that this world is the only reality then even our so called moral principles are built on a very weak foundation because when temptation and fear come, why not break our moral and ethical values if I can get something better. Then we become victimized by greed, envy, lust, anger, arrogance and illusion. We see it so prevalent in the world today. This conception that if it feels good now it doesn’t really matter what else. What matters is me. So much is based upon what makes me happy, what can I acquire what I can call “mine”. In other words, its a world that is so much conquered by this tendency of selfishness and egoism, and so much of that is born from the conception that the world is the only reality.

Another conception is that the whole world is nothing but an illusion. It doesn’t actually even exist. The truth is real but the whole world is an illusion. For those who are thinking like this it is a good impetus for liberation after death because if the world is an illusion it doesn’t matter if we live or die, what matters is that somehow or other we get out of it as soon as possible. Now the environmental and ecological conditions of the world today is extremely precarious. This philosophy that this world is an illusion, if we see all these environmental issues happening, who cares. It doesn’t exist. Let everyone pollute the rivers and air because this world is an illusion. Our impetus is to just get out of this crazy contaminated condemned world and what we really leave behind doesn’t really matter because this world is an illusion. Where is the call for action within the world we live. The call of action is only to get out.

But then we have the Vaisnava philosopy of Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vallabhacarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacharya, all these great souls taught. They taught om purnam adah purnam idam according to Sri Isopanisad. The Absolute Truth is the source of everything that exists. It is perfect and compete and everything eminating from the Absolute Truth is all perfect and complete. The material world and the spiritual world – everything is coming from Krishna. Sarvaloka mahesvaram, Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita, this whole world is God’s property. If we see it in this way we are free from that greed, envy, lust and anger because we understand I am not the proprietor, I am the caretaker. If we see someone else doing well we celebrate their good fortune because we understand we are all brothers and sisters, we are all spirit souls, children of God. We are not envious. Exploitation is the symptom of the disease of the selfish egoistic heart. Compassion is the symptom of a person who has actually found inner fulfillment within their hearts.

So this is so important for the world to understand today – that we must build our lives and relationships with other living beings, humans and other species of life, with Mother Earth and the environment on the principle that everything is sacred.

Maya means the energy of God and maya is categorized in two ways: mahamaya and yogamaya. It’s the same energy. This whole material world is God’s energy. All the manifestations within this energy are under the influence of time and therefore are temporary and under the three modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. The spiritual energy is sat-cit-ananda, eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. But what is the difference between these energies? It really is under the basis of our perception. If we see this world as God’s energy, as Krishna’s property then we are seeing it in its true spiritual nature. But if we don’t see it in relationship to God then we see it as” this is mine, this is yours”. This results in so much conflict. But true religion is meant to unite people not divide people. These religions are all manifestations of God’s grace on humanity to come to this earth to give us an understanding how we are all children of God. Wherever there is life there is a sacred child of God. Everything is the property of God and we are meant to be a family to utilize it properly.

This conception understands that everything in this world is meant to be used for the purpose of seva, or unselfish service. It is our sacred duty to God to honor and respect everything in this world as his sacred property and to use it in a spirit of service. If you own a business, own a house, have a family, have wealth, property, it’s all the property of God and used in harmony with God’s will which is to keep it all very very pure as far as possible. So in order to engineer a better world it has to begin by engineering a proper preceptive and realization of the world. Engineering our own inner consciousness to the degree we actually understand the beauty and the love and the greatness of Krishna, to that degree we will actually love Krishna and we will see everything in this world as a beautiful opportunity to serve Krishna and to elevate people’s lives and consciousness. – Radhanath Swami

Tulasi Gabbard slide

Artha Forum – Silicon Valley Event with Radhanath Swami & Tulsi Gabbard

On September 26th, 2015 Radhanath Swami joined Democratic Congresswoman and Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Tulsi Gabbard for a discussion on “Leadership Sutras from the Bhagavad-gita”, organized by Artha Forum, a community dedicated to provide healthy work-life balance and business ethics based on spiritual principles. For Silicon Valley leaders, it was a unique combination of a spiritual and political leader coming together to discuss relevant issues.

Over 50 tech-entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders converged at the home of  Silicon tech-entrepreneur Sushant and Namrata Patnaik in Saratoga, California. Guests included SutiSoft CEO Damodar Reddy, Janine Firpo of the Bill & Mellinda Gates Foundation, SAGE founder Chandra Reddy and SanDisk’s Sanjay Mehrotra.

Congresswoman Gabbard eloquently spoke how true victory is above material success and failures. “We follow and dedicate our lives in loving service of Krishna, that is the true winning. It doesn’t matter what the external result is. That’s when the Lord gives us real wisdom, strength and courage.”

She spoke of her arduous experiences while training as an Officer at the Alabama Military Academy where she would have to chant her daily rounds of japa (a devotional practice of meditating on the Maha Mantra) at 4:30am in spite of a lack of private space. “It is about realizing that Krishna is sitting in our hearts and waiting for us to turn back to him. When we do that, we find real peace and happiness.”

Congresswoman Gabbard’s talk was followed by a keynote address by Radhanath Swami. He explained that Bhagavad-gita defines wisdom as the ability to see all living beings with equal vision. True wisdom is not how many degrees we have or how much data is stored in our brains.

Echoing Congresswoman Gabbard, he elucidated that when we understand our real position as children of God – whatever race, caste, species, etc, we understand the sacredness of our own life. “We understand that real victory and happiness is not based on doing something, or getting some result, but rather is based on our sense of purpose.” He cited examples from Ramayana about the selfless service of Jatayu and Hanuman.

Radhanath Swami fondly recalled memories of his visit to the Redwood Forest, explaining how the roots of these gigantic trees are not so deep, but are intertwined with the roots of their neighboring trees, almost like holding hands. “The roots for humans are their hearts. Love is about being unselfish.

He concluded with the saying – “If you lose your wealth you lose nothing, if you lose health you lose something, but if you lose your character you lose everything.”

The talk was followed by an interactive session with Radhanath Swami and Congresswoman Gabbard.