Rise With Radhanath Swami

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami explains what it means to be a true and loving friend.   There are many ways we consider someone our friend and ourselves a friend to others. However, when all external aspects are removed, what is the real essence of friendship? Radhanath Swami explains friendship on a spiritual level where we extend our love and helping hand to all living beings.   When we are able to feel the success of others, as well as the pain, we are closer to becoming a true friend where Divinity remains in the centre.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami shows us how we can find hope in turbulent times.   Throughout history, we have witnessed many wars, countries facing famine, pandemics, poverty etc. however the ancient scriptures give us light in how we can find hope during these struggles and view the world through a spiritual lens.   When we work on our inner world, we will see tremendous change in the outer world, bringing everyone closer to the ultimate goal of divine love, that will help us overcome challenges.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami gives us a spiritual approach to conflict resolution.   Through childhood stories, memorable lessons and realised wisdom, Radhanath Swami shares with us the nature of balanced relationships and how to overcome negative qualities that cause conflict.   When we look towards and live by spiritual values, we are able to create profound and long-lasting loving relationships.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami expresses the nature of the mind and how an unsteady mind affects the relationship we have with ourselves, others and the Supreme Lord.   The scriptures, such as the Bhagavad Gita, give us a direct insight into the mind and how we have the ability to control the mind, making it our best friend, or failing to do so can lead it to become our worst enemy.   The more we invest ourselves into consistent spiritual practice, the greater hope we have to control the mind and bring about a blissful life.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami expresses that real wealth is the profound connection we have within our relationships.   The ancient wisdom texts enlighten us about the power of association and the effects of opening our hearts to those who wish well upon us.    Ultimately, the more we grow our love for the God, the more love we give and receive from others.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami expresses the deep longings of the heart and what actions we can take to become fulfilled in life.   The Bhagavad Gita teaches us that our bodies are a vehicle by which we perceive this world but who we really are, is a spiritual being who's real pleasure is to love and be loved.    To genuinely enlighten other person, we have to connect to the grace of God and when we are in a deep loving relationship with the Divine then we can create a long lasting impact.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami addresses The House of Commons of the Parliament of the UK.   Radhanath Swami goes through his experiences of travelling the world and witnessing so much greed, envy and pride that tears down nations. He explains how spiritual qualities, if practiced to be the foundation of every leader, would make the world a better and more harmonious place to live in.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami talks about the great spiritual heritage of India.   Travelling as a monk throughout India, Radhanath Swami goes through his experiences and explains how the crest jewel of India is in its profound spiritual nature and history.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami redefines the nature of real happiness beyond the material notions of society and the world.   The Bhagavad Gita teaches us that true intelligence is when we find our happiness within and if we cannot find happiness within ourselves then we cannot find lasting substantial happiness anywhere else.    Spirituality is about discovering the love of God that's within our hearts and being an instrument of that love in whatever we do, speak and think, and in living a life of compassionate spiritual service, we find the happiness of the heart.

In this episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami expresses the importance of understanding our true self and connecting to a higher consciousness in order to be free from the effects of the flickering nature of the world.   Despite decades of advancement in science and technology, we are somehow facing increasingly complex problems to solve -- both individual and collective -- even in the most affluent nations: identity issues, high divorce rates, unexpected violence, high school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, environmental crisis, energy shortage, unemployment rates, unstable economy, rising healthcare costs, etc. Why and where is the disconnect?   As Radhanath Swami puts it, "If our fulfilment, our pleasure and meaning in life is deep then whatever happens in this ever-changing world cannot really disturb what we have achieved, within ourselves".

In this episode of 'Rise with Radhanath Swami', the importance of spiritual vision is discussed as being something that can make or break us as souls on the journey to enlightenment.   When we love what we are doing, when we are centred in service to others, we can inspire society to no end. Leaving a legacy of compassion and service wherever we may go.   Through great examples of unlikely people dealing with challenges in strength and integrity, we are reminded that a life worth living isn’t necessarily easy. Developing equal vision in happiness and distress, towards rich and poor, and in all dualities of life, can aid us in ascending to a level of being able to see the unity in the diversity of all living things. Seeing all beings as beings of love. This is the essence of Bhakti.

In this profound episode of Rise with Radhanath Swami, the beauty of eternal spiritual and philosophical principles is discussed.  Radhanath Swami shares how the wealth of simple loving exchanges in this world will always out value any number accumulated in the bank account.  By seeing the unity within the diversity of all spiritual paths, we can invoke that inherent value within us all and access the beauty within at any given time.

"The world is like a mirror of our own state of consciousness."    In this incredible episode of 'Rise', Radhanath Swami delves into the science of 'seeing ourselves for who we really are'.    With intuition, which is a subtle faculty of the soul, we can begin to understand a life beyond the ego. To the degree that our mind is clear from the dust of misidentification with the body, to that degree we will begin to see the Atma (the real self).    If we are wearing rose coloured glasses, we will see everything as rose. Similarly, if we see through the clear lens of spiritual wisdom, we can gain insight into that which is sat (eternal), cit (full of knowledge) and ananda (blissful).

In this episode, Radhanath Swami describes how our very living force, the soul, is a part of the divine, just like how a particle of light is a part of the sun. Love for the divine and love for every living being is dormant within us all, it only needs to be awakened through the simple but sublime practice of Bhakti yoga.  This episode is filled with deep insights and relatable lessons that are not only profound, but instantly applicable to our daily lives.

An evolved society is one in which people love people and use things.  Unfortunately, we live in a time where we hear more often that not, that people love things and use people to get them and to keep them.   Through unbelievable stories, memorable lessons and realised wisdom, Radhanath Swami shares with us how we can never be satisfied with this consciousness.   This address to the students at Cambridge Union is an invitation to all. An opportunity to realise that we do not need vast amounts of money or resource to have a positive influence on the world and on those around us in our day to day lives.