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RADHANATH SWAMIauthor | spiritual teacher | guide | inspirer

www.radhanathswami.co.uk

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The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami(Mandala Publishing, 2010)

How did Richard Slavin, born and raised inthe suburbs of Chicago, become RadhanathSwamione of Indias most respectedspiritual leaders and a renowned master ofHinduisms devotional yoga tradition? Inhis aptly titled memoirs The Journey Home:

Autobiography of an American Swami ,Radhanath Swami tells the tale, weavingtogether a colorful tapestry of adventure,mysticism and love to share his extraordinarystory with grace and humility.

Readers follow the young Richard from hissuburban upbringing to his involvement

with the Civil Rights and counterculturemovements of the late 1960s and onwards toa remarkable journey that finds the 19 yearold hitchhiking across three continents on aspiritual quest. We learn of near-fatal run-ins

with drug smugglers and life-changing lessonsimparted by the reclusive cave-dwelling yogisin the Himalayas. Perhaps most significantly,

we are gifted with the opportunity to witnessRadhanath Swamis transformation from

young seeker to sincere student and finallyto a spiritual guide and teacher in his ownright. The Journey Home is thus both anintimate account of the steps one man tookto seek self-awareness and also a penetrating

glimpse into the challenges that all souls must face on the road toinner harmony and union with the Divine. On one level, the Swamis story sheds light on devotional

Hinduisms mystic traditions; on another level, however, it speaks to a broader, more universal search formeaning and truth.

In sharing his story with the world through The Journey Home, Radhanath Swami hopes that the lessonshe learned on his quest can help inspire others on their own spiritual journeys.

This isnt a book about me, he says, it is a story of how the Divine can work through any of us toaccomplish wonderful things.

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Acclaim forThe Journey Home: Autobiography of

an American SwamiHere is an inspiring chapter of our story of spiritual pilgrimage to the East. It shows the inner journeyof awakening in a fascinating and spellbinding way.

(Ram Dass; Teacher and author, Be Here Now )

I respect my friend, Shri Radhanath Swamiji, who pursued his spiritual journey experiencing unity in

diversity which is a part and parcel of Indian culture culminating his journey from seeker to the state ofseer. I hope many who read, aspire to experience what Radhanath Swami experienced.(B.K.S. Iyengar; Teacher and author, Light on Yoga)

We should imagine a kind of dialoguenot of religions or theologies this timebut of women and men ofdifferent traditions who, upon reaching a certain age, tell their stories with a certain wisdom and humorand in that way speak to one another across religious boundaries. In particular, Radhanaths accountinvites us baby-boomersto look a little deeper into how we found, lost, kept, gave away, were given (back)the faithhow we managed to find the 1960s a time of grace and wonder. For this invitation, we can allbe grateful to Swami Radhanath.

(Francis X. Clooney; Professor, Harvard Divinity School)

Books like The Journey Home provide us with a profound opportunity to enter into presenceto havesatsangwith spiritual seekers, saints, and holy beings through reading about their lives. This can cause atransformation of our whole being because we become like the company we keep.

(Sharon Gannon; Co-Founder, Jiva Mukti Yoga method and school)

The Journey Home is a rare and intimate view into the initiation and process of becoming a swamithrough the fire of Bhakti Yoga and the extraordinary sacred landscape of India. An inspiring journey

for all.(Shiva Rea; Teacher, Prana Flow Yoga)

This book is a powerful guide for all those who wish to have the spiritual awakening and exploration ofinner truth.

(Dr. Vasant Lad; Founder, The Ayurvedic Institute)

A generational journey to the East by one who found the real goal of all seeking, The Journey Home isone of the most remarkable and intimate portrayals of the life and adventure of an American Swami,

providing the reader the opportunity for a similar transformation.(Dr. David Frawley; Director, American Institute of Vedic Studies)


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Biography A Bhakti Yoga practitioner for more than 40 years, RadhanathSwami is one of todays most beloved and respected spiritualteachers. He is a guide, community builder, activist, andacclaimed author. Rooted in his study of ancient Indias mysticdevotional tradition, Radhanath Swamis message is as profoundas it is simple: by cultivating a rich inner life of self-awarenessand a genuine practice of service, we can become instruments ofcompassion and agents of sustainable change in the world.

