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One man’s food is another’s poison
April 18, 2011  |  radhanath-swami

On entering India, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) travelled from Firozpur to old Delhi. He unwittingly succumbed to a bhang drink, an intoxicating beverage. Still reeling under its effect, Richard realized a snake charmer had wrapped a monstrous twelve feet long and three inches thick serpent around his hips. The serpent’s face was only inches from Richard’s and he could practically feel and smell its breath. Richard’s heart pounded and his limbs trembled as the snake tightened its grip. The snake charmer demanded money and Richard didn’t have any. Richard desperately prayed and felt inner peace. Finally a sympathetic man bargained with the snake charmer and got Richard released.

This was a culture shock for Richard. Never before had he seen such a spectacle as he witnessed in India. Never before had he seen monkeys frolicking freely. The teeming crowd of millions was a never before witnessed sight for Richard. Curious to experience the food and customs of India, he unknowingly ate a red-hot chilli pepper; this was the first one Richard had ever seen or tasted. The other Indians however ate as if it was a red candy; they had no expression on their faces. Richard realized ‘one man’s food is another man’s poison.’ Radhanath Swami writes that the world is so relative; what is enjoyed by one person creates suffering for another.

Radhanath Swami has beautifully elucidated the relative nature of this world in his teachings. He offers an interesting analysis. For example if you ask a dentist, “How’s business” and he replies, “Fantastic”, what do you conclude? His prosperity is dependent on other’s dental problems. The dental problem is then called as a relative problem of this world because it isn’t a problem for all. For the dentist, dental problems in society are a blessing in disguise. Are rains problem or a boon? For an umbrella seller, rains are a benediction and he wishes it rains the whole year. A vegetable producer or a farmer could be miserable if the rains shower the whole year; his produce is then negatively affected. What about corruption, over population, unemployment and a plethora of other issues plaguing the Nation? Are they real problems affecting all or are they relative problems.

 

Radhanath Swami once spoke about an interview he read of a multi-millionaire industrialist from Mumbai who was asked what his heart’s deepest desire was. He wished to go to a remote village in the Northern India and relax amidst Nature and a life of minimum necessities. Radhanath Swami then asked us, “If you ask a simple villager living there what his heart-felt desire was what would be his reply?” Radhanath Swami himself answered, “I reasonably assume he would wish to make it big in Mumbai. Both men would seek to trade places for the grass is greener on the other side!!”

 

That’s material world for you, says Radhanath Swami. On hearing Radhanath Swami’s explanation I recall an anecdote I read in school of Emperor Darius, the king of Persia. Once, he summoned the Greeks who happened to be present at his court, and asked them what they would take to eat the dead bodies of their fathers. They replied that they would not do it for any money in the world. Later, in the presence of the Greeks, and through an interpreter, so that they could understand what was said, he asked some members of the tribe called Callatiae, who do in fact eat their parents’ dead bodies, what they would take to burn them. They uttered a cry of horror and forbade him to mention such a dreadful thing. That’s how cultures could be different!

 

 

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111 Comments

  1. Seema
    April 21, 2011 at 11:23 pm

    Other than – Birth, Old Age, disease and death – there are no problems that are common to all. Therefore these are the only real problems in this world as rightly stated in Bhagavad Gita. All others are relative problems, which arise out of our interest in ourselves.

    H.H.Radhanath Swami is realizing this as he progresses through his experiences.

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  2. suresh k
    April 22, 2011 at 12:12 am

    wonderful article by radhanath swami, a valuable insight,

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  3. radhasangi devi dasi
    April 22, 2011 at 2:20 am

    Beautifully explained by Radhanath Maharaj

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  4. Amit Kumar
    April 22, 2011 at 2:29 am

    It’s so nice to hear Maharaj’s experiences as he traveled through the different parts of world.

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  5. mona
    April 22, 2011 at 2:53 am

    so wonderfully Maharaj has explained !

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  6. sunit paleja
    April 22, 2011 at 4:53 am

    very nice article

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  7. Vinay Rachh
    April 22, 2011 at 5:09 am

    Very touching story

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  8. Narendra kumar yadav
    April 22, 2011 at 5:12 am

    Hari Bol,

    I like maharaj very much because he listen to inner voice. many of us listen but not follow.

    Hare Krishna.

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  9. Ravi
    April 22, 2011 at 8:02 am

    Thanks Swamiji for sharing your realisations with us

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  10. Tapan Sinha
    April 22, 2011 at 9:53 am

    This world is a place of duality, only by devotional service to the Lord can we face the dualities

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  11. Vidya Patham
    April 22, 2011 at 10:22 am

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful article by Radhanath Swami.

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  12. Rakesh Chandra
    April 22, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    This is very practicle example given by Maharaj and very ubderstandable. Jai Gurudev!!!

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  13. Manish Advani
    April 22, 2011 at 9:19 pm

    Radhanath Swami has explained a point with a logic which anyone can understand

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  14. Meera Sharma
    April 22, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    If we always remember this world is relative, we can be happy even in this life.

