2012 | Jan 20
Overcoming distractions
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was also disappointed to see a yogi use his mystic powers ...”
38 comments 05
Are austerities needed in spiritual life?
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was intrigued by the Naga Babas; their austerities and rigorous life ...”
44 comments | |||||||||||
2011 | Dec 22
Miracle of God’s creation
“One person that amazed me on reading ‘Journey Home’ is Balshiva Yogi. This Yogi was ...”
55 comments 08
Living in harmony with Mother Nature
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) learned to live in harmony with nature. His companions in the ...”
48 comments | Nov 24
Sufferings to remember God
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) travelled to Dehra Dun to see Anandamayi Ma, an extraordinary woman ...”
73 comments 14
Yoga defies Medical science
“One day Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw an amazing display of yogic powers that left ...”
39 comments | Oct 27
Language of Love
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s most unforgettable experience at Dev Prayag was with Kailash Baba. An ...”
42 comments 02
Substance behind shallowness
“At Rishikesh one day, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) found himself surrounded by lepers; they pressed ...”
72 comments | Sep 10
Happiness by connecting to God
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) found Mahavirdas Tat Walla Baba impressive; he was about six feet ...”
120 comments | Aug 18
Desperately seeking truth
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) continued to be a wandering pilgrim; he wished to learn from ...”
102 comments 03
Intelligent use of Time
“After a month long fasting on Ganges Richard (now Radhanath Swami) rejoiced at the ...”
107 comments | Jul 22
Learning sacrifice from Ganges
“Richard felt that although his harmonica was his constant companion and shared all his joys ...”
72 comments 11
More lessons from Mother Ganges
“Every day Mother Ganges taught many lessons to Richard (now Radhanath Swami). One day Richard ...”
72 comments 02
Mother Ganga teaches perseverance
“Mother Ganges taught valuable lessons to Richard (now Radhanath Swami). One of them was the ...”
63 comments | Jun 23
Beauty and Grace of Mother Ganga
“On the bank of river Ganga, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) resolved to sit in silence ...”
61 comments 07
The Precious Human life
“At the foothills of Himalayas, the first sight of the mountain and river Ganges thrilled ...”
46 comments | May 27
Charmed by a mysterious person
“At Connaught Circus, on a sidewalk, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw prints of various Indian ...”
53 comments 18
Taking responsibility for our spiritual lives
“J.Krishnamurti impressed upon Richard (now Radhanath Swami) the need to give up superficiality in spiritual ...”
73 comments 09
We don’t want peace… but Love
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s innocent expectations were disappointed when the ‘peace’ conference organized by Christopher ...”
74 comments 03
Controlling the Mind
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was excited to see a sign, ‘The World Yoga Conference’ and ...”
97 comments | Apr 25
Need for a vegetarian diet
“A pedestrian at Chandni Chowk offered Richard (now Radhanath Swami) food at a roadside restaurant. ...”
139 comments 18
One man’s food is another’s poison
“On entering India, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) travelled from Firozpur to old Delhi. He unwittingly ...”
109 comments 12
American by birth, Indian at heart
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s six months of adventure filled travels was now entering an exciting ...”
108 comments 06
Lust : a deadly enemy
“Due to a small mistake of the immigration officials at Kabul, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) ...”
120 comments 01
Learning lessons from Nature
“Radhanath Swami is expert in learning from all. At Kandahar, Radhanath Swami learnt patience from ...”
82 comments | Mar 28
Different types of intoxication
“Once, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) landed at a Hashish dungeon at Kandahar, surrounded by old ...”
76 comments 21
Exemplifying Tolerance
“At Kandahar, Mr Hariz hosted Richard (now Radhanath Swami). Once while having a philosophical discussion ...”
96 comments 16
Going beyond the body
“At Herat Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was shaken by the culture shock. All at once, ...”
52 comments 12
Love God, Love all
“The immigration officials at Afghanistan offered Richard (now Radhanath Swami) a cordial welcome, quite different ...”
57 comments 08
Seeing the essence amongst Shia Muslims
“At Mashed, a place of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was pleasantly ...”
55 comments 04
Responsibility of parents
“While travelling through the Iranian deserts, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was filled with concern for ...”
54 comments | Feb 26
Giving spiritual impressions to children
“At the town of Erzerum, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) suffered from dysentery and an angry ...”
68 comments 22
Embracing hope during crisis
“At Istanbul, Richard (now Radhanath Swami), Jeff and Ramsey had a close shave, making a ...”
52 comments 17
Overcoming negativity through positivity
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had no idea about India but was determined to go there. ...”
