On Sunday, June 21, 2015 Radhanath Swami attended the “Transformation, Leadership & Spirituality in Medicine” conference in Edison, New Jersey. The event was well attended by over 200 professionals. Guests were captured in rapt attention as esteemed speakers shared their heart-moving stories.
As the keynote speaker, Radhanath Swami delivered a talk centered around his experiences in the field of medicine. He began with a powerful statement, “We’ve all come together to appreciate each other’s contributions to one another, and for the purpose of healing. It’s quite groundbreaking and revolutionizing”.
Radhanath Swami spoke of how members of a project inspired by his teachings, the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai, recently went to Nepal after the recent devastating earthquake. He recounted that there were all kinds of doctors there – allopathic, Ayurvedic, naturopathic, etc. treating the injuries and broken limbs. However, he succinctly pointed out, more than broken limbs in Nepal, were broken hearts. There was starvation of stomachs, but more significantly, there was starvation of hearts. What the patients needed was not only medical attention, but also a holistic spiritual care.
Radhanath Swami asked, “Why in the world does everybody want to be healthy?” He answered his own question based on wisdom from ancient Vedic literature. “It is because every human being is looking for pleasure or happiness. Pain and disease interfere with that happiness. Material things may give the body/mind fulfillment, but to love and be loved through compassion is the only thing that leads to an overall fulfillment.” He eloquently pointed out that this is why we need to heal holistically, including the mind, body and the soul. “Academically, we have been taught that knowledge is how much data we can store in our brain and regurgitate. True knowledge, however, is based on one principle – to see every living being as equal. If we cannot do that, we are diseased by ignorance.”
Radhanath Swami fondly recalled practical applications of his memories about the Redwood trees. “The roots of these trees are not so deep and the soil surrounding them is not nicely cultivated for growth. However, what sets these special trees apart is that the roots grow outwards, and when two roots come close they embrace and interconnect themselves. Thus, when earthquakes, forest fires, or any calamities occurs, united they stand. Unity is their strength.” Radhanath Swami stated that nature is teaching us that the true strength we have is in our compassion for one another – the roots are in our consciousness. By shifting our consciousness to one of compassion and love, we are fulfilling the highest dharma of this world.
A captivated audience expressed their sincere, heartfelt gratitude to Radhanath Swami for sharing his thoughts.
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