Transcript of LIVE CHAT with Iskcon, H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj at 15.00

Transcript of LIVE CHAT with Iskcon, H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj at 15.00

hrs on Thursday, January 13, 2004 in Mumbai

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj

ISKCON

<http://203.199.70.171/cgi-bin/adceptclickthrough.cgi?random_key=17/0/200512

:24:510.7744889465156772&host_name=chatinterviews.indiatimes.com&url_name=ww

w.timesofindia.com/articleshow/990506.cms> "The gods are very sad to see how

we're creating so much suffering in the world we live. Why blame Him for the

mess that human society has created?"

Devi > Maharaj, the scientific/medical approach attributes the cause of

tragedies to chance and natural forces. Interventions by God, fate, or karma

are not included in the equation.

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > Nothing happens without a cause. According to

Science, for every action there is an equal and corresponding reaction.

These are laws of Karma . When humanity exploits the earth and natural

resources in a massive worldwide level then we can expect both, from an

ecological as well as karmic consideration that there will be reactions.

Real compassion and love is to educate people to collectively love one

another and live in harmony with the laws of nature and God.

Bhakti > What sort of explanations can one get from the scriptures with

regard to the occurrence of the tsunami? Is there any explanation for it in

our scriptures?

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > The same answer I just gave applies to this.

According to the scriptures human being should be Bharat Dukha Dukhi . This

means that the suffering of others is the suffering of ours. We should feel

the pains and willing to make sacrifices to help others physically,

emotionally as well as spiritually. According to the scriptures there are

three types of miseries - Those caused by one's own body and mind;

sufferings caused by others; sufferings caused by natural disturbances. In

the world today there is such wide spread disregard to our mother Earth and

to the laws of morality. It is Nature's law that sufferings will come upon

human society. The most important cure to this problem is to help people to

clean the ecology of their hearts through living moral lives, prayer and

chanting God's name.

Acyuta lila das > Maharaj, regarding tsunami, even after seeing all the

disaster photos etc I am not feeling any compassion for them (the affected)

nor do I feel bad for them. How should I develop compassion for them?

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > Compassion develops in relation to the

overcoming of our selfish ego. By service to God in humanity and following

spiritual practices which clean the heart of these selfish egoistic

tendencies. The natural compassion of the soul awakens. The most recommended

process of cleaning the heart is the chanting of God's holy name and

associating with saintly people.

Chota_haridas > Do natural disasters mean that the Gods are angry?

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > Why should we blame God for the mess that

human society has created. The gods are very sad to see how we are creating

so much suffering in the world we live.

Svaidya > How should we derive more spiritual strength when such a natural

catastrophe happens?

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > By increasing our awareness of the urgency to

turn to Krishna (God) with an honest and humble heart.

Mannie > After creating man why should God want him to keep grovelling at

His feet? Why should God want man to keep looking at Him for guidance all

the time? After all man is born to do his own karma and not God's karma.

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > We are not man or woman. We are eternal

spirit souls. The body that we have is a temporary dress. The nature of the

soul is to eternally experience the ecstasy of God's love. We have forgotten

that love (God's love) which is the root cause of all problems. God is

supremely compassionate and merciful. He has descended to this world in many

places throughout history to remind us of the love we have forgotten. God

wants to give us the ultimate treasure of Divine Love.

Jaggu > When a disaster strikes, the time to preach is over and it is time

for noble actions. Holy men are ordinary mortals too who have been born to

do their karma and not only to do God's karma which is to show the right

path. God will evaluate their actions too. However, in the aftermath of the

tsunami very few holy men have come out visibly on the forefront in the

tsunami struck areas. Too much talk and no action do not speak highly of a

spiritual man or organisation. Please comment on this Maharaj.

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > A spiritual person will feel the pains of

others

and do everything within his or her power to help. Our Bhakti Vedanta

Hospital has sent doctors to the tsunami (hit areas) as well as to the

previous earth quake disasters and we have found that survivors who are

emotionally in trauma found shelter and relief in spiritual counselling and

understanding their eternal spiritual nature. Real compassion should be to

give aid to the body, mind and specially the eternal soul. Throughout

history, in all great religions, saints have sacrificed their very lives for

the upliftment and happiness of others. Everyone should do their part

according to what they have to share with the world.

Jigs > Maharaj, what do you make of the observations by few individuals that

the tsunami occurred and destroyed only in the Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu

countries?

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > These are sectarian beliefs. Over the ages

there have been disasters throughout the world. We are all brothers and

sisters on this spiritual platform .We should learn to love and respect

every living entity, not only of human, but all species. Life is the symptom

of the presence of the soul that is part of God. To love God is to

unconditionally feel affection for every living being.

Anjum.rs > Maharaj, in the tsunami wave most of them who got killed were

poor fishermen. But God is said to be very merciful to the poor who does not

possess anything. How to understand this? Thank you.

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > You are welcome. God is merciful to all

living beings. When man is plundering and exploiting the earth there will be

natural consequences. We are dropping bombs on the earth, deforesting the

earth, polluting the earth with chemical and nuclear waste, and recklessly

drilling oil motivated by greed. We are destabilising our own ecology. We

can expect massive reactions. God has given us the responsibility to protect

and care for others, including the poor. Why do we blame God for

civilisation that is defined to the laws he has lovingly given to us?

Beta > What lessons can be learnt from disaster of this scale? And what

should one do to avoid such heavenly ferocity? Can we as humans avoid or

prevent it? Aren't we just too small a force in front of the Nature?

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > The force of God's love is unlimited. We

should

strive to be humble instruments of Krishna's love. We could access Krishna's

love by sincerely chanting his name with a humble heart - Hare Krishna Hare

Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Sign Off Message > Let us all strive to be a humble servant of the Lord.

Thank you very much.

Point well taken:

H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj > Nothing happens without a cause. According to

Science, for every action there is an equal and corresponding reaction.

These are laws of Karma . When humanity exploits the earth and natural

resources in a massive worldwide level then we can expect both, from an

ecological as well as karmic consideration that there will be reactions.

Real compassion and love is to educate people to collectively love one

another and live in harmony with the laws of nature and God.