Radhanath Swami on the Spider’s Web

99 Spider's web

Our guru Srila Prabhupada defined maya: maya is that which is not. We are attracted to the various temptations in the world thinking they will make us happy—if I have this, if I am this, if I get this, I’ll be happy. But actually, it is like a spider’s web.

The spider’s web is very symbolic of how the world works. For the fly there is nothing more beautiful than a spider’s web. It is flying around all day landing on all these hard surfaces, and here it finds a really nice soft web to relax. It is the most attractive thing to a fly, just so comfortable and appealing. But the problem is it is not what it appears to be. It traps the fly and causes it suffering.

It is said that we should see though the eyes of the scriptures not through these eyes. Seeing through the eyes of scriptures we can see the world as it is, but seeing through these eyes everything appears to be something that it is  really not. False promises are what maya is all about. maya is promising that our happiness is in proportion to the position we have, to the possessions we have, but actual happiness is according to the substance of who we are. Whether we have much or we have little, real happiness is in our own meaningful substantial life and how we are connected to the divine.

By Radhanath Swami

By RNS Articles

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60 comments

  6. Radhanath Swami is very forthright in his realization about how life in these current times is (mis)treating all of us.

  7. Thank you Radhanath Swami again, it is a great pleasure to read this again and draw newer realization

  8. the analogy of the spider’s web to maya’s illusion is very powerful by Radhanath Swami.

  10. Thanks Radhanath Maharaj to guiding us in our life by giving instruction in your lectures. Cant imagine what our life would had been without your guidance.

  11. amazing realization…so true..Thanx H H Radhanath Swami for wonderfully guiding 1000s of people out of this spider web..we take shelter of your teachings..

  16. Wonderful article explaining what Maya is all about. HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj ki jai

  20. In this hustle and bustle of material world,HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj’s instructions come handy in understanding things in their true perspective. Thank you Maharaj for enlightening us.

  21. Very nice example of spider web and fly. Also Radhanath Maharaj rightly instructs us to see through the eyes of scriptures.

  23. “False promises are what Maya is all about.” Very true. Thanx for very good article.

  24. Under the spell of illusiory energy of the Lord we consider we are the controllers.But actually it is not a fact.According to Shastra we are eternal servant of the Lord Sri-Krishna.We get released soon we accept our eternal possition under bonafied guidence.Thank you very much.

  26. Maya is one of the most fascinating aspects of Vedic philosophy. There have been so many jnanis or sages that have given various interpretations and analyses about this most wondrous aspect of Krishna’s creation. As bhaktas, we see this material world as Krishna’s compassion to deviant souls by allowing the rebellious to express free will that is in disharmony with krishna’s creation. However, since Krishna’s creation is complete harmony, maya allows us to think that we are Krishna’s competitor and at the same be of no real substance.

  28. How true and practical this knowledge is. Thank you Radhanath Swami for this wisdom.

  30. Seeing through the eyes of Vedic scriptures reveals the true nature of this world to us. Very profound wisdom – thank you Radhanath Swami Maharaj.

  31. Very profound analogy. Thank you for saving us from the ‘web’ of this material world.

  32. Although we are still like those flies however if it were not the guidance and shelter of great saints like Radhanath Swami, we surely would have got trapped in the spider web of Maya.

  33. The spider’s web of Maya will at once be cleared when we follow the footsteps of great saints like HH Radhanath Swami. This article by HH Radhanath Swami is really an eye opener for us not to caught up in this world hankering after temporary material desires.

  34. Very graphic example of spider given by Srila Prabhupada & so beautfiully explained by Radhanath Swami……….

  35. Really as Radhanath Swami said, this world exactly resembles spider’s web. It looks like most comfortable place, but when we get stuck in that it shows its real nature. So, it is better for us to understand the real nature of things through the eyes of scriptures

  36. What a beautiful analogy…clearly explaining the concept of illusion and reality…

  38. It is so true, what we think we see and aim for in this material world, is really getting us more and more into the trap of Maya. Seeing through the eyes of the scriptures is so important.

  39. Many many Thanks to Radhanath swami for these wonderful words of wisdom. I sincerely pray and hope that we can all follow these essential instructions.

  40. Love the example of the fly in the web, maharaj can draw such deep realizations from very simple examples!

  41. Maya is very powerful and can sweep us away in material bliss before we realize it. This message from HH Radhanath swami becomes even more important once we realize how entrenched we are in Maya. We need the help of Sadhu and Shastra.

  44. Radhanath Swami Maharaj emphasizes our limitations in recognizing maya. What an important message. Thank you Maharaj!

  45. Thank you very much for sharing the real truth shared by Radhanath Swami ” Whether we have much or we have little, real happiness is in our own meaningful substantial life and how we are connected to the divine.

  46. Maharaj has explained the complicated thing through a very simple example. Thanks Maharaj

  50. The futility of material pursuits has been made abundanatly clear by Radhanath Swami through this wonderful analogy.

  51. I very much appreciated the article by Radhanath Swami. Particularly below line:

    Whether we have much or we have little, real happiness is in our own meaningful substantial life and how we are connected to the divine.

  52. Very true. Maya’s allurements are so powerful that we may way away anytime unless we take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord and His devotees. Nice message from Radhanath Swami.

  53. Wonderful explanation about Maya ( Which is not).

    All Glories to HH Radhanath swami Maharaj

    Thank you so much for sharing us.

  55. Real happiness is not positions or possessions but our meaningful substantial life and how we connect to the divine. Radhanath Swami has vey beautifully and aptly compared the way the world works to a spider web. It is very attractive (as a web is to a fly) and gives false promises of joy.

  57. All Glories To H.H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

    Very nice narration and beautifully explained how we can attain real happiness.

    Hare Krishna

  58. One realizes this after going through all pursuits for happiness here as majority are doing. but then by the grace of the God and realized saints like swamiji ,one starts getting the glimpse of real happiness which is independent of the external conditions.

  59. Radhanath Swami teaches us how to see the real things of this world and not to be allured by the false attractions.

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