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  15. Ravi
    April 23, 2011 at 1:31 am

    The examples of dentist & umbrella seller are quite appropriate & makes subject very clear….thanks for such a beautiful article

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  16. Ramya
    April 23, 2011 at 2:34 am

    Radhanath Swami Maharaj shows how everything in this world is relative

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  17. Vinay Rachh
    April 23, 2011 at 3:31 am

    powerful story

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  18. Naveen
    April 23, 2011 at 4:01 am

    Thank you Radhanath Swami for such an eye opener, indeed everything in this world is relative as long as we are behind the temporary happiness.

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  19. Abhijit Toley
    April 23, 2011 at 5:36 am

    Quite a shocking incident! Radhanath Swami is so special that he tolerates all this in his search for the Absolute Truth.

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  20. Chiranjeev M Churi
    April 23, 2011 at 6:06 am

    This material world is full of duality and Radhanath Swami has perfectly explained in this entry.Thank you Maharaj for cautioning me at right time.

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  21. Pramathesh
    April 24, 2011 at 6:30 am

    nice article. Explains how much attention we should give to some of the problems of this world

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  22. Vinay Rachh
    April 24, 2011 at 8:43 am

    Lot of lessons to be learnt

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  23. Amol Kulkarni
    April 24, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    Thank you so much Radhanath Swamiji

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  24. Ganesh Gavali
    April 24, 2011 at 7:38 pm

    Wonderful article.Thank you so much Maharaj.

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  25. Karthik
    April 25, 2011 at 12:07 am

    Thank you so much, very important to always remember the duality of this material world.

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  26. Nisha Kanchan
    April 25, 2011 at 12:29 am

    Thank you Radhanath Maharaj!!!!!

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  27. sachin.rnsm
    April 25, 2011 at 1:45 am

    jai hh radhanath swami maharaj ki jai

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  28. Swapnil Gaonkar
    April 25, 2011 at 4:01 am

    Nicely explained. Thank you Radhanath Swami

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  29. sandeep
    April 25, 2011 at 4:16 am

    wonderfull maharaj. Your teachings are wonderful

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  30. Aishwarya
    April 25, 2011 at 4:17 am

    Such a relative world!!!

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  31. Ravi
    April 25, 2011 at 6:12 am

    Thanks for sharing with us this very nice article…..

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  32. Abhijit Toley
    April 25, 2011 at 6:24 am

    Radhanath Swami’s insights are very interesting and penetrating.

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  33. Kajal Gandhi
    April 25, 2011 at 6:35 am

    Profound…!

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  34. Dr R K Mewada
    April 25, 2011 at 6:36 am

    Maharaj has given perfect example. In this material world, everything is on relative basis. We enjoy some facilities at the cost of something. That is the reason, we must seek absolute truth. Thank you Maharaj for wonderful teachings.

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  35. Uday
    April 25, 2011 at 6:58 am

    Radhanath Swami is teaching us to learn a lesson from even a seemingly insignificant incidents in our life.

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  36. Jitendra
    April 26, 2011 at 5:28 am

    Except for Absolute Truth all other truths are relative. So nicely explained by Radhanath Maharaj.

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  37. bhakti karia
    April 26, 2011 at 8:16 am

    very inspiring article and very well quoted, haribol, bhakti

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  38. rajesh karia
    April 26, 2011 at 8:17 am

    very truly said ” what is enjoyed by other person creates suffering for the other ” – HHHRNSM, Haribol, rajesh karia

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  39. Yogita Jagannathan
    April 27, 2011 at 12:06 am

    When I too read about this in Radhanath Swami’s book The Journey Home – I was thinking about his experience and how he tries to learn something good from each and every experience.

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  40. Ydas
    April 27, 2011 at 10:42 am

    Radhanath Swami has this very great quality of being sensitive and I guess it comes from his deep understanding of how one man’s food is poison for another

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  41. Dr Pariksha
    April 28, 2011 at 6:31 am

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful article by Radhanath Swami.

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  42. Swapnil Gaonkar
    April 28, 2011 at 9:25 am

    Very true. Thanks Radhanath Swami

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  43. Vibhu Goel
    April 29, 2011 at 5:02 am

    Great souls like Radhanath Swami Maharaj are beyond the clutches of illusion and therefore by their words we can understand the relative nature of this Material world.

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  44. umesh
    April 29, 2011 at 6:53 am

    thanks for this beautiful meditation on the life of Radhanath Swami.

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  46. Lata Bhanji Mahida
    April 30, 2011 at 1:45 am

    H.H.Radhanath Swami is realizing.
    Nicely explained.
    Thank you Radhanath Swami
    wonderful article

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  48. Babita
    May 2, 2011 at 7:52 am

    Thank you maharaj for sharing this.

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  49. Preeti
    May 2, 2011 at 10:33 am

    By offering the food to Krsna if we eat that our consciousness become pure

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  50. devdatt
    May 2, 2011 at 11:47 am

    wonderful explaination

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