Get back into your natural element

0 Posted by - October 22, 2012 - Radhanath Swami

 

Years ago, I was walking along the sea shore and I saw a little fish about three or four inches in size. But this little fish was in so much worry, flapping again and again, lying on the dry sand. I do not know whether it was a male fish or a female one. Let’s say it was a male fish, so that the fish could be addressed as ‘he’. So I looked in his eyes and he just looked in total confusion, frustration and misery. Somehow or other a wave had washed this little fish up and there he was, lying on the sand. The fish could not breathe properly. He was flapping and suffering.

Now I could have got a female fish and put next to him; would that be of any help? I could have got some mango lassi with some nice sanitized straw and put it next to him. I could have got him a diamond ring or a ruby crown. I could have offered him a BMW. Would anything of that make him happy?

Because he was out of his natural element, nothing could make him happy. So I tried to pick up that little fish and throw him back into the ocean. But he was so intensely worrying that every time I picked him up he just flapped so hard that he flapped right out of hand back into the sand. And I picked him again, but again he flapped out of my hand into the sand. At least 5 times I picked him up and he flapped out.

I was his well wisher trying to save his life but he could not recognize me, because he was just in such a state of trauma. Finally, with both my hands I cupped him and trapped him so he couldn’t get out; then I threw him as far as I could into the ocean.

– Radhanath Swami

9 Comments

  • admin November 6, 2012 - 6:14 pm
  • Sumit Sharma January 26, 2013 - 12:49 am

    Very nice story by Radhanath Swami. We can try to make ourselves happy in one way or the other without considering the fact that we are the spirit souls and that there is no material thing that can make us happy. However, if we assimilate the teachings of great saint like Radhanath Swami and other bonafide spiritualists, we start understanding that the only thing that can make us really happy is the devotional service to the Lord because we are spirit souls.

  • Aishwarya January 28, 2013 - 10:45 am

    Very enlightening how only re-instating in one’s original state can only make us happy.

  • pratik desai February 2, 2013 - 3:36 am

    This story is from Journey Home but the story shared here is not complete. The complete story gives full realization of the overall picture.

  • Ravi Garg March 4, 2013 - 11:56 pm

    Wonderful article by Swamiji…….

  • Anil Timbe March 28, 2013 - 2:49 pm

    Wow.. such a stunning realization by seeing life of fish without water. Thanks to Radhanath Swami for sharing such a valuable lesson.

  • Jitendra Pardeshi April 3, 2013 - 10:44 pm

    Material pleasure for the spirit soul are incompatible – like oil and water. Thank you Radhanath Swami Maharaj for sharing such a compassionate act from the real life (our only hope) and teaching such a fundamental truth of everyone’s life.

  • Shankar Pandit das April 11, 2013 - 4:35 am

    Radhanath Swami has narrated a natural, simple, practical yet very instructive incident , with wonderful lessons that one can draw from. The shore of the riverbed can be compared to the material world, where the fish of the conditioned living entity gets pushed by the waves towards the shore. When he encounters a selfless well wisher , auspiciousness begins in his life. Although being in a trauma, he is unable to recognise his well wisher, he ultimately gets delivered because of the repetitive, tireless & compassionate efforts of the well wisher.

  • Paramesvara Dasa May 20, 2013 - 8:47 am

    God is so great as He put everryone in his natural state. But we want to enjoy unnaturally and consequently suffering ever. Now, undewrstanding our natural state and get back to it so that we can live happily for ever. All glories to HH Radhanatha Svami Maharaja.