After a few adventures at Athens, Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) hitchhiked to the Isle of Crete. This was a perfect setting for fasting, meditation and prayer; from sunrise to sunset both of them prayed and meditated. Richard’s thirst for enlightenment intensified like never before. After weeks of contemplation and prayer, Richard’s earlier spark of spiritual craving had now kindled to a blazing fire. He soon realized he was at the crossroads. One road would allow him to retain his identity as an American boy who needs to go to college and get his degree. The other road was more challenging- he needed to abandon his old identities and allow God to reveal to him his path. If he chose this path, he knew everything would change for him. Richard felt a force was dragging him to leave everything else behind and find a whole new life, with a whole new identity. One evening he heard the voice of God in his heart that commanded him to go to India. Richard knew for sure that this was the Lord answering his prayers for direction.
The challenge Radhanath Swami faced then was to go beyond his limited identity of being an American boy, confined to his own narrow view of life. To grow in our spiritual life, Radhanath Swami says one needs to go beyond the bodily identities and accept our identity as separate from the body. We are spirit souls, a divine part and parcel of God that is beyond the limited national or sectarian identifications. To live a life with the consciousness, ‘I am not this material body; I am pure spirit soul’ directs one to cultivate divine qualities as
humility, contentment, tolerance, and patience. Cultivation of such qualities brings peace and happiness now, and at the same time leads one to the world of eternal joy. On the other hand the qualities normally found in those leading a life of bodily consciousness are selfishness, intolerance, craving for flickering pleasures, arrogance, and false pride. These negative forces take one away from harmony with nature and God.
Radhanath Swami reveals that the understanding of the soul changes one’s outlook and attitudes, and helps one act correctly while facing different situations in life. The attitude transformation and spiritual upliftment that one gains by the knowledge of the soul proves that there is potentiality of goodness in man, and it can be awakened by loving service to God and by removing the negativity of the enjoying mentality. The transformation of heart leads to the attitudes of goodwill, cooperation, sympathy, love and serving others with humility. When one understands the knowledge of the self, then one gains self-awareness that can lead to self-management. We can observe ourselves, our chemistry or nature, our right and wrong behavior, our strengths and weaknesses and where we need to improve.
Radhanath Swami reveals the advantage of being conscious of our identity as the soul, rather than the temporary body. “When people are conscious of the soul, they are aware that the material body is temporary, and that the material world is a temporary place of suffering designed by God to reform and purify us and prepare us to return to the eternal Kingdom of God.” Thus human beings live a life socially, politically, culturally and economically centred on God. This brings purity, peace, and prosperity, health, wealth and happiness, all aimed at pleasing the Supreme Lord.
On hearing Radhanath Swami’s analysis of the soul, I cannot help contrasting this with the plight of modern man. Today most people are absorbed in bodily consciousness and believe in ‘survival of the fittest’. They do not worry if they harm others in their rat race to ‘eat, drink and be merry’. Modern man imagines himself to be no more than a bunch of chemicals or atoms colliding with one another. Such a blind, superficial material outlook to life renders life meaningless, making the world purposeless, and is neither useful to the individual nor beneficial to others in the world. Radhanath Swami says that for lasting happiness we need to practise spiritual life and true spiritual life centres on the awareness of the soul and its loving relation with God and all fellow beings.
“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........
‘The Journey Home - Autobiography of an American Swami’ Book is an engaging, humorous and heart-warming account of a young nineteen year old’s quest for spiritual enlightenment. The reader follows Richard Slavin (Now Radhanath Swami) from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of Himalayas as he goes through a variety of exciting adventures; some near-death encounters and many spiritual experiences. Regular reading of this all-time classic has helped me draw spiritual lessons and seek constant inspiration in my own spiritual journey.
Very nice. Thank you very much for sharing the same.
Thanks for sharing your realisation swamiji…..Its is real pity that in the modern world, people take care of the body rather then the soul….
For lasting happiness we need to practise spiritual life and true spiritual life centres on the awareness of the soul and not just body.Thankyou Radhanath Swami.
Wonderful, thank you for sharing
I look forward to your reflections every day. Thanks for sharing.
very good article.
This is one of the most interesting section of the book “The Journey Home”
Thank you Radhanath Swami for giving us perfect vision to understand our true self in relation to our surroundings.
Radhanath Swami’s sincerity, seriousness has given him directions in his life for getting something for which his heart was yearning and finally he got that. His life is not like that of anyone else in this world. God has helped him at every stage of his life.
Very nice article…..
very beautiful. Thanks to the author’s amazing realizations from the wonderful book THE JOURNEY HOME by Radhanath swami
Radhanath Swami Maharaj brings out the difference between Spiritual focus & material focus beautifully!
we must take to heart the realized knowledge, HH Radhanath Swami is sharing.
This is a huge paradigm shift. We are not the body.
thank u for sharing
Radhanath Swami so nicely mentions amazing benifits of understanding that we are soul. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing!
Our sufferings are due to identifications with this bodily concepts of life
very nice. thank u
Radhanath Swami Maharaj has seen the truth!
Thank you for such a perfect analysis of this most vital topic.
Amazing!
Now that we know about the soul, life without that knowledge seems ridiculous!
Very detailed information given by Radhanath Maharaj. Thank you Maharaj.
Wonderful.
To grow in our spiritual life, one needs to go beyond the bodily identities – Radhanath Swami has personally lived and explains how we need to break through our conceptions to reach higher realms of truth
Without considering ourseleves diffrent than body,yes it is not possible to devleop Godly qualities in us.After understanding our eternal position from a saintly person like Radhanath Swami and then try to act according to his instructions is the best for us.Thank you very much.
The essential understanding from the Bhagavad Gita is that we are not this body, we are a spirit soul, part and parcel of Krishna. Maharaj very eloquently elaborates on this, as it was this realization that helped him give up his material attachments and follow the voice from his heart.
Simply wonderful! All glories to Radhanath Swami Maharaj!
The whole of mankind is mad after flickering sense pleasures remaining eternally bound in the bodily conception of life.Only the mercy of pure souls like HH Radhanath Swami can free one and all from this material bondage.
Very thought provoking – “True spiritual life centres on the awareness of the soul and its loving relation with God and all fellow beings”. Thanks a lot for sharing this beautiful article.
Such a nice article Maharaj. Thank you for sharing such wonderful thoughts & experiences with us.
Inspiring article. Thanks for sharing.
Radhanath Swami beautifully elaborates on this most essential aspect of spiritual life – we are spirit souls.
Beautifully explained!
Radhanath Maharaj have had nice experiences.
Thank God for giving such a Vishnava Teacher to this World
Thank u very much.
Thank you very much Sir for posting such wonderful episode of Radhanath Swami
Thank you very very much for sharing maharaj, makes us contemplate on the way to improve ourself as soul towards devotional service.