“Am I getting old?” a thought sneaked into my mind. I was in my car, returning from a festival that bubbled with enthusiasm, with young men exuberantly dancing in kirtan in a style introduced by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a bhakti saint of the 16th century. Through it all I was feeling the opposite—unenthusiastic and sluggish. Now my intelligence figured out why—perhaps I was getting old.
Through the train window I watched as the plains of Andhra Pradesh Sate, India, spread out before me. Hot air wafted in from there, worsening the sweltering heat inside the compartment. Austerities of the pilgrimage have already begun. I sighed.
Everybody has two sides to his/her personality, one of which is the divine. You should focus on the divine side and fan it. Real leadership means to bring the best side of everyone.
I cling on to these words spoken by Radhnath Swami whenever I feel cynical about the people I lead.
While we savored Bhakti Yoga during our stay at the monastery in Mumbai, we developed a deep longing to share that experience with others. Prodded by fellow feelings, the three of us, all Americans, first wanted to reach out to our countrymen touring Mumbai. We decided to visit a neighborhood tourist trap, Colaba. But first, we sought blessings from Radhanath Swami.
Radhanath Swami’s eyes gleamed with joy seeing us exuberant
“Where do we go next?” asked the chauffeur, as he slowed down the vehicle. I gazed out through the window, and an eerie sensation seized me. Nothing looked familiar. Maybe, we were lost! I had recently arrived in Kolkata after being appointed as Vice President of ISKCON there, and knew only few sections of the city.
On this drive, Radhanath Swami and his secretary were my co-passengers. I was escorting Radhanath Swami from the ISKCON Temple, where he stayed during his Kolkata visit, to ISKCON House,