48 comments 10
Abandoning bodily identifications
“After a few adventures at Athens, Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) hitchhiked to the ...”
38 comments 07
When Mr Time strikes
“At one monastery Richard (now Radhanath Swami) and Gary saw the monks meditate in rooms ...”
45 comments 02
Dangers of hypocrisy
“At a bookstore in Rome, Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s lower nature overcame him; he stole ...”
47 comments | Jan 28
Is the God of all religions same?
“At Rome Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had a candid talk with a monk from the ...”
41 comments 19
Saying ‘No’ to temptations
“At a Cathedral in Florence, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) underwent a spiritual experience. As he ...”
52 comments 15
Seeing the beautiful plan of god
“Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) were at France and wondered where to go now. ...”
68 comments 11
Can bodily pleasures give lasting happiness?
“The more Richard (now Radhanath Swami) tried to fit in with the social norms of ...”
91 comments 06
Happiness by watering the root
“While travelling to London with Gary, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was struck by the photograph ...”
87 comments 03
A voluntary life of poverty
“On their very first night at Luxembourg, Frank was robbed of all his money. Richard ...”
72 comments |
2010 | Dec 30
This world is a dangerous place
“Along with Frank and Gary, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) decided to go on a trip ...”
57 comments 24
From ‘absorber’ to an ‘observer’
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) began to question the values that the American society championed. He ...”
58 comments 21
Offering meaningful prayers
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) wasn’t even a teenager when he enquired from his Rabbi the ...”
50 comments 16
The Triple ‘P’ formula to overcome obstacles
“As a young nineteen year old Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was often a victim of ...”
77 comments 11
Is Radhanath Swami carrying past life impressions?
“I often wonder how a seven year old American child could have mannerisms of sadhus, ...”
84 comments 08
Learning gratitude from family
“Radhanath Swami writes that his parents Gerald and Idelle Slavin were emblems of gratitude, kindness, ...”
79 comments 06
Seeking shelter in prayer
“Little Richie (now Radhanath Swami) was shaken by the experience at Danny’s cellar; he was ...”
62 comments 03
An Incredible reunion
“In a remote forest at the Pokhara valley, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) meets Gary again, ...”
57 comments 01
Choosing a guru
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) meditated on Srila Prabhupada’s sacrifice, his enduring consecutive heart attacks at ...”
59 comments | Nov 29
Challenging the idea of detachment
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had once judged Srila Prabhupada’s western disciples for carrying cameras and ...”
38 comments 26
Srila Prabhupada - the epitome of humility and compassion
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was glad to meet Shyamsundar, the devotee who had fed him ...”
47 comments 24
Is Absolute Truth Personal or Impersonal?
“For some time, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had been troubled by a fundamental philosophical dispute ...”
42 comments 22
Being an instrument of kindness
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was sometimes rebuked by Srila Prabhupada’s leading disciples. They pressured him ...”
56 comments 19
Culture of love and appreciation
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was wonderstruck to know of Srila Prabhupada’s journey to the west. ...”
76 comments 17
Transcending material problems by spirituality
44 comments
15
The path of divinity revealed
“Finally at Vrindavan, in the Samadhi, tomb of a renowned saint named Rupa Goswami, Richard ...”
50 comments 13
The power of faith
“In the association of Ramesh Baba, at the remote mountains of Varsana, thirty kilometres from ...”
36 comments 11
An unforgettable lesson on humility
“While Richard (now Radhanath Swami) often questioned what real humility was and how it works, ...”
57 comments 09
Personal God and the virtue of balance
“While in Vrindavan, Radhanath Swami contrasted the interesting lifestyle of Vishaka Sharan Baba with the ...”
95 comments 05
God - the greatest or the sweetest?
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) and Asim Krishna met a mystical lover of Krishna, Sripad Baba. ...”
89 comments 03
The secret of feminine divinity
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) observed that everyone in Vrindavan loves Radha very much. He humbly ...”
72 comments 01
Becoming trustworthy
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) learnt an important lesson while staying at Bon Maharaj’s ashram. One ...”
76 comments | Oct 29
Surrendering the ego by shaving the head
“Everyone in Bon Maharaj’s ashram where Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was staying complained about his ...”
89 comments 28
From idol worship to Deity worship
“When Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had first seen people worshipping an image of the Lord ...”
69 comments 26
Rasa dance - an expression of selfless love
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) discovered that the religion of residents of Vrindavan was not reserved ...”
