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Learning lessons from Nature
April 1, 2011  |  radhanath-swami

Radhanath Swami is expert in learning from all. At Kandahar, Radhanath Swami learnt patience from a mongoose; from the hashish addicts, temperance; and from a blind boy, spiritual joy.

Radhanath Swami’s ability to observe the world and learn lessons is very inspiring. This reveals how thoughtful he is and also we get a glimpse of his open mindedness in allowing God to reveal His blessings through different experiences in this world.

He learns and teaches us the example of ocean; if we are full and deep within like the ocean, none of the external forces can disturb us. Radhanath Swami implores us to carefully see the wisdom in water. He says the food grains are born of rain. No rain, no food. No rain, no fortune. Similarly the Holy Name is like water. “Hearing and chanting the glories of Lord are the water that nourishes the dried up heart and allows the seed of love to grow,” reveals Radhanath Swami.

Radhanath Swami also compares modern sophistication that leaves out God to be the trap of a spider. “it’s like a fly that is caught in a spider’s web. Somehow or the other it is entangled, but out of ignorance it thinks that it can get itself out of that situation. The more it moves around to free itself, the more it becomes entangled in the web. The enthusiastic fly moves around, struggling hard to free itself. But after some time we don’t even see the fly; all we see is a little web ball that’s just moving around. The fly is now totally bound and covered.”
Radhanath Swami elaborates on this example by saying that human life is meant for self-realization, not for entangling ourselves like that fly in the spider’s web. The only way a fly can get out is, if somebody comes and takes it off. And for those entangled in ignorance, that help comes from the saintly people.

Radhanath Swami also quotes his spiritual teacher who learnt from a serpent that it is harmless compared to the selfish and envious human being. Radhanath Swami reveals that a serpent bites only if it is threatened and the most it can do is kill only one person at a time. This reaction of the serpent is not out of envy but out of self-protection. It wants to either protect itself or its offspring. “Human beings on the other hand”, says Radhanath Swami, “are building bombs where they can kill millions of people at a time for no reason except to protect their false egos. So who is more dangerous?” questions Radhanath Swami.

Radhanath Swami says human life is a rare opportunity to learn from this world. We shouldn’t be simply thinking of eating, sleeping, sex life or defending ourselves, but rather seek to answer questions to the life’s deepest mysteries. Radhanath Swami reveals interesting examples from nature on living long lives. He points out that there are trees that live for thousands of years; in the Calcutta botanical garden there is a tree that is said to be five thousand years old and in California there are redwood trees, some are said to be seven thousand years old. There are also tortoises and parrots that live over a hundred years old. “The special facility of human life is in its quality, because the human life provides the opportunity to question our existence. There is no other species that has that power to ask who am I? What is the purpose of life? Where am I coming from? Where am I going? Who is God? What is my relationship with God? Why is there suffering? Is there something beyond? All the lower species, be they plants, trees, fish, insects, reptiles, birds, beasts they are simply trying to enjoy the momentary senses , and also trying to create some arrangement for their sustenance.”

This for sure is a hard hitting lesson, and I am reminded of a scriptural statement that says a true saint is expert in cutting the knots of material illusion. Radhanath Swami’s razor sharp intelligence and clarity exposes the hollowness of a life centered on materialistic goals. However he does it through such amazing examples from nature.

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117 Comments


  1. His Holiness Radhanath Swami’s narrations touches our heart and soul. Coming closer to nature means coming closer to Krsna.

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  2. This is brilliant. All Glories to Radhanath Swami.

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  3. thank u for this…

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  4. Radhanath Swami is empowered by God to be a true saint who is expert in cutting the knots of material illusion

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  5. Radhanath Swami is a true leader.

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  6. Amazing article with superb amazing examples. Very much applicable to our lives.

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  7. Radhanath Swami’s razor sharp intelligence and clarity exposes the hollowness of a life centered on materialistic goals.

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  8. Radhanath Swami is empowered by God to be a true saint who is expert in cutting the knots of material illusion.
    Amazing …!!!

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  9. Human life is for seek to answer questions to the life’s deepest mysteries.

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  10. Thanks Radhanath Swami for this !!

