Spiritual Questions and Answers with Radhanath Swami
Question to Radhanath Swami: I wanted to know whether this world is real or is an illusion?
Radhanath Swami: The world is real but your conception of the world is an illusion. For example, if you mistake a snake to be a rope, that’s an illusion. You may pick it up and tie it around your throat, but when you get bitten by it, that’s not illusion.
Question to Radhanath Swami: Suppose a fisherman is catching the fish and selling it in the market to maintain his family. Do you think he is doing some sinful activities?
Radhanath Swami: Rather than talking about what’s sinful, we will just speak of the science of how the world works.
Question to Radhanath Swami: After reading spiritual books, it becomes very difficult to read academic books; they now seem boring! What shall I do for that?
Radhanath Swami responds: If we want to use our academic knowledge in the service of God, then the combination of the two can be very effective. The Holy Scriptures and the messages of the holy men teach us what we should strive for and how to strive for it.
Question to Radhanath Swami: Even when we are doing business, we are exploiting others in one sense. So by the laws of karma, are we going to get reactions for all that?
Radhanath Swami: In this world, exploitation is inevitable. Just to survive, people are exploiting each other. But we should try, as far as possible, not to do that beyond what’s necessary. In business our motivation should not be to destroy others.
Question to Radhanath Swami : What is the importance of discipline in spiritual life?
Radhanath Swami : Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad Gita that without controlling the mind and the senses there is no question of real yoga or real spiritual practice. To do anything good in life or to succeed, discipline is required.
Question to Radhanath Swami : I understand that all the actions that we perform will give back a reaction. But what about the thoughts in our mind? What about the bad thoughts that we don’t act upon?
Radhanath Swami : According to the scriptures, in the time spans Satya yuga, Treta yuga and Dwapara yuga, humans were karmically responsible for every thought.
