A lady had a bird cage. A neighbor came over and looked at the bird cage, and it was beautifully decorated. It was actually gilded with gold, and there was emerald and diamonds, nice ribbons and silks decorating it. The lady said, “See my bird cage.” The neighbor looked and was horrified. The bird cage looked fantastic, but the bird inside was dead due to starvation.
It’s a kind of a simplistic analogy, but it’s an analogy of our times. People are so concerned with what they have, what they wear and what their titles are, but the living force within us, the heart, is starving for actual real fulfillment.
—Radhanath Swami
18 Comments
True, we are all so caught up with the externals that we do not pay attention to the internal (our soul). We must try to feed the soul with spirituality by chanting the holy names of the Lord.
Truly, it is the greatest need of the soul to love and be loved. His Holiness Radhanath Swami explains that the source of this love is the love between the soul and God
Perfect analogy!
Thank you very much for sharing this.
Swamiji has so beautifully described the sorry condition of materialistic people……
Thank you Radhanath swami for this eye opening analogy
The bird is happy when he is free and is suffering when he is in cage made up of temporary material elements.It is analogous with the embodied soul in this material world.The embodied soul when in cage (body) has to undergo various sufferings of this material world,for example repeated birth and death.The soul is happy when he is free i.e. engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality Godhead Lord Krishna.
It is very nice it how modern living is today striving for only externals
Smiling faces and crying hearts
Hare Krishna Thank you for sharing a nice article
Ignorance must be expelled just by approaching a Spiritual Master. All glories to HH Radhanatha Svami Maharaja.
Thank you for sharing a nice article
True ! Most of us always hankering for external satisfaction and never satisfied by doing so much external beautification as well, because the cage is meant for bird and she starved and died this shows that living entities are ignoring the soul but just fulfilling the external desire. Ironically I’d say this is our conditioning and I really thankful to Radhanath swami who always inspire with his deep-deep meditative articles.
True! people are missing this simple point and going on decorating “the Body Cage ” without giving importance to Soul which is our REAL identity
Thank you for sharing this article :).
Thankl you for sharing this wonderful article :)>
Very nicely explained- The soul is happy when he is free with nice example.
Nice article. Jai Gurudev !!
Jai gurudev!
Very true. Thank you Gurumaharaj