Radhanath Swami Spiritual Quotations

We can't really digest food unless there's hunger. So we can't really assimilate spiritual wisdom unless we feel the need for it.

Whereas religious prayers sing of peace and harmony, religion has divided human beings through an atrocious history of enmity and bloodshed. Yet, behind the veil of superficiality and hypocrisy, I always believed in the inherent beauty of God that lies at the essence of all true spiritual paths.

My parents' selfless affection and dedication nourished and prepared me to receive the love of my guru or spiritual father, Swami Prabhupada. My parents prepared the soil in which my guru sowed the seeds of his compassion.

In my own spiritual journey, I became a swami on the Hindu path of Bhakti. In the Hindu tradition, a swami is a monk who forgoes regular family life for the purpose of making the whole world his family and channels his full energy into spiritual practice, devotion to God and service to humanity.

Reducing carbon emissions is important, but it is shortsighted if not coupled with reducing the toxic emissions from our heart; and that is something spiritual leaders are supposed to teach and something all thinking people, regardless of their beliefs, should practice.

Religion is meant to teach us true spiritual human character. It is meant for self-transformation. It is meant to transform anxiety into peace, arrogance into humility, envy into compassion, to awaken the pure soul in man and his love for the Source, which is God.

Religious and spiritual leaders should be held accountable for environmental activism, not only because they have access to large communities and can influence votes, but because service is integral to religious and spiritual life.

The tension between the essence of spiritual teachings and the harmful fundamentalism that often arises in the name of religion is an issue that has engaged my mind practically as far back as I can remember.

I just didn't know where I fit in - I didn't seem to fit in my parent's generation. I didn't seem to fit in my own generation. Little by little, this took me into a spiritual search for understanding; a search for meaning and fulfillment.

To love someone in the spiritual sense is not based on how I want to love you; its based on what you want.

You can not understand "Scripture" without seeing through the eyes of the Spiritual Master or Advanced Devotees.

Unless we hear very strictly with great faith to the order of our Spiritual Master, we will not understand what is the mercy of Krishna and how it is coming upon us.

Whatever our destiny is, whatever our Karma is, if we simply accept the mercy of Guru, "Guru Kripa", it can completely liberate us from all of our previous Karmic bondage.

Guru is heavy, because he carries Lord Krishna in his heart.

When we speak of the dust of the lotus feet of the Spiritual Master, we are speaking of humble approach to serve his instructions. Unless we humbly serve the instructions of the great soul, it is Krishna's arrangement the He never reveals Himself.

By hearing from the Guru, we can understand what is the desire of Lord within our heart.

Success in spiritual life lies not in being the Best, but doing the Best.

What really pleases the Spiritual Master is our intent and the quality of our character.

The cause of so much suffering and pain and one of the impediments to our spiritual progress, is the conditioning of expecting things to go our way, even in our spiritual life.

The more serious you are about spiritual life, the more you keep your mind in captivity.

When we face difficulties and still remain faithful to Krishna and spiritual master we access the infinite mercy of their hearts.

Any propensity other than love cannot exist in the spiritual world. There is unlimited variegatedness, but they are all extraordinarily wonderful ways of expressing love.

Sincerity in sadhna and eagerness to serve is the basis of one's relationship with the spiritual master.

When one's eyes are anointed with the salve of prema, spiritual love then we could see Vrindavan.

Genuine spiritual movement should forgive and encourage.

The more one makes spiritual advancement, one feels humble and as one's devotion is superficial that much he feels that he is a great devotee.

The essence of spiritual life is simply to use our free will properly.

The art of loving creates the unity which has unlimited spiritual strength, and that is the greatest need in the world today. Each one of us can make such a difference if we become humble, if we develop a service attitude, and if we develop the broad mind to see the oneness of all living beings.