“We can’t really tell the greatness of a person until they are put in challenging situations.”- Radhanath Swami
In the town of Satara, Maharashtra, on the banks of the Krishna and Vena Rivers lived a blind man, Bilvamangala Thakur, famous as Lila Sukha. He had such deep devotion to Krishna. He was seeing, not with his physical eyes, but through the love of his soul. He was seeing Krishna everywhere, he was experiencing Krishna’s children in everyone. So many people all around, with eyes, were not seeing what he was seeing.
He wrote a book. How did he write it! In those days, many centuries ago, there were no tape recorders. He didn’t have people to dictate to. His book is Krishna Karnamrita. Sri Chaitanya, the avatar of Sri Krishna in this age of Kali, went to Satara and discovered this book; and he proclaimed, as did so many acharyas of the Vaishnav Sampradayas, that this was one of the most important, deepest, most illuminating books ever written in the history of humanity. Sri Chaitanya kept that book with him wherever he went, because it revealed the highest most intimate spiritual revelations.
Bilvamangala Thakur didn’t have money, he was blind, but he found such ecstasy, ananda, in his love for Krishna, and he wanted to share that with the world. He gave vision to the world.
Near Govardhan in Vrindavan is Chandra Sarovar. There lived another blind man, Suradas, a direct associate of Sri Vallabhacharya. Surdas, his poems, his bhajans, the prayers that he wrote—and he wrote thousands and thousands of them sitting there under a tree near a little pond at Govardhan—it has changed the lives of tens of millions of lives throughout history. It gave vision, a vision of a philosophy of life, wherein our soul’s true motivation can be found. He spoke about Sri Sri Radha Krishna’s beautiful pastimes, their lilas; he spoke about the social necessity of living in harmony with each other keeping that divine supreme father and mother of all of us in the centre of all of our relationships. He taught a life of compassion.
Bhakti Siddanta Sarasvati Thakur, who lived in the 19th and 20th centuries, he was perhaps the greatest scholar of his day. Sarasvati Thakur was called a living encyclopaedia, because when he was young he could read books in a library and remembered every line of every book of entire libraries. He accepted as his guru Gaur Kishore Das Babaji, who was physically blind and had no education. He was a simple man, and yet Sarasvati Thakur understood that he needed to see what Babaji was seeing. He wanted to see that love of God in everyone and in everything like Babaji was seeing and he became the disciple of Gaur Kishore Das Babaji.
Challenges of live like blindness, when we meet them with integrity, determination, in a spirit of compassion and love, that is true greatness. We can’t really tell the greatness of a person until they are put in challenging situations.
– Radhanath Swami
Highly inspiring words. Many times I think physical capabilities does not provide spiritual advantage rather restricts for spiritual development. Exactly opposite to that here given examples of Bilvamangal Thakur, Surdas or Gaur Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj are great visionaries who have not only overcome their physical incapabilities but contributed significantly to develop the vision of common man for spiritual development.
People who are blind can be very great because the have integrity, determination, in a spirit of compassion and love, while people with vision can be spiritually blind!
Truly inspiring article!
Amazing article! True we have eyes, but actually we are blind – blind to the love of God.
Radhanath Maharaj emphasizes here what is the real vision or eyes i.e the eyes of love to see or perceive God.
Wonderful article. Thank You Gurudev!!!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful article of Radhanath maharaj
Though these great souls could not see themselves, they had lead the entire society towards true illumination. Nice article by HH Radhanath Swami.
As mentioned by HH Radhanath Swami we can get inspiration from these great souls who had greater spiritual vision despite the absence of physical vision.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful article of Radhanath swami
These great saints mentioned by HH Radhanath Swami are able to visualise the spiritual world, because they perfectly practice “Na Socati Na Kankshati”.
Amazing article! Very true, we may have eyes, but we don’t have the vision to “see” what these blind saints could. We have to see and feel through our hearts.
Nice, thought provoking article by HH Radhanath Swami. These great saints being physically blind has seen more than any others can see and understand God.
“We can’t really tell the greatness of a person until they are put in challenging situations.”-so true.
This is the greatest work by the saints who can not physically see, yet made a lot of difference in the society by their spiritual vision. Nice article by HH Radhanath Swami.
HH Radhanath Swami quotes the lives of great saints in this article, who, despite physically blind, able to see the real purpose of Krishna.
Nice examples.
As HH Radhanath Swami rightly pointed out these great people despite the shortcoming of physical blindness illuminates the whole world with spiritual wisdom which is beyond the material senses.
One comes out of 3 modes, can see the things as they are. They can help others to reach the lotus feet of Krnsa. All glories to HH Radhanatha Svami Maharaja.
What an analogy swami ji is giving to see the real love not through material vision but in true senses of spiritual vision. thank you for sharing.
Thanks Maharaj for a very beautiful article.
We can’t really tell the greatness of a person until they are put in challenging situations.
This is a kind of litmus test explained here by HH Radhanath Swami…
Thanks for sharing.
Nice article by HH Radhanath Swami. All these great saints, though physically blind gave the real vision to the entire world through their unflinching faith in Krishna.
Great article by HH Radhanath Swami.
Challenges of life like blindness, when we meet them with integrity, determination, in a spirit of compassion and love, that is true greatness. We can’t really tell the greatness of a person until they are put in challenging situations
Nice article.
Love of God is not hindered by limitations of body space or time
wonderful article.
Thanks for sharing
Striking statement by Radhanath Swami –
Challenges of life like blindness, when we meet them with integrity, determination, in a spirit of compassion and love, that is true greatness.
This article of HH Radhanath Swami signals all of us, how serious we must be in our spiritual pursuits getting the inspiration and learn to see things correctly from great saints who are physically blind.
Its really a wonder how these devotees perceived God, without the physical vision. Great article by HH Radhanath Swami.
Great defination of Greatness. -Challenges of live like blindness, when we meet them with integrity, determination, in a spirit of compassion and love, that is true greatness.
This article explains how the physical blindness is not really an impediment in spiritual advancement. thanks to Radhanath Swami for explaining us the same.
Thank you Radhanath Swami for showing us who is a real visionary.
nice and enlightening article.
Thank you Maharaj for making us realise what is true greatness in challenging situation.
These great saints live the life of sadhus just for the upliftment of fallen souls who are wandering in this universe and taking various forms as per their desires. Thank you very much HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj for this enlivening article.
The lives of these great saints is indeed awe inspiring. Thanks Swamiji for your encouragement and guidance.