“We see Krishna everywhere and in everything. And our love is being expressed through all we do. That is the perfection of yoga.” – Radhanath Swami
Taj Mahal! The person who built this incredible monument, Shah Jahan, can you imagine what power, what influence, what wealth he had to make this as a tomb for his wife! How many tombs are there like this in this world?!
There are other people, I am sure, who love their wives as much, or much more. But they just burn her body and put her ashes in the Ganges. Or they have a little tomb of stone. But what is this! What is the art! What is the architecture! What is the craftsmanship! To do all this, to make a tomb for a wife, what kind of power, influence and money he had!
But even with it all, there were things out of his control. His own son Aurangzeb killed some of his brothers, exiled others, and put his father in prison. He wasn’t even allowed to see the Taj Mahal. He had such power to build it, but then he wasn’t even allowed to see it, what to speak of walk around and show people – what I have done!
“So whoever we are, there are forces beyond our control.” – Radhanath Swami
To really be a master means to completely give up the idea of being a master. Because, as long as we think we are master, there are going to be bumpy roads. And even if we go on the beautiful highway, even if we build the Taj Mahal, we may not even be able to look at it. That’s the way the world is.
“But that current of truth that is within us, when we connect to that, when we bathe deeply in that current of truth, then we give up trying to be the master, the controller, the proprietor.” – Radhanath Swami
And we take our joy – gopé-bhartuù pada-kamalayor däsa-däsänudäsaù. We become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord of gopis. And our true happiness is seva, unconditional loving service. That is our eternal nature. And nothing can impede that, not even the fog, because in the light of that, even if the whole world is full of fog within our hearts, the light has dissipated the fog. And we see everything as it is. We see Krishna everywhere and in everything and our love is being expressed through all we do. That is the perfection of yoga.
yoginām api sarveṣāḿ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māḿ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
(BG 6.47)
Krishna tells in Gita,
”Of all yogis, one who abides in me with this faith and love and renders unconditional loving service to me, that person is most intimately united with me in yoga and is the highest of all.”
True! We should understand that not much is in our hands and there are forces beyond our control. When we realize the truth of our eternal nature then we surrender to the Lord in the mood of servant of the servant which is the perfection of yoga.
“So whoever we are, there are forces beyond our control.”
This brings me back to my senses. Thank You Radhanath Swami.
Awesome Explanation By HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj ! Really There are forces beyond our control which we cannot see with our naked eyes or hear with our ears ! Its very essential to understand that Time factor is running fast from us ! Thank you HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj for this Insightful article !
Very apt example of Shah Jahan by Radhanath Swami Maharaj on forces beyond our control.
Very nice. Thank you very much.
So whoever we are, there are forces beyond our control.
such a hope giving statement when we are in difficulty.
wonderful…
Really very nice explanation that how time is powerful and what it could do us. Krishna says that I am time. An intelligent person will surrender to Krishna and say that we are just a puppet in your hand Krishna and accept what ever he gives, it is just a blessing.
So true.
Radhanath Swami is an extremely good teacher who could explain high end spiritual philosophy in such easy ways. Taj Mahal analogy is just reflecting one of little drops of the nectar of ocean.
Very true.
its really amazing when we see how time is taking away everything from us and in Srimad Bhagvad gita Lord Krishna says “Time I am” means nothing beyond him as nobody can conquer time.So whoever we are, there are forces beyond our control, HH Radhanath Swami has explained the topic in a very precised way.thanks
Very profound realization & sublime truth is explained here. A must read article. Thank you very much.
What a easiest way to let us understand that no matter how much power or influence we have it is but nothing in-front of devastation by Time, it is in our favor to understand supremacy of Lord and Surrender right now.
True. Radhanath Swami explains it in a very appealing manner.
Must read. Very nice article.
Wonderful article. “To really be a master means to completely give up the idea of being a master.”
Krishna’s mercy is available every where. Its like the Radio waves which are available in the air through out. However, one needs to tune in to the correct channel to get the music. Even if slight deviation in the tuning, we get the disturbances. Another thing, even if we are perfectly tuned in, if the Radio station’s mercy is not there and they are not playing any music, no mater how hard we try, we will not be able to hear the music. Similarly, we need to do perfect job from our side and pray sincerely to Lord and if Krishna willing, we will be able to hear His music of Flute.
Thanks Raja for sharing great thoughts. Thanks Radhanath Swami.
Self endeavor clubbed with the mercy of the Lord can only illuminate our hearts and no amount of material fog can cover that illumination. So we should sincerely pray for that mercy of the Lord and that is our endeavor.
Well said…..
Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you Radhanath Swami for brilliantly explaining what is meant by the perfection of yoga through the example of the Taj Mahal.
HH Radhanath Swami very beautifully explain perfect of yoga. So true that no one stands the test of time and the amazing quote “So whoever we are, there are forces beyond our control.”. This article really sets the context right and motivates the readers to aspire for that perfect stage of yoga. Many thanks for sharing this wisdom.
True Piyush. Thanks Radhanath Swami.
Very true! Radhanath Swami Maharaj has very nicely described the perfection of Yoga which is the service attitude.
The real happiness lies in service. Nothing is in our control we are so insignificant, but due to false pride we think so much of ourselves
well said, service is something can give you happiness which you will never experience by thinking about yourself.. when one is absorbed in “I”, “Me”, “Mine”, after sometime, one will feel lonely and dejected in life.. whereas selfless service to others, sharing your resources and gifts there is a special feeling of happiness within..
Yes. No one in the whole world can live without serving someone else because this is the true nature of the spirit soul which we really are.
True! unless we give up the conception of being controllers, we can never be happy. It is only when we render unconditional devotional service will we be really satisfied.
Acquisitions of fame, power, wealth is considered as a great success in eyes of general populace- even though many might not say it openly. but is what everyone runs after- consciously or unconsciously. But what history shows is a totally different picture- Hitler, Mussolini and many other people were never a satisfied people- so was the plight of Shahjahan as pointed by Radhanath Swami.
But the most satisfied people are those who served the God & Society selflessly. I once heard an analogy- which stated that the very basic nature of Sugar is to be Sweet & similarly the very nature of Salt is to be salty- if sweetness is lost from the sugar- its no can be called as sugar- Similarly the very basic nature of all of us is to be selfless and serve God and his children’s. Unless we do that- we are bound to face miseries and dissatisfaction.
Very true!
also to add to kiran’s point: today success is defined as more power, more property, more money and it is amazing to know that, today the richest person may not be the same in his next birth. All the wealth and opulence is left behind. As in case of Taj Mahal, the so called creator could not enjoy his creation. If all these things don’t help anyways then why to invest so much energy and time. One should also put energy and effort in values, qualities that will help in this life and next..
Such an apt comment. Thanks.
Great examples! A person can never become satisfied because of just acquiring things. Radhanath Swami Maharaj always says that “Things can never make anyone happy, because real happiness lies in the serving others in loving servitude”.
Thank you very much for making us to realise that this world is temporary.
Amazing points made here!Perfection comes from giving up controller ship principle
Yes True!