Richard (now Radhanath Swami) now arrived at Patna and got the association of Narayan Prasad and his guru Rama Sevaka Swami. Simplicity and devotion poured from the heart of Rama Sevaka Swami in whatever he did. For hours daily he chanted the Holy Names of Lord Rama and he personally fed Richard with his own hands. While staying with him, one day a sadhu, visiting monk, cooked kichari for all. It was unbearably spicy and caused lot of suffering to Richard while the others were enjoying it.

Richard (now Radhanath Swami) got trapped in a quick sand and as he was drowning, a boat man waved his hand and indicated that he swim forward with the current of Yamuna. There once again he heard the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, the song he had first heard from Mother Ganges at Rishikesh. He finally survived and sat on the river bank. Earlier he had found the sand to be scorching but now the sand was cool and soft. He reflected on how humans are also like this sand. A person influenced by his association or circumstances can either become envious or affectionate. Our company has an effect on our consciousness. Therefore we have to be instruments of kindness by associating with the inherent goodness of all rather than the negativities.

Radhanath Swami Fan Blog – Need for absorption in spiritual life

Radhanath Swami says we have to go deeper in our spiritual lives by connecting to God in the innermost chambers of our heart. He compares the heart to a palace with many rooms. In the centre of this palace of the heart there are private chambers. It is in these regions of the heart- the deep internal recesses- we keep our private life with separate desires. Our challenge therefore as spiritualists is to allow God to enter these chambers or give these chambers to God and allow him to access.

Radhanath Swami Fan Blog – Essence of all religions

Radhanath Swami therefore appeals that instead of bickering over the externals of various religious systems, let us all focus on chanting the holy names of God and serving each other in the mood of being the servant of servant. This way we can transform hatred to love.

Radhanath Swami Fan Blog – Relief from material attachments

Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was carrying quite a few spiritual books with him and was attached to them. He had Bhagavad Gita, Bible, Upanishads, Autobiography of a Yogi, books on Buddhism, one by Shankaracarya, and the Krishna book personally given by Srila Prabhupada. He felt it was a small library in his bag, although the weight of these books impelled him to consider giving away some of these books.

Radhanath Swami Fan Blog – From free samples to paying the price

One day near Connaught Circus in New Delhi, a man stormed at Richard (now Radhanath Swami) and grabbed his neck and cleaned his ear with a lump of earwax. Richard was delighted as he could now hear better than he had in years. However the man had cleaned only one ear and demanded a rupee as the price to clean the other ear.

Radhanath Swami Fan Blog – Society of Cheaters and Cheated

Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was intrigued by an incarnation of Krishna who had apparently descended to earth. This was a thirteen year old Prem Rawat who was worshipped as the incarnation of Lord Rama and Krishna and he was now being addressed as Guru Maharaji. He wore a crown and peacock feather and played a flute like Krishna and also stood in the pose of Krishna.

Radhanath Swami Fan Blog – The Scientific basis of Varnashrama system

While travelling in a train from Haryana, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw an ugly incident of a teenager being beaten by his employer. On enquiry, Richard discovered that because the boy was from a lower caste, he was being discriminated against and was unlikely to get any facility to advance in life. However Richard also discovered that this was a perversion of a scientific system called varnashrama, which teaches that, just as the human body has a head, arms, belly, and legs, and each limb is meant to perform its function for the benefit of the whole body, in the social body, one is taught to accept responsibilities….

Radhanath Swami Fan Blog – Lessons from Bhagavad Gita

Richard (now Radhanath Swami) studied the Bhagavad Gita sitting under the very banyan tree at Kurukshetra where Krishna originally spoke to Arjuna. Richard had read so many spiritual books but nothing so far had struck to him as so highly practical. In the world of dangers, temptations and fear, Richard found immense solace and direction in the immortal words of Lord Krishna. The Gita became Richard’s handbook.

Radhanath Swami Fan Blog – Radhanath Swami at his Poetic Best

Richard (now Radhanath Swami) would often be lonely but used this opportunity to connect to God through prayer and meditation. I liked a prose that Richard wrote in the solitude of this mountain cave.