| 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.”
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Founder-acharya of the International Society For Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
“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........
sublime understanding with great example of Baba – thank you Radhanath Swami
View CommentAmazing experience with varieties of personaliites and such profound conclusions from the interaction with them. Thank you for Sharing Radhanath Swami Maharaj.
View CommentUnderstanding of personal conception is very profoundly explained here. Thank you very much for sharing.
View CommentThank you very much maharaj,
View CommentHari Hari
View CommentHari bol
View Commentnice article, thanks for posting, bhakti
View CommentHarbol, wonderful article and very nicely explained by BABA to Maharaj about the Lord’s personal existence, regards, rajesh
View Commentwonderful,thank you maharaj
View CommentThanks for sharing the realization of Radhanath Swami on personal aspect of the God.
View Commentvery faith giving article
View CommentThis article is clearly reveals the idintity of god as a person. jai RNS Maharaj ki jai …
View CommentThe question raised by Radhanath Swami is very direct and makes the whole confusion a trivial one – if we as the children of God are persons how can our father God not be a person?
View CommentThere are three levels of understanding God.First is as the spiritual effulgence,second is as all pervading supersoul and third is as a person having the six opulances in full.Radhanath Swami is explaining here how God as a person is the complete understanding of God.
View CommentThanks for sharing such nice realizations.. JAI !!!
View CommentWhat causes limitation is not form, but matter. This is remarkable. Only material form is limited, not spiritual form.
View CommentThanks for the Article.
View CommentIts really simple to understand that God is a Person as explained by Radhanath Swami Maharaj
Nice realisations
View CommentThis has been the question which has always attracted different opinions from the followers.but here Radhanath Swami Maharaj presents the answer to question very lucidly.
“. If God were not a person, then He would be incomplete. In other words, the Complete Being would be incomplete, which is totally illogical”
this argument is very logical to understand the “reality”.
View CommentGOD is indeed a person, and the Swami shows us how it is so.
View Comment“that which is spiritual has the potential to be all-pervading, irrespective of whether it has form or not”
View CommentThanks Maharaj.
“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.”
What an explanation to prove that God is a Person.
View Commentradhanath swami’s search for truth is very inspiring. i especially liked his logic that what causes limitation is not form but matter.
View Commentthank you very much maharaj
View Comment“God is a person with a form, but with an impersonal aspect to his personality as well.This is wonderful definition by Maharaj.
View CommentGod is a person. This statemnt of Radhanath swami is deep and profound
View CommentThis is an absolutely most wonderful meditation by Radhanath Swami. The realisations of Radhanath Swami are beyond this world and so deeply touching the hearts of every one. When we meditate such realisations and follow the foot steps of Radhanath Swami very sincerely and with unflinching faith then there is no doubt that one day we will the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a person face to face.
View CommentThank you maharaj. If we see the God in each and every living creature then only there will be real peace. Thank you very much again.
View CommentIf God were not a person, then He would be incomplete. In other words, the Complete Being would be incomplete, which is totally illogical.This is a powerful statement by which we can convince anyone that lord has a beautiful form.Thank you very much swamiji.
View CommentVery wonderful insights in life of HH Radhanath Swami.
View Commentradhanath swami’s realizations are very much acceptable without any doubt since his entire life he practiced austerity with all the available purity and faith in his guru and god,
View CommentWonderful article!
View Commentvery nice article.
View CommentThank you for this nice explanation1
View CommentUnderstanding that God has a personal feature is not digestible for many, but this article is a real eye opener for them……
View CommentKrishna is personally showing the way to Radhanath Swami
View CommentThank you H.H Radhnath Swami Maharaj for clearing my confusion.
View CommentRadhanath Swami explains God’s form is restricted if we superimpose a material conception of God
View CommentRadhanath Swami has nicley convinced about the personal form and removed doubts of impersonal conception. Thank you!!!
View CommentIf only all the misled impersonalists could realise how they are missing out on their personal relationship with the Lord, how they are missing out the opportunity to serve the Lord in different rasas.
View CommentVery inspiring relisation by Radhanath Swami
View CommentVery simple and good explanation.
View Commentwonderful,thank you
View CommentPure Devotee s like Radhaanth swami has personal relation with GOD
View Commentwhat causes limitation is not form, but matter. Due to its very nature, matter is limited, whether it exists with form or without form. “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 is a very wonderful understanding about spirit and matter. thank you for resolving this paradox
View CommentIt is a very inspiring statement to understand the personal aspect of God.
View Commentbrilliant article
View CommentHaribol, Radhanath Swami has obviously met with some very interesting and wonderful souls along his journey.
View CommentHow terrible it would be if God were not a person!!
View Comment” if we as the children of God are persons how can our father God not be a person?” such a simple but profound truth.
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