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In 1970, at the age of only nineteen, Radhanath Swami left his home in America seeking adventure and spiritual knowledge. After trekking across Europe for months, he reached his long hoped for destination: India. After living there for many years as a sadhu or wandering monk, he returned to America in order to share the sacred knowledge and wisdom he had learned from the many holy men and women he had met there. It was an extraordinary choice, given what he had survived to get there: a journey filled with bizarre characters, mystical experiences, and dangerous adventures. The story is recounted in his recently published memoir The Journey Home (San Rafael, CA: Mandala Publishing, 2009). Reviewers have called Radhanath's saga "at once an engaging yarn, a love story, and the evocation of a transcendent paradise in all its savagery, solitude, and splendor.
Radhanath Swami emerged from his years of travel wanting to explain for others the beauty and rewards of a life devoted to God, and therein lay a dilemma. His many followers and friends describe him as completely selfless and consequently unwilling to take credit for his work and restless when a spotlight is focused on him. By choosing A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896-1977), a spiritual activist, as his guru (after declining offers of initiation from several tyagis or renunciants in the Himalayas), Radhanath Swami cast his fate to the wind, cut his matted locks, and entered back into the society.
Tolerance
Tolerating the Provoking Situation
Manasa deho gheo.....
Translation:-..
Hare Krishna! I wish to sincerely offer my gratitude to all of you for so kindly utilizing this precious time to come to Shri Radha Gopinath Temple to perceive the purification of the heart and true perfection of life. We have sung this deeply meaningful song of Shrila Thakur Bhaktivinod where in he is teaching us the practical application of true surrender to the mercy of the Lord, He is offering his body mind home wealth life family everything in the service of the Lord, he is not concerned either good fortune or bad fortune or even life or death, for all difficulties disappeared by choosing to take shelter of the Lord's lotus feet. Slay me or protect me as you wish for You are the master and I am your eternal servant. Shrila Prabhupada writes in the Krishna book that once greatness has to be estimated by how one tolerates provoking situations, this is a very very profound statement of Shrila Prabhupada that gives us a specific perspective of who is great, not one who is beautiful bodily features, not one who can perform excellent dramatic performances, or sing melodiously with a very enchanting voice. Greatness is not to be estimated by ones money influence or power, ones greatness is not estimated by ones physical strength or athletic abilities, ones greatness has to be estimated according to how one is able to tolerate provoking situations.
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