Question to Radhanath Swami: Everyone has a different conception and opinion of what reality is. How to practically realize what is reality?
Radhanath Swami Answers: I accept Krishna’s opinion, God’s opinion. Krishna’s opinion has been accepted by all the great saintly persons throughout history. When we speak about Krishna, we are speaking about God. So, within the Holy Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explains:
aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
[BG 10.8]
I am the source of spiritual and material world. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My loving service and worship Me with all their hearts.
Arjuna accepted; Vyasa accepted; Devala accepted; Asita accepted; Narada Muni accepted; Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and six Goswamis accepted; Ramanuja, Madhava, Nimbarka, Vallabhacharya accepted; Sankaracharya accepted. In the western world, Saint Francis, Saint Antonio and all of these great saints accepted the opinion of God. In the Islamic world, the great saints have accepted that God is the source of everything; he is the Absolute Truth, the reality. Those who understand this, will worship him with all their hearts.
So, we accept Krishna’s opinion. We accept God’s opinion and what is the result? Eternal life, eternal happiness and real love. Is there anything in the material world that promises you eternal happiness and eternal love and eternal life? But the foundation and background of every society is religion and spiritual life. Is it not? But we are just so much prone to be distracted by the current of ideas, we are so much affected by the fashionable ways.
Yes, everyone has their opinion. And these are all relative truths. But God’s opinion is the Absolute Truth! That is reality! What Krishna speaks in Bhagavad Gita is reality:
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
[BG 9.34]
“Always think of Me, become My devotee and you will come to Me without fail.” That is supreme reality. And if the greatest personalities that ever lived in this world accepted it and manifested such extraordinary wonderful qualities, then we follow that.
