To be able, like Radhanath Swami, to write a book like The Journey Home and call it an autobiography is something that only a tiny fraction of men throughout history have had the opportunity to do. And it is difficult to imagine how satisfying it must be to look back and have experienced a story like this, as incredible as instructive, and only not exemplary because it could never be lived by an ordinary man. To have similar experiences, one must have the courage of madmen, who fear nothing and are always willing to lose what they have. But there is further proof that madness pays off, and that this world seems somewhat different to those willing to sacrifice themselves to achieve what they most intimately desire.
In a Personal Account, It Can Be Observed…
In a personal account, it can be observed that sincerity, when authentic, makes the interlocutor tolerate practically everything. When not indulgence, it at least elicits goodwill and understanding. Thus, for example, sincere repentance causes instant sympathy, very different from the feeling that arises in the interlocutor when faced, in an identical account, with the addition of justification. Because, deep down, one always reacts to the motivating feeling, and it is not necessary to undergo specialized training to readily differentiate between frankness and self-love.
Whenever We Tend to Complain About Bad Luck…
Whenever we tend to complain about bad luck, about the obstacles imposed by fate, it is worth remembering a handful of biographies, both ancient and modern, that demonstrate how much can be achieved with willpower alone. The effect is humbling. Because, in truth, when this is strong enough, one does what one wants. And the endless examples lead to the conclusion that lack of conditions and resources are less real impediments than subterfuges employed by those who perhaps do not want it enough, or simply do not deserve what they regret not being able to achieve.
Health Is One of the Most Interesting Topics…
Health is one of the most interesting topics we hear about, largely because there is very little consensus and too much debate. A historical analysis shows how the most disparate notions have been created and lost, causing upheavals in the concept of what is healthy. Habits that were considered beneficial by the Greeks were branded as harmful centuries later. Conversely, what was harmful became beneficial, and all this in a cycle that seems never-ending. Guidance is extremely difficult, but there is undoubtedly much to be learned from this study, including the fact that it is, more than one might imagine, an individual study.