| While wandering in the forests, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) came upon Sita Rama Baba, ‘the standing baba’. Over sixty years of age, Sita Rama Baba followed extreme vows, far beyond the vow of celibacy. He vowed to always stand on his feet and never sit or lay down. For almost fifty years, he had observed this penance. Along with his begging pot and prayer beads, he carried a rope and a wooden plank that he would hang from a tree branch like a swing. At night, he would lean on this and sleep standing up. |
He immediately treated Richard (now Radhanath Swami) with the love of a father for a son. During Richard’s stay with him, he never saw the Baba eat anything more than a handful of cheap peanuts given to him while begging. Although Richard could not understand his strange vows, still he had attracted Richard’s sincere love and trust. It is said that artificial austerity makes the heart hard. But his heart was soft and filled with humility, compassion, and devotion.
In Sita Rama Baba’s company, a question brewed in Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s mind. Most of the yogis he had encountered meditated on God as an impersonal force while the Baba and others meditated on the Lord as an all-loving person. Rama Sevaka Swami served Lord Rama in such a personal way. Srila Prabhupada, too, expressed such genuine love for Lord Krishna, as an all-attractive person. As a child, Richard had naturally prayed to God in a personal way. One day, Richard enquired of Baba, “Is God ultimately impersonal or a person?” Sita Rama Baba sighed, “How could our Lord have less personality and form than we have? He has everything without limit.” He shook his head, “This misunderstanding breaks my heart.”
Radhanath Swami’s interactions with many holy men have revealed to him that for practitioners of Bhakti Yoga, God’s ultimate existence as impersonal is not only unacceptable, it’s also deeply painful. This is because a bhakti-yogi experiences constant reciprocation from God, and shares a sweet loving relationship with Him.
Radhanath Swami also offers a simple definition of God that is in agreement with all theistic traditions of the world, “God is cause of all causes and source of everything.” Then Radhanath Swami proposes if God is the source of everything that we see in this world, then God Himself should contain the essential attributes of everything, else He would be lesser than His creation. In this world, there exist both persons and impersonal forces, so both these aspects should be present in God. If God were not a person, then He would be incomplete. In other words, the Complete Being would be incomplete, which is totally illogical. Radhanath Swami also presents this logic in a simpler way: if we as the children of God are persons how can our father God not be a person?
I would sometimes wonder if a personality or form of God would restrict God. Radhanath Swami explains God’s form is restricted if we superimpose a material conception of God. For argument’s sake, even if we grant that form limits a thing, does divesting it of form make it unlimited? We may be sitting in a room, which has a form and is limited. If its form were destroyed by say the explosion of a bomb, will the formless debris be limited or unlimited? Therefore Radhanath Swami’s clear thinking reveals that what causes limitation is not form, but matter. Due to its very nature, matter is limited, whether it exists with form or without form. When we conceive of God’s form, we subconsciously project our experiences with matter on the form of God and so think that a form would limit God. Radhanath Swami speaks on the basis of scriptures that, “God is not material; He is entirely spiritual. Spirit has characteristics different from matter ; that which is spiritual has the potential to be all-pervading, irrespective of whether it has form or not.” This presentation of Radhanath Swami convinced me that God can have a form that is spiritual and therefore His form is unlimited. Radhanath Swami thus resolves the confusions, “God is a person with a form, but with an impersonal aspect to his personality as well.”
“Go to India” a sweet but commanding voice; spoke up in the heart of young Richard (later Radhanath Swami) who was immersed in meditation, his search for meaning in life has brought him to the Isle of Crete. Today he was ordered to go to India. Born and raised in the middle class suburbs of Chicago, Radhanath swami grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s era when popular musicians protested war, prejudice and social injustice. Radhanath swami would listen to these songs again and again, but their lyrics referring to God stirred his soul. Peter, Paul and Mary- the folk trio from Greenswich village sang in their debut album
“Early in the morning, about the break of day
I ask the Lord, to help me find my way”
This simple prayer was to guide Radhanath swami in the coming years of his life........
In this age of total impersonalism, this meditation of Radhanath Swami opens our eyes to the real world of loving God as a Person. As Radhanath Swami explains beautifully, due to our coverings and advancement in the materialistic world we have lost faith even in the existence of God, what to speak of accepting Him as a Person. Thank you Radhanath Swami for this wonderful meditation through which we can rebuild our faith in God and render loving service unto His Lotus Feet under your guidance.
Simply Unbelievable!! I never heard such a convincing answer as that to such a controversial question! Radhanath Swami puts all doubts to rest by resolving all such contradictions in the simultaneous personal and impersonal existence of god.
yes because of influence of the matter and upbringing we impose our conception of limited matter onto all powerful god which is beyond our sense perception and thinking process. Maharaj has clarified that God has both the aspects personal and impersonal also. thank you maharaj for clarifying.
wonderful & profound realization shared by Radhanath Swami..
What a wonderful article, thanks for sharing.
Radhanath Swami simplifies the most controversial and complex topic of God being personal or impersonal. Really, we need to hear from saintly persons to understand about God.
This explains that Lord is Personal and not impersonal
thank u maharaj for such lucid explanation!!
Reading this narration helps build stronger faith that indeed God is a person.
Radhanath Swami justified the personality of God very clearly. All glories to Radhanath Swami.
Thank you MAHARAj
From long time I was not getting a very clear idea of this confusion but Now after reading this especially the point that we try to superimpose our material concept of form on Totally spiritual form/aspect of God and then understand and thats why we misunderstand.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
GOD IS PERSONNEL !!!
Simple yet convincing explaination from Radhanath Mahraj about God being personal.
I have never came across so convincing logic on God being as a Person. Radhanath Swami explains it so logically
“God is not material; He is entirely spiritual. Spirit has characteristics different from matter ; that which is spiritual has the potential to be all-pervading, irrespective of whether it has form or not.”
Beautifully explained point by Radhanath swami.
This is a perfect explanation
Amazing experince
This article might help many impersonalist understand god in much better fashion and get such impersonalist much closer to god. Thanks for sharing
thank u
VERY NICE BECAUSE MAN WAS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD SO HE IS WITH FORM AND A PERSON
Very nicely explained – Thanks a lot Maharaj.
This shows how much limited our thinking is and how we try to impose it on god. Thank you maharaj.
Very nice explanation !Thanks Maharaj !
very nice article giving clarification on GOD being personal or impersonal, thank you Maharaj for such a wonderful explanation, haribol, bhakti
GOD is actually a person and has everything without limits, thank you HHRM for such a wonderful explanation, regards, rajesh karia
If we as the children of God are persons how can our father God not be a person?This is a simple question we can ask people who claim that god is impersonal. Thank You Radhanath Swami
I’ve never had any inclinations to enquire about God. but such intriguing articles inspire me to strive to know about God.
So simple. So true. And do deep are the teachings of Radhanath Swami.
Thankyou Radhanath Swami for sharing such an inspirational article
God’s personal features are more attractive to a devotee who can connect with Him in sweet, loving relationship.Maharaj came to a correct understanding regarding Lord’s features as a person. Maharaj”s open-minddness helped him choose the right path of Bhakti.Thanks Maharaj for sharing this conclusion.
Thank you very much for sharing your realizations.
“It is said that artificial austerity makes the heart hard. But his heart was soft and filled with humility, compassion, and devotion.” all glories to Sita Ram Baba…
Radhanath Maharaj explanation on this controversial subject Amazing ….
Radhanath swami gives us right conclusion of vedas, by which we can understand Absolute truth.
Great Article !!