95 comments 25
Neem Karoli Baba and Baba Ram Dass
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) met an extraordinary saint, Neem Karoli Baba, in Vrindavan. The Baba ...”
85 comments 22
Humility and tolerance
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) soon learnt that one of the most special devotees in Vrindavan ...”
123 comments 20
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati - A revolutionary guru
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) met Asim Krishna’s guru, Swami Bon Maharaj. He showered warmth and ...”
124 comments 18
Praying to carry out God’s will
“Affected by the atmosphere of Vrindavan, a longing to learn about Krishna awakened in Richard ...”
135 comments 13
A natural resident of Vrindavan
“Radhanath Swami ‘accidentally’ (or so, it appears to my ordinary vision) lands up at Mathura, ...”
153 comments 11
From lust to love
“At Mathura Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) were hosted by a guru who had ...”
147 comments 08
Celebrating God’s birthday
“Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) boarded a train at Varanasi, and were compressed in ...”
125 comments 06
Human life - a special gift of God
“For no apparent reason, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had an urge to walk from Swayambhunath ...”
103 comments 04
Is God a person?
“
While wandering in the forests, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) came upon Sita Rama Baba, ‘the ...”
132 comments 01
Overcoming fear by connecting to God
“Just below the hill of Bodhnath, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw an interesting sight. A ...”
121 comments | Sep 30
Family culture in Eastern traditions
“On his return to Janakpur, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was fascinated to meet a young, ...”
119 comments 27
Curing black magic spells
“At Janakpur, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) met Vasudev, a handsome sadhu in his early thirties. ...”
152 comments 24
Hypocrisy destroys faith
“Richard From Kathmandu, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) arrived at Janakpur, known in the scriptures as ...”
139 comments 22
Starving the bad dog and feeding the good dog
“Carrying the stick given by Rama Sevaka Swami, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) hitchhiked and reached ...”
143 comments 20
Lord Rama - God as an ideal person
“Each morning at Rama Sevaka Swami’s ashram, five sadhus gathered to hear Ramayana, the story ...”
131 comments 18
Seeing the same God in all religions
“While in Patna Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s friend Narayan Prasad took him to meet his ...”
111 comments 16
Personal inconveniences for pleasing others
“On his journey northeast to Nepal, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) arrived at Patna and met ...”
129 comments 13
From negativities to Goodness
“Richard got trapped in a quicksand. As he was being swallowed by the sand, he ...”
159 comments 11
Facing the inevitable death
“Richard’s pilgrimage next led him southeast to Prayaga, praised as the king of holy places. ...”
139 comments 08
Is religion for violence or peace?
“Richard visited Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, the beautiful Lord who appeared in the ...”
96 comments 06
The mind’s burden of attachments
“During the course of his travels, Richard had become quite attached to the spiritual books ...”
80 comments 03
Paying the price for spiritual experiences
“Richard met a thirteen year old ‘incarnation’ of Krishna who dressed with a crown and ...”
78 comments 01
Hindu caste system - discriminatory or egalitarian?
“While Richard was travelling on a train winding through the Indian plains, he witnessed a ...”
83 comments | Aug 30
The message of Bhagavad Gita
“At Kurukshetra, under the very banyan tree where Krishna originally spoke to Arjuna, Richard read ...”
59 comments 27
Fear of commitment to a spiritual path
“One night a huge scorpion fell from the ceiling of the cave, inches away from ...”
98 comments 25
The trap of criticism
“On the way to Varanasi, Richard arrived back at Delhi and met Sean, a friend ...”
94 comments 23
Power of Greed
“Continuing his journey to Varanasi, Richard stopped at Agra and visited the Taj Mahal, a ...”
112 comments 20
Sacrificing for others
“Richard travelled to the Himalayan town of Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh. High on a mountain ...”
82 comments 18
Caught by the net of illusion
“From Bombay Richard travelled a few hours east to Ganesh Puri to the ashram of ...”
83 comments 16
Death - the body’s final destination
“At Varanasi which is considered by millions of Hindus to be the holiest of all ...”
164 comments 13
Hypocricy breaks trust
“
From Pashupatinath Richard travelled two hundred miles south to Bodh Gaya, the holiest place on ...”
110 comments 11
Battle between the mind and the heart
“Meditation on Radhanath Swami's Book - The Journey Home Book
At the Bombay festival, a gigantic ...”
132 comments 09
Curing the hunger of the heart
“Meditation from the Journey Home Book - Autobiography of Radhanath Swami
At the convent of ...”
149 comments 06
Guru resolves contradictions in religion
“After a pleasant learning experience of Vipassana meditation under S.N.Goenka, whom Richard found to be ...”
170 comments 02
Cultivating humility and guarding against pride
“Richard had chosen the life of a beggar, sleeping on riverbanks or under trees, searching ...”
178 comments | Jul 30
Futility of Mystic Powers
“Richard saw a yogi in his late thirties beg charity from pilgrims. On being ignored ...”
158 comments 26
Severe austerities of the Naga Babas
“On a lonely Himalayan footpath, Richard saw a fearsome tribe of Naga Babas. They held ...”
190 comments 23
In the neighborhood of leopards and cobras
“Kailash Baba taught Richard to live in harmony with Mother Nature. Richard learnt to use ...”
213 comments 22
From being a God to becoming Godly
“Richard met a fascinating person, Balashiva Yogi who was frivolous and talkative, but became intense ...”
151 comments 21
Motherhood and family culture
“Richard, having often heard people speak reverentially of a woman saint Anandamayi Ma, who was ...”
153 comments 20
Fatherly affection of Kailash Baba
“One of the kindest, gentlest men Richard ever met was Kailash Baba. Once as Richard ...”
138 comments 19
Seeing beyond the superficial layer of faults
“One day Richard stumbled upon a leper colony. Dozens of them surrounded Richard, pressing their ...”
165 comments 17
Searching for God within
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
140 comments 16
Worldly acquisitions plundered by Time
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
93 comments 15
Lessons from Mother Ganges
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
93 comments 14
Majestic Himalayas - the shelter for a seeker
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
110 comments 13
Swami Cidananda - an emblem of simplicity
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
138 comments 12
Going beyond superficial rituals and shallow religion
“At the yoga conference Richard became good friends with Bhikku Vivekananda, a spiritual leader from ...”
104 comments 09
Violence in peace conference - Overcoming fault finding
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
113 comments 07
Thou shalt not kill!
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
78 comments | Jun 29
Need to abandon sectarian pride
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
53 comments 24
Time- a sobering reality
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
Inspirations
from
‘The
Journey
Home ‐
Autobiography
...”
101 comments 06
From hypocrisy to integrity
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
Richard and Gary often visited bookstores and ...”
102 comments | May 29
Seeking God through renunciation
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
God has his own ways of testing ...”
83 comments 19
Praying to accept God’s plan
“Meditations on The Journey Home – Lesson from Chapter 1
Richard and Gary surrendered their lives ...”
96 comments 11
Fighting a losing battle
“Meditations on The Journey Home – Lesson from Chapter 1
Although Richard was losing all interest ...”
48 comments
From substance abuse to a life of substance
“
Meditations on The Journey Home – Lesson from Chapter 1
Radhanath Swami, as a nineteen-year-old Richard, ...”
40 comments 06
Going beyond the pleasures of this world
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
A spiritual quest almost ended even ...”
36 comments
Learning to tolerate and sacrifice
“
Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
Richard (now Radhanath Swami) wore his ...”
72 comments
Going beyond hate
“
Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
While attending Miami Dade College in ...”
48 comments
Symptoms of a spiritual seeker
“
Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
Richie (now Radhanath Swami) had habits ...”
26 comments 05
Deep and spiritual impressions of family
“
Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1
Radhanath Swami’s parents Gerald and Idelle Slavin ...”
30 comments
Spontaneous attraction for prayer
“
Meditations on The Journey Home - Chapter 1: Journey to the East
Childhood is the most ...”
100 comments |
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“Go to India” a sweet but commanding voice; spoke up in the heart of young Richard (later Radhanath Swami) who was immersed in meditation, his search for meaning in life has brought him to the Isle of Crete. Today he was ordered to go to India. Born and raised in the middle class suburbs of Chicago, Radhanath swami grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s era when popular musicians protested war, prejudice and social injustice. Radhanath swami would listen to these songs again and again, but their lyrics referring to God stirred his soul. Peter, Paul and Mary- the folk trio from Greenswich village sang in their debut album
“Early in the morning, about the break of day
I ask the Lord, to help me find my way”
This simple prayer was to guide Radhanath swami in the coming years of his life........
‘The Journey Home - Autobiography of an American Swami’ Book is an engaging, humorous and heart-warming account of a young nineteen year old’s quest for spiritual enlightenment. The reader follows Richard Slavin (Now Radhanath Swami) from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of Himalayas as he goes through a variety of exciting adventures; some near-death encounters and many spiritual experiences. Regular reading of this all-time classic has helped me draw spiritual lessons and seek constant inspiration in my own spiritual journey.
