Due to a small mistake of the immigration officials at Kabul, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was now stranded alone at night. A friendly Dutch lady took Richard to her home and fed him dinner and provided a room. Soon however, she presented her body to Richard to fulfill her lusty desires. Richard’s mind reeled as he struggled to come out of her grips. Her six foot bodyguard threatened to kill Richard if he didn’t submit to her desires. With all his might, Richard heaved the woman off and escaped, the body guard closely chasing to kill Richard.
Somehow Richard escaped and later contemplated on the powers of passion. Radhanath Swami writes his realization, “sex could be a gift of God but when it becomes an obsession, it plunders all intelligence and people are driven to abominable acts to satisfy their lust.” Richard thought of directing the sex energy toward prayer and devotion. He vowed to remain a celibate for the remainder of his life, and prayed to God to help him keep his commitment.
Radhanath Swami explains that throughout history there have been saints in all traditions who have raised beautiful families utilizing sex as a divine offering. At the same time, throughout the same history many saints took the vow of celibacy because they realized the charm of the opposite sex to be a distraction from their exclusive dedication to God.
One of the biggest distractions in spiritual life is the ravaging lust that has the human society in its vicious grip. Quoting scriptures, Radhanath Swami compares lust to fire. The more we try to fulfill the lusty desires, more the fire burns our consciousness. Lust is an obsession to be the selfish enjoyer; this consciousness can never make us happy because our constitutional position is to serve. The more we seek to gratify our base carnal desires, the further we go from our loving service to God.
Sex was not discovered in the twentieth century. Radhanath Swami warns that Lust has been a major problem throughout the history of mankind, and nobody escapes the power and influence of lust. Even sincere spiritual seekers, although they may not idolize it, they have to reckon with its embarrassing presence in their consciousness. Lust starts at puberty, and that is when most boys begin their battle with lust. And now in our culture there is the added temptation of movies, magazines, and the computer. Radhanath Swami once said that lust is when we see the opposite sex not as a person but as a thing. Most people untrained in spiritual principles never learn what love is, but spend the rest of their lives under the dominion of lust. Little wonder that Marlyn Monroe, the heart throb of the 1960’s said, “I hate being a thing.” She was a sex symbol, and a symbol is a thing. She never really felt loved as a person but only used like a thing.
To make tangible spiritual advancement, a seeker of God has to desire to get rid of this negativity from the heart. Radhanath Swami assures we can do this through sincere prayers and by cultivating a desire to selflessly serve.
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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........
Thank you so much for sharing.
View CommentVery lesson giving blog
View CommentRadhanath Swami assures we can do this through sincere prayers and by cultivating a desire to selflessly serve-happy to know this art to overcome this enemy.
View CommentConstant hearing from a self realized soul & following his instructions one will be able to overcome lust.
View CommentWhat a powerful statement “Lust is when we see the opposite sex not as a person but as a thing”. Thank you Maharaj for a clear cut explanation on this.
View CommentThanks very much for sharing
View CommentVery educative article on lust…..thanks swamiji for your guidance & warnings….
View CommentThank you so much for posting this article.
View CommentAmazing article.
View Commentthis is a profound and a very very deep stament from
View CommentRadhanath Swami maharaj:- lust is when we see the opposite sex not as a person but as a thing
Radhanath Swami Maharaj explains the ill effects of lust.
View CommentThank you so much for posting this wonderful article.
View CommentRadhanath Swami explained very nicely that our real nature is to serve. And he wonderfully explained how we can overcome lust.
View CommentRadhanath Maharaj is pointing out that the problem of lust comes when we treat the people of opposite sex as things rather than as persons.
View CommentThe analogy of lust with fire is very appropriate and relevant. Thanks to Radhanath Swami’s teachings that we have atleast some hope of controlling this all devouring fire of lust.
View Commentthank you radhanath swami
View CommentI want to enjoy and nothing else matters – this tendency leads us to go on endlessly lusting for what ever we perceive in our minds and what started as a thought builds up into desires. Radhanath swamis life story is inspirational .
View CommentThe more lusty thoughts go far away the more we can be peaceful and carry on with spiritual life joyfully.
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami for enlightening us.
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami for helping us see our weakness and explaining how we can deal with it.
View CommentWithout the guidance of a self realized soul like Radhanath Swami, there is no way normal person in this world to get out of the clutches of Lust…
View CommentRadhanth Swami is an expert Guide:
He tells the problem : “Radhanath Swami once said that lust is when we see the opposite sex not as a person but as a thing.”
And gives the solution as well “Radhanath Swami assures we can do this through sincere prayers and by cultivating a desire to selflessly serve.” He has already following this in his life and inspires millions to do the same. Radhanath Maharaj ki Jai….
View CommentThank you for sharing this brilliant article and analysis
View CommentLord says in Bhagavad Gita that desires,lust and anger are our enemies.Radhanath Swami tells us how to overcome this deadly enemy through his experience.Beautiful article.
View CommentRadhanath Swami , thanks a lot
View Commentradhanath swami wonderfully guides 2days youth against lust. Wat a comparison of lust wid fire!!
View CommentAll glories to His Holiness Radhanath Swami’s for enlightening us.
View CommentAmazing …. lessons to learn on how to understand lust
View CommentLust can’t satisfy us because it is and urge of enjoying mentality which is against the nature of the soul.
View Commentthank u for this…
View CommentThanks Maharaj. Lust when comes really destroys our consciousness and we would like to enjoy.Praying Sincerly to Guru and Gauranaga to remove this thought and engage me in your Service
View CommentThank you very much for sharing
View CommentThis is real important one in our spiritual growth. We have to pray to the Lord and the Guru to help us overcome it. Thank you for sharing.
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami for such a wonderful article.
View CommentThank you Maharaj for warning us about the greatest enemy within us.
View Comment– “lust is when we see the opposite sex not as a person but as a thing”
View Commentimpersonalism is so heavy that we are blinded by our selfish nature and never ever consider others as a person, part and parcel of Lord object of our service, instead we see them as object of exploitation.
I hope and pray that someday I can be completely free of this base carnal desire and achieve the mercy of devotees to ascend to the spiritual platform.
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami for telling us the importance of avoiding lust.
View CommentThank you, very much for sharing such eye awakening and inspiring section from Radhanath Swami’s book The Journey home.
View CommentThank you Radhanath Swami Maharaj.
View CommentDangers of lust has been so wonderfully explained with a eral life story of how Radhanath Maharaj himself avoided such situations in life only to preach the glories of pure devotion to GOD.
Thank you for sharing.
View CommentDangers of lust has been so wonderfully explained with a real life story of how Radhanath Maharaj himself avoided such situations in life only to preach the glories of pure devotion to GOD.
Thank you for sharing.
View CommentLust is the greatest enemy. Thank you Radhanath Swami for keeping us alert
View CommentThank You for sharing this.
View CommentAs Radhanath Swami states Lust is the most powerful of all living entitites but as we have got human birth he has also shown us the path to overcome the same by taking shelter and praying to supreme lord.
View Commentlust is when we see the opposite sex not as a person but as a thing.Wonderful realization.
View CommentRadhanath Swami amazingly answers the dangermost problem in the life of a sincere seeker of Truth.
View Commentradhanath swami ki jai !!
View CommentNICE Radhanath Swami
View CommentThank you radhanath swami through this incident you are setting an example of how one should run away from the fire of lust which in no time will burn our loving devotional service to the Lord to ashes.
View CommentPlease bless us that we will be able to follow in your footsteps