Born into a middle class Jewish family in Chicago, RadhanathSwami (ne Richard Slavin) became an active participant inthe civil rights movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s.He soon discovered, however, that social transformation begins

with personal change, and at the age of 19 he embarked on aremarkable quest for meaning in life. This adventure, detailed inhis memoir The Journey Home: Autobiography of an AmericanSwami (Mandala Publishing, 2010), took him hitchhikingacross Europe and the Middle Eastthrough Turkey, Iran,

Afghanistan, Pakistan, and finally to India. In India, studyingat the feet of some of the foremost spiritual teachers and yoga masters, he eventually reached the innersanctum of Indias mystic devotional tradition. Accepting this as his path, Radhanath Swami returned tothe West to share the gifts of wisdom that he had received.

Today, Radhanath Swami is the founder and coordinator of multiple spiritual communities throughoutthe world, the most prominent of which is the Radha Gopinath Ashram located in Mumbai, India.Under his inspiration and guidance, the project has grown to include missionary hospitals, orphanages,eco-friendly farms, schools, temples, emergency relief programs, and a food distribution program thatfeeds more than 250,000 indigent children in downtown Mumbai every day. In spite of his manyresponsibilities, he also travels widely, teaching Eastern philosophy and spiritually throughout Europe,

Asia, and America. He has been featured as a guest speaker in universities such as Princeton, Harvard,

Columbia and Stanford, and in corporations such as HSBC, Microsoft, Intel and Oracle.

While maintaining his own rigorous practice as a Vaishnava Hindu monk, Radhanath Swami is also ableto speak to universal principles of spirituality that cut across the faith spectrums and transcend sectariandifferences.


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Selected Projects at a GlanceSri Sri Radha Gopinath Ashram

A flourishing spiritual community in the heart of downtown Mumbaibuilt on principles of unity, loveand spiritual carethat serves as an oasis of inspiration for thousands of people, and is the hub of ShareYour Care and its affiliated projects.

Congregation of more than 5000 community members from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, income strata, and ethnicity

Monastery with 180 full-time monks and Traditional Vaishnava Hindu temple and center for spiritual education

and culture 12 satellite centres around Mumbai

Bhaktivedanta Hospital & Healthcare Initiatives A non-profit organization whose prime mission is to provide quality health care service to the underprivi- leged. The hospital integrates cutting-edge medical technology with time-honored holistic sciences to offerpatients solace for the body, mind and spirit. Also includes mobile medical and eye camps, disaster relief,hospice care, and preventative education.

More than 30,000 patient screenings More than 25,000 patients treated for pulmonary and gastrointestinaldiseases More than 2500 dental procedures More than 100 medical camps across India to date

Midday Meals An innovative social service initiative based on the insight that childhood hunger is a prime reason for il-

literacy and the vicious cycle of poverty in India. With government support, Midday Meals feeds 250,000children nutritious meals every day in the schools of greater Mumbais lowest income areas.

Meals adhere to highest standards of cleanliness and nutition Meals prepared in 4 industrial kitchens equipped with automaticconveyor belts, flightkitchen grade ventilation and drainage, and 660 lb.capacity steam-jacketed cauldrons Meals delivered in tamper-proof stainless steel containers and 69 rack-fitted delivery vehicles to 1225 schools everyday


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Photos

Radhanath Swami speaker at conference

Radhanath Swami portrait


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The Journey Home book cover

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Radhanath Swami prior to the journey

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Radhanath Swamis journey across Europe

Journey across the Middle East, South Central Asia and then India

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Radhanath Swami with the Dalai Lama after the journey

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Radhanath Swami with the Mother Theresa after the journey

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Radhanath Swami was invited to meet with the President Obama

Radhanath Swami meets President of India, Ms. Pratibha Patil

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