For no apparent reason, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had an urge to walk from Swayambhunath to Kathmandu. As he walked along the paddy fields, it began to drizzle. He saw a man carrying an umbrella over his head. Richard scurried along in hope of sharing his umbrella. Richard struggled to keep himself under the umbrella and after ten minutes, he offered thanks to the stranger. As their eyes met, both were thunderstruck and their mouths dropped open, and their eyes filled with tears. It was Gary from whom Richard had sadly parted on the isle of Crete. Both agreed that nobody would believe this story of incredible reunion, thousands of miles across, in an isolated rice paddy in Nepal.
Radhanath Swami writes, “We were childhood friends but got separated by destiny, and today that invisible puppeteer had once again pulled us together.”
Later Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw the place where Gary stayed; a little structure where rock and roll music blared, men and women danced seductively, and opium pipes passed abundantly. Richard took Gary aside and pleaded with him to give up this hippie culture, at least while in this land of spirituality. Richard reasoned Gary was doing the same old things in a different setting. Richard then begged Gary to travel with him to holy places and learn the life of a sadhu. Gary agreed and bid goodbye to his friends.
As Richard convinced Gary to abandon the hippie culture, Radhanath Swami too, often says that human beings could do well to abandon lower pleasures and seek real spiritual bliss. He reasons that human life is very rare and a precious gift of God because only humans have been bestowed with the wonderful and fertile intelligence to seek divine enlightenment. Therefore it behooves humans to seek spirituality. Radhanath Swami quotes his guru who repeatedly implored that animals on the other hand are busy with eating, sleeping, mating and defending, and can’t go beyond these basic necessities. If in the human life, our ambitions are restricted to these pleasures, Radhanath Swami’s guru exclaims, “then we are no better than animals.”
Talking about animals I can’t help comparing humans with animals. Compared to animals, humans have no extraordinary external ability; their bodies are soft and vulnerable, they are not particularly fleet-footed and they can do little to camouflage themselves when in danger. And yet humans stand far above all other species. A puny human can tame a massive elephant and encage a ferocious lion. How? Undoubtedly it is the advanced human intelligence. Empowered by their intelligence, humans have subjugated all the lower species. Not only that, humans have also build civilizations, developed cultures, devised languages, written literatures, come up with fine arts, inquired into metaphysics and advanced in science and technology. Strangely enough, in the modern times, by that same intelligence, humans have created weapons of mass destruction, which threaten to wipe out all life on the planet. Furthermore by that same intelligence, humans have developed perverted ideologies, by which they foster animosity and hatred for others of their own species. William James states in The Atlantic, “Man, biologically considered and whatever else he may be, is simply the most formidable of the beasts of prey, and, indeed, the only one that preys systematically on its own species.” This then is the strange irony of the present condition of humanity: the very source of protection for the human race – its advanced intelligence – is threatening to become its cause of destruction.
Radhanath Swami reveals the cause of this degeneration of human intelligence as our preoccupation to improve the four basic necessities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Radhanath Swami further says that human intelligence is meant for a purpose far loftier than searching for better ways of obtaining bodily pleasures. Equipped with their special intelligence, humans are meant to probe into the deepest mysteries of life, and achieve the fullness of a relationship with the Supreme consciousness. Radhanath Swami’s words of wisdom echo in the innermost recesses of my soul, “Only in the human body does the soul have the intelligence to penetrate the superficial world of matter and perceive the spiritual energy within the cosmos. Humans alone can harmonize themselves not only with the cosmic energies, but also with the Supreme Energetic Person, who is the source and the basis of the cosmos.”
Table of Contents
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........
Amazing…every human being who reads this is bound to realize the importance & need of developing spiritual consciousness…thank you radhanath swami maharaj
View CommentWhat Radhanath Swami is saying is correct. Human life is meant for self-realization.
View CommentRadhanath Swami saved so many Garys from drifting away from humanity to animlistic life. Millions of people are indebted to Radhanath Swami for the superhuman compassion he is extending on every one of us.
View Commentradhanath swami is always right,to get a human body is itself a rare gift and if not utilized in the service of the supreme lord then it means to lead a life not less than of an animal,
View CommentHow often do we heed good advice, we would only if it suited us, unfortunately our choices have become so low that we have reached a stage where it doesn’t even registrar in our intelligence. Radhanath Swamis book the Journey Home implores the reader to sit up and make a difference.
View CommentWhile reading the book “The Journey Home” by His Holiness Radhanath Swami, we can clearly see the hand of divine power guiding him. And we always find the author acting with immaculate integrity. In this episode, as a true friend he does his best to help Gary see reason to lead a saintly life. I wish everyone had a friend like him! Then we would never find anyone leading the life like an animal.
View Commentwonderful!!
View CommentThis is very enlightning explanation about the purpose and special prerogative of human life. Thanks for sharing this wonderful meditation.
