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Radhanath Swami writes his realization that a guru or a spiritual master with the stick of knowledge cleans the dirty wax of egotism accumulated in the heart of the disciple. This wax of ego prevents us from clearly hearing God's voice within. But the guru lovingly cleans us.

"The nature of the mind is to interpret nonessentials essential. The mind creates artificial needs, believing it cannot live without them. In this way we carry a great burden of attachments throughout our life. Attachment is itself a great burden on our minds. We may never understand the extent of the burden till, like my books or the earwax, we're free of it. But if we find joy within, we can live a simple life, free of endless complications."

"If you have a boil on your body and if somebody squeezes it, it really hurts. If you don't have a boil on your body you can squeeze that same part and it doesn't hurt. But if you do have one if somebody even looks on it, it hurts. So where there is pride, it is like that boil filled with that puss."

Rupa Goswami initiated Jiva Goswami and Jiva became very dear to his guru. Once a powerful scholar named Rupa Narayana came to Vrindavan. His false ego was even greater than his knowledge. He had a jaya patra, a certificate where any one he defeated had to sign.

"In today's age, where can we find proficient spiritual coaches who can save the character-game for us?" The answer is simple: Seek and you shall find. One who is sincere, the Bhagavad Gita explains, is helped by the Supreme Lord. Radhanath Swami's memoir, The Journey Home, is a brilliant read that boosts our faith in God's help. In it Radhanath Swami shares with us his teenage quest for a guru: how he persevered with patience, and how he was lead to the guru he sought, by a power beyond his own. The adventures that accompany this quest make the book spine-chilling.

Radhanath Swami reveals that spiritual life can present temptations that distract us from our goal. One should not practice spiritual practices for either monetary gain or for worldly popularity. The real bliss of spiritual life will be missing from our lives if we succumb to pursuing ephemeral goals of wanting prestige and power in this material world.

Radhanath Swami implores that let us not make this mistake of denying the reality that we have negativities in our heart and we need to change. Rather let us happily accept the changes we have to make. They are for our good. These transformations bring us closer to God and give us real and lasting happiness.

An excellent way to overcome selfishness is by offering prayers for others. Sincere prayers for the well being of others enriches our own hearts with the Lord's loving presence, and brings deep, lasting fulfilment; it also empowers us with the spiritual strength to serve others happily.

"Some years ago, I met Mother Teresa at Kolkata. She told me that the greatest problem in the world is hunger; not hunger of the belly, but hunger of the heart." - Radhanath Swami

"Love is the process of conquering and getting conquered" - Radhanath Swami.

Spirituality invigorates our enthusiasm through what I call the "lever effect." A little physical power wisely invested at an optimal point on the lever, a simple machine, could be used to move a massive rock. As a lever amplifies physical power, spirituality amplifies our enthusiasm to serve. A little enthusiasm wisely invested in meditation every morning, in time brings forth a resurgence of unlimited and sustained enthusiasm for selfless service-a long forgotten treasure of every soul, and the long sought-after ornament of every great leader.

"For a relationship like marriage to work in this world, it is very difficult! In fact, for anything great to work in this world, it is very difficult."-Radhanath Swami

The nature of the mind is that sometimes you like each other and sometimes you don't like each other; sometimes you are angry with each other and sometimes you are happy with each other. This is because the ego is very flickering, the mind is even more flickering, and the senses are all the more flickering - Radhanath Swami

Very interesting 3 point formula given here by Radhanath Swami which is the bottomline of effective chanting - "Listen, listen, listen"!

This is your section. Answer case studies and share your solutions with other thoughtful people. The struggles and joys of a Bhakti Yogi are explored here with real life situations. What would you do if you were placed in the same situation as the character revealed in the case study. Radhanath Swami has presented mantra yoga as a practical path that any sincere practitioner can pursue. Some of the characters in these exercises may echo your own troubled emotions and struggles. Knowing that you are not alone, and you too could make a positive difference to the lives of other spiritual seekers, will empower you to practise spiritual principles with enthusiasm and determination.

Dealing with negativity in a positive way is called tolerance. - Radhanath Swami