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  11. Radhanath swami has learnt so much from all his experiences. However one must know it requires intelligence to know how to learn from all our experiences.

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  12. Thank you Radhanath Swami for teaching us how to learn valuable lessons from our environment.

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  13. Amazing article providing great insights on how we can learn valuable lessons from our surrondings – Thanks a lot Maharaj for the wonderful instructions.

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  14. I fortunate to have a teacher like swamiji , who can expertly reveal the message of the Lord through the amazing as well as common features of the nature.

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  15. Radhanath Swamy’s instruction are straight which touches everyone’s heart.

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  16. Wonderful Article

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  17. Wonderful lesson which we can learn from the nature
    thank you maharaj

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  18. Nice thoughts from the work of Radhanath Swami.

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  19. Siddeshwar Bhat

    Inspiring indeed.

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  20. Thank you very much maharaj for explaining the importance of human life.

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  21. Amazing…thank you very much maharaj.

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  22. ashwini jangam

    Radhanath Swami’s razor sharp intelligence and clarity exposes the hollowness of a life centered on materialistic goals.

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  23. it’s really thought provoking – concept of learning lessons from observation.

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  24. Radhanath swami is greatly concern with nature and our relation to this nature

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  25. Radhanath Maharaj is a ‘Excellent student’ who never left any opportunity to learn from the surroundings. He is a ‘True saint’ who cuts the knots of material illusion. He is a ‘Excellent Guru’ who teaches us how to learn from nature & every situation, with his own example.

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  26. Radhanath swami says ‘Human life is a rare opportunity to learn from this world’….’The special facility of human life is in its quality, because the human life provides the opportunity to question our existence.’…
    …From this we can learn that for us how important this human life is? And we must utilize this opportunity to achieve aim of our life ie. “Going back to Godhead”. Thank you Maharaj for inspiring us at every moment.

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  27. Shreeniwas Chaudhary

    Its a very nice article.Thank you Maharaj

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  28. It requires deep God Consciousness to derive spiritual lessons from the mature. That is why HH RSM is special…

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  29. Radhanath Swami’s ability to observe the world and learn lessons is very inspiring.

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  30. Thank you maharaj for wonderful articles.

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  31. Amazing Realizations !

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  32. Thank you Radhanath Swami for sharing this amazing teaching with us.

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  33. Amazing article.Haribol!Thank you so much,Maharaj.

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  34. VERY VERY well said “selfish and envious human being are more dangerous that a poisonous serpent”

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  35. Radhanath Swami is saint from within and without. Hence he educates people to become like a true saint. He has profuse Love for God and tries to tell everyone how they can achieve that also. Thank You very much Radhanath Swami.

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  36. “it’s like a fly that is caught in a spider’s web. Somehow or the other it is entangled, but out of ignorance it thinks that it can get itself out of that situation. The more it moves around to free itself, the more it becomes entangled in the web. The enthusiastic fly moves around, struggling hard to free itself.
    Very graphical explanation of the truth . thank you very much

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  37. Amazing inspiring thoughts

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  38. Maharaj insists us to think deep down & force us to know about ourself haribol…………

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  39. Truly Radhanath swami has a saint’s vision!!!

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  40. Radhanath swami’s articles touches my heart and soul.
    very inspiring…Thank you maharaj for the wonderful articles.

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  41. Kalpana Kulkarni

    Amazing the way Radhanath Swami learns lessons from seemingly insignificant incidents of daily life. It is an art that he has mastered. Thank you for sharing these lessons with us.

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  42. Thanks to Radhanath swami for coming up with such wonderful lessons from nature.

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  43. THank you very very much for inspiration maharaj.

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  44. “Radhanath Swami’s razor sharp intelligence and clarity exposes the hollowness of a life centered on materialistic goals”- Very striking.

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  45. Very inspiring article. Thanks a lot Maharaj !!

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  46. Very insightful and deep lessons from mother nature. Thank you Maharaj

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  47. thanks you soo much for such a wonderful article..

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  48. Thanks for the nice article. Yes, we should make use of this rare oppoprtunity and see everything as a lesson from God and improve our quality and consciousness

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