During his travels, Radhanath Swami met many saints, some of them were well-known, while the others relatively unknown. In Vrindavan he met Krishnadas Babaji, a humble sadhu with rich spiritual realizations. The following is an excerpt from The Journey Home that contains the interactions of Radhanath Swami with Krishnadas Babaji. Each morning as the sun was rising, Asim and I met in the courtyard to speak with Swami Bon Maharaja. Afterward, when Asim left for the college to assist his guru, I hurried to the temple. There, from eight o’clock until half past noon, Krishnadas Babaji sat every day alone on the floor absorbed in singing devotional songs. I sat by his side. His eyes radiated with spiritual emotion, and he often struggled to restrain tears. While chanting, he played a two-headed clay drum called mrdanga. Although his voice was simple, it was saturated with a devotional power that penetrated my heart. Every morning at 4:30, Babaji was given the honor of leading the assembly of monks in prayer. As prayer grew to kirtan, or congregational chanting, everyone danced in joyous abandon. While beating his drum, Babaji, who was small, thin and old, would dance out from the Krishna temple and into the courtyard as the rest of the devotees trailed behind him. Entering into a small temple of Shiva, he sang loudly as twenty monks leapt high, bells clanging. Then, leading the procession around the tulasi garden and back into the temple, Babaji performed a grand finale that electrified the normally grave monks, who went wild with bliss. This was how every day began in the ashram. At seventy years old, Krishnadas Babaji was like an inexhaustible volcano, erupting with devotion each time he sang the glories of the Lord…. His words struck me as so simple and true. I longed to learn more. “What is the best way to chant?” I asked. His eyes glazed with emotion and, closing them, he sang a Sanskrit verse and explained, “Lord Chaitanya taught that one should strive to be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, and to offer all respect to others while expecting none for one’s self. In this way, one can chant the Lord’s names constantly.” He stroked the grass on the ground between us. “You see this grass? It is happy to serve everyone, even by remaining in the most humble position under our feet. Whenever it’s stepped on, it comes right back up, to serve. We can learn from this humility.” He bowed his head toward the tree behind us. “You see that tree? It tolerates the burning summer sun while giving us shade. It tolerates the bitter cold while giving wood to keep us warm and it may stand for months without a drop of water, while giving us juicy fruits to quench our thirst, all of this without complaint. We should learn tolerance from the tree. Lord Chaitanya taught that we should aspire to be the humble servants of the servant of the servant of the Lord. Only in this way can we taste the nectar of the Holy Name.” Then Babaji stood up and, with a hearty laugh, rubbed the top of my head and strolled away along the riverbank. I remained, staring into the deep blue water of the Yamuna. Still wide from the monsoon rains, she flowed quietly through the forest and fields of Vrindavan. His words are like precious jewels, I thought, and because he so sincerely practices them in his life, they deeply penetrate my heart. At that moment an upsurge of peace sprung from within me. I felt I was just where I needed to be. Tagged: devotional power , krishnadas babaji , Radhanath Swami , tolerance , upsurge of peace
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:49:06 +0000
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