Descending Closely Behind Radhanath Swami

Cool breezes swept across the open terrace of the two- storied house as hundred-odd people sat there cross-legged, listening to a spiritual discourse.  The three of us, medical students, had to settle in the rear, close to the exit that led to the floors below; we had joined late. The speaker was supposed to be Radhanath Swami, but his student was on stage instead. Wanting to know the reason for the change, I whispered an inquiry to a neighbor. “Radhanath Swami is sick,” he whispered back, pointing to a person who sat a few rows ahead. There sat Radhanath Swami, with his back facing us, and his head and ears covered with a muffler. My neighbor added that Radhanath Swami had come despite his sickness, for he didn’t want to disappoint his host. Nonetheless, his bad health wouldn’t permit him to discourse.

After the program ended, on our way down, something interesting happened on the staircase.  We were closely behind Radhanath Swami as he descended. People had left behind their shoes on the stairway, leaving no gaps on the steps to even place a foot. But Radhanath Swami would neither step on the shoes nor use his foot to shove them aside. On every step he would bend down.  Then with his hands he would carefully keep aside one pair of shoes that was on the next step, creating sufficient space to place his foot on. In this way he descended, step by step, handling as many pairs of shoes as there were steps.

Materially he was sick, but his humility disclosed his perfect spiritual health.

— Dr. Praveen Bairagi

Related Posts:

• What it feels like to be with Radhanath Swami?
• No Halters on the Cows
• Austerity of Monkhood
• The phone call
• The Ugly Cat