Eagerness to love GOD by Radhanath Swami
October 5, 2011 By 49 Comments
One of the ISKCON saints by the name H H Bhakti Tirth Swami (a dear friend of Radhanath Swami)
cites a story which explains how much we should be eager to love GOD in
order to achieve that treasure. It is about a guru and a disciple. Some
of you might have heard it but it is worth reading it to imbibe it in
our life. Srila Prabhupada says repetition is sometimes necessary to
make us understand a philosophical point in this dark age of Kali. So
that i can imbibe it in my life, i am posting it here.A disciple earnestly tried to follow all the necessary requirements of a good disciple, but somehow or other, he did not seem to develop any realization. From time to time, he would intensely inquire from his guru and complain about his situation. He wanted to know when he would be able to attain self-realization and how he would reach this goal. However, the spiritual master did not seem to acknowledge his bewilderment. He practically did not even respond.
One day, the disciple and the guru took a walk by the river. The spiritual master walked the disciple into the river and then with full force he suddenly pushed the disciple’s head into the water, practically drowning the boy. The disciple must have felt completely shocked and disturbed, especially since the guru is supposed to be the major source of solace and love for the disciple. However, his guru suddenly submerged his head in water in a seemingly strange attempt to drown him. As the disciple’s life air gradually decreased, he only thought of ways to pull his head above the surface of the water for a breath of air.
Just before the disciple gave up the body, the spiritual master finally released his head from under the water. In a very grave but caring tone, the guru explained, “When I held your head under the water, you solely thought of ways to obtain air. Your entire consciousness focused only on this one purpose and every aspect of your dwindling existence strove for survival or liberation. When you develop this same kind of pinpointed intensity for the development of love of God, irrespective of other distractions, only then will you attain self-realization. When you have such intense desperation and desire for God’s love and mercy, then you will reach this ultimate goal.”
Radhanath Swami, another ISKCON saint in the same line continues that everyone is actually looking for love. And love can be only sustained when the object of our love is all-encompassing, all-beautiful, all-compassionate, and all-loving. And there happens to be only one person like that. The Supreme Personality of GodHead. Everyone is craving for some meaning in their life. But people take shelter of television, theaters, clubs and the like just to forget the miseries of life. They neither have the courage to face them nor to fight them. There were nice recreational activities in the olden days but nowadays people pop up sleeping pills or take to alcohol or drugs just so that they can pass their times. All this to remove their loneliness from their hearts. But failure always accompany such people. Failure to overcome their loneliness.
Radhanath Swami explains says that the only way out is to love GOD. If we were to give our beloved a rose and he/she did not respond properly (say due to some circumstances) we will feel depressed but GOD is not like that. He can understand every feeling of ours and that too of everyone simultaneously and He responds accordingly. Who could be a better lover who reciprocates at every step? We are essentially part and parcel of GOD. We need to love GOD. Or we are like the fish out of the water. The soul wants to be with GOD. As of now our relationship is dormant. How to revive it? Radhanath Swami suggests that we should associate with saintly people who have love for GOD. Chant the holy names of the Lord. Hear realized souls speaking from holy books. This way we will be eager to love GOD as much as we want air inside water.
