Radhanath Swami reveals the secret of happiness

Chipped rice, how much does it cost? It’s very cheap and unless you put some really exotic things in it, it doesn’t taste very nice.

In those days when I used to be a sadhu begging in Himalayas, people would give me a handful of chipped rice because it practically costs nothing. But when you are hungry, you find some little river or pond, add some little water into it and you eat.

“One thing I learned was, if you are really hungry and you really thank God for what he is giving you, your tongue kind of moves aside from the experience and you taste with your heart, and even chipped rice and water tastes like a nectarine feast. But if you let the tongue give its opinion, eating only chipped rice every day could be quite depressing.” -Radhanath Swami

“God, I m so grateful for what you are giving me. By your grace I was elevated from a nice house and tasty foods of America, and now you have given me the position of a sadhu, eating chipped rice! Thank you God.” This is how I used to meditate while sitting once in a day to eat some chipped rice with some river water. I would be in tears of happiness eating that chipped rice.

So, happiness is not what we are doing, it is the gratitude and love in which we do it.

–          Radhanath swami