A long-haired devotee, his body covered with various devotional tattoos, sat next to me during lunch. He kept speaking about his desire to become initiated.
Why do you want to accept initiation from a spiritual master?” I asked him casually.
Confused about my question, he replied: “I don’t know! It is a good question.” I will need to think about this.
Noticing his discomfort, I changed the topic.
Later, in the evening, I read Caitanya Caritamrita, the story about Raghunath Das Goswami. He was a great, saintly devotee, born into a very wealthy family that provided him with all the facilities for material prosperity. Raghunath was not interested in material enjoyment. His heart was set on dedicating his life to Lord Caitanya. On multiple occasions, he tried to run away from home and join Lord Caitanya, but he was caught and brought back by his overprotective parents each time. Despite great luxury, from a very young age, he desired to renounce the world and become a sadhu.
Eventually, he met with Lord Nityananda, who instructed him to serve devotees. With the blessings of Lord Nityananda and the devotees, Raghunath escaped and ran to Lord Caitanya.
All odds were against Raghunath to serve Lord Caitanya, but he succeeded due to his strong desire and blessings from devotees. Almost 500 years later, Raghunath is still celebrated for his renunciation and commitment to his master. He knew what he wanted, and he gave his all for that. He didn’t hold back, and as a result, he received great mercy.
Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said: “If a man has not discovered something that he is ready to die for, he isn’t fit to live.”
Simply performing devotional service is not enough; we should own it, take responsibility, and constantly want to improve.
Raghunath had a mission, and he surrendered his life for that. After serving Lord Caitanya for many years, on his order, he eventually moved to Vrindavan and dedicated his time to writing, studying scriptures, and performing sadhana.
We can’t imitate great saints, but we should follow in their footsteps. Each step of our spiritual life should be done sincerely, with a commitment and a proper understanding. Then spiritual success is guaranteed.
Ananta Gopal Das
18.08.2024
Bhakti Wisdom 