View CommentHuman beings are really fortunate to have obtained such a rare birth….they should definitely understand the real goal of life & try to pursue it…………thanks swamiji
View CommentThanks for sharing.
View CommentSo true.
View CommentHow stragne it is that most of the human beings although equipped with higher intelligence and are placed high socially, economically, politically, etc. delight in the animalistic activities. Thank you Radhanath Swami Maharaj for the wake up call.
View CommentWonderful thanks for sharing.
View CommentSuch experiences increase our conviction that all events in Radhanath Swami’s life are orchestrated by God, just to glorify him. Such is the way the Lord reciprocates with his special devotees.
View CommentAmazing.
View CommentVery inspiring story.
View Comment“human intelligence is meant for a purpose far loftier than searching for better ways of obtaining bodily pleasures” — wow such a eye-opener.
View CommentIt’s wonderful how the author remembers quotations of Radhanath Swami
View CommentRadhanath Swami advises to lead a life of human being which is the gift of God. All glories to Radhanath Swami.
View CommentRadhanath Swami is a perfect disciple of his Spiritual Master, stressing the importance of precious human life.
View CommentRadhanth Swami has very deep understainding of spirituality.
View CommentScriptures tell us that human birth is rare.Radhanath Swami teaches how to transform ourselves from sophisticated two legged animals into humans.
View CommentThis is so true. After so many lifetimes, we get human life. After finally getting a chance to serve Krishna in this life, we should not squander it behind useless things.
View CommentHuman life is very rare. only in this assocation saintly people like Radhanath Maharaj one can use it properly.
View CommentIts true that “human intelligence is meant for a purpose far loftier than searching for better ways of obtaining bodily pleasures. “
View CommentRadhanath Swami is teaching us that human form of life is meant for improving and not proving.
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami & Gary for wonderful insights
View CommentRadhanath Swami clealry brings out how humans are different from animal brute force.
View CommentI am very much thankful for the inspiration being provided by H.H Radhanath Swami Maharaj.
View CommentHumans have the most refined intelligence, but ironically, get involved in the most heinous of all crimes/sins.
View CommentRadhanath Swami expertly puts his finger at the real malady: Forgetfulness of GOD and involvement in the sole activities of related to the sustenance of the physical body, thinking that to be an end in itself.
Wonderful and very inspiring post
” Human life is very rare and a precious gift of God because only humans have been bestowed with the wonderful and fertile intelligence to seek divine enlightenment. Therefore it behooves humans to seek spirituality.”
View Commentradhanath swami is amazing. what an analysis of humans and animals.
View CommentWe have hearing that human being are very intelligent. But Radhanath mahraj tells us what can be the right use of this intelligence.
View CommentIf a person does not utilize human body to understand the deep mystery of life and come to the stage of self-realization, then its like he is knowingly drinking poison. Thanks Radhanath Swami, for your wonderful words of wisdom
View CommentThank you for sharing this excellent meditation
View CommentI like Maharajah revealing “the degeneration of human intelligence as our preoccupation to improve the four basic necessities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending”.
View CommentReally we humans are as busy as any other animal to improve need of our bodies, and boldly declaring ourselves an human.
Thanks Maharaj !
View Commentunbelievable but true story
View CommentHH Radhanath Swami Maharaj Ki Jai!!
View CommentI attended the recent talk of Radhanath Swami at New Renaissance book store in Portland. He is such an amazing personality that I did not feel like leaving his company. He talked on his book for almost 2 hours and it was with such great compassion that he was speaking that I could feel he really mean and values what he speaks. I could see other folks in the audience also taken aback by Radhanath Swami’s humility and compassion. I would suggest you to not miss any of his talks during his book launch tour in USA. Get more details at radhanathswami.com.
View Commentthank u
View CommentHuman life is a very rare gift of god. Thank you very much Radhanath Swami for making us this understand….
View CommentBorn Free – is not so much for humans,we have been paying a price to be here and if we are not careful,we would continue to pay a price again and again. Radhanath Swami as brought forth the essence of our being.
View CommentThank you Maharaj for shearing this.
View CommentVery Insightful – so nicely explained that human life is a special gift of God – Thanks a lot Maharaj.
View CommentThanks for sharing this wonderful article from radhanath swami’s book
View CommentYes in human form of life we have reasoning power.Therefore we must seek spiritual connection of our body,soul and mind.Thank you Radhanath Swami for giving such a wonderful experience and realization of yours to us.
View CommentThis is so right that we are just running after eating, sleeping. mating and defending which even an animal does….
So what is the difference then?
Thank you Radhanath swami for enlightening us…
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami for giving such a wonderful experience and realization of yours to us.Thank you swamiji.
View CommentEvery one of us who has received this special gift from God in the form of this rare human birth, must make the most of this golden opportunity and utilise it for its intended purpose i.e. self realisation.
View Comment