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Is Radhanath Swami carrying past life impressions?
December 11, 2010  |  radhanath-swami

I often wonder how a seven year old American child could have mannerisms of sadhus, the wandering mendicants seeking God, commonly seen in India. As a young Richie, Radhanath Swami refused to sit on chairs while eating and preferred to sit on the floor. He wore clothes and shoes only if they were old and worn out. These are the typical idiosyncrasies of holy men living in sacred places of India. Richard could relate more to the poor and downtrodden, and was often embarrassed if he had better things than others. Considering Radhanath Swami’s later discovery of his guru in India and his appreciation for mother India, I can’t help asking if he has past life roots in India. This raises the question of reincarnation. Is it really possible for a person to take birth again; is there life after death?

There have been many researchers, psychiatrists and hypnotherapists who began with little or no sympathy for reincarnationist perspectives, but their research unavoidably pointed in this direction, and so, they proceeded with their findings. The work of Dr. Ian Stevenson, Carlson Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, is particularly representative of this approach. Apart from Dr Ian Stevenson, many other researchers like Satwant Parischa, Gabriel Delanne (1924), Shirley (1932), B L Atreya (1957), Parrinder (1976), McTaggart (1915), Ducasse (1961) and Broad (1962,1971) have taken the subject of reincarnation very seriously and have researched and defended it. Over a 100 books and several research dissertations have been written on the subject of reincarnation since the late nineteenth century. Dr Ian Stevenson’s research of childhood reincarnation cases spans some 30 years. As of 1987, Stevenson had accumulated over 3000 cases of this type in his files and over half of these were of the “solved” type (that is the person’s past life experience had been determined beyond reasonable doubt). Thanks to Stevenson’s work, thousands of cases “suggestive of reincarnation” have now seen their way into print, and his related work is published in such prestigious academic journals as ‘The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease’, ‘The Journal of the American Medical Association’, and ‘The International Journal of Comparative Sociology.’

Through the centuries, a surprising number of intelligent, non-fanatical thinkers have believed in reincarnation. “I am confident,” said Socrates, “that there truly is such a thing as living again, that the living spring from the dead, and that the souls of the dead are in existence.” Ralph Waldo Emerson agreed. “The soul,” he wrote, “comes from without into the human body, as into a temporary abode, and it goes out of it anew…it passes into other habitations, for the soul is immortal.” A select group of 18th-, 19th-, and 20th- century Americans –

Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Tom Paine, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman, among others – who

believed that the soul, the energy that animates the body, goes on to a new body when the present body dies.

Numerous scientists and psychologists have believed in reincarnation as well. One of the greatest modern Psychologists, Carl Jung, used the concept of an eternal self that undergoes many births as a tool in his attempts to understand the deepest mysteries of the self and consciousness. “I could well imagine that I might have lived

in former centuries and there encountered questions I was not yet able to answer; that I had to be born again because I had not fulfilled the task that was given to me,” said Carl Jung. Nobel Laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer often spoke of past lives, rebirth, and the immortality of the soul. He said, “There is no death. How can there be death if everything is part of the Godhead? The soul never dies and the body is never really alive.” Harvard biophysicist D. P. Dupey wrote, “We may lead ourselves down a blind alley by adhering dogmatically to the assumption that life can be explained entirely by what we know of the laws of nature. By remaining open to the ideas embodied in the Vedic tradition of India, modern scientists can see their own disciplines from a new perspective and further the aim of all scientific endeavours: the search for truth”.

Now when I read Radhanath Swami’s autobiography I get a feeling he was just continuing his search from where he had left off in his past life. I am reminded of one of the most celebrated scientists, Benjamin Franklin, who wrote, “Finding myself to exist in the world, I believe I shall, in some shape or other, always exist.”

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91 Comments


  1. Radhanth Swami’s spontaneous attraction for “Blue Boy” (Krishna) in the picture that he has bought on the streets, is evidence enough he has come here on a special mission.

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  2. There is enough scientific research and real-life incidents that make one believe in the continuity of life after death. Life of persons like Radhanath Swami only increases this conviction.

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  3. WE SHOULD NOT DOUBT IN SPIRITUAL MASTER / GREAT SAGES / AND REVEALED SCRIPTURES , WE SHOULD ONLY TAKE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEM AND FOLLOW THEM INTO OUR LIFE THERE IS NO NEED TO RESEARCH , EVERYTHING IS ALREADY PRE-SEARCHED

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  4. I do not know if Radhanath Swami is carrying past life impressions however am sure that he is a specially empowered and compassionate personality who came on a mission of helping the misdirected civilization.

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  5. The Vedic scriptures have always stressed on the existence of life after death. The experience of persons like Radhanath Swami further strengthens this phenomenon.

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  6. Radhanath Swami is indeed a great soul continuing his devotional service from his past life.

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  7. Radhanath Swami and many other disciples of Srila Prabhupada have especially appeared to assist Srila Prabhupada in his mission. Its like when Krishna appears all his associates also come along with him

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  8. All the Vedic Scripture instructs us that there is no death for the soul, but because we are the under illusory energy of the Lord, we have not realized it.

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  9. Nice observation of the life of Radhanath Swami. Great souls like him come to this material world just to protect us and take us back to our original home in the spiritual world.

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  10. Radhanath Swami is not ordinary

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  11. Thanks for sharing this beautiful article. I absolutely agree that Radhanath swami must be continuing from where he left in his last life.

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  12. Radhanath Swami Maharajs life is a modern legend!

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  13. Beautifully put by others in the above comments..
    More than carrying past life impressions it feels like maharaj like other Prabhupada disciples have specially come to remind us about our origin and help us progress.

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  14. Reincarnation is a well known fact today and based on above scientifie evidenses one must readily accept the truth.

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  15. I have just read Radhanath Swami’s autobiography ‘ The Journey Home’ it is amazing. He is really great and surely blessed by God.

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  16. It is true that if the scientists are open to the knowledge revealed in the Vedas their research will be more directed and less energy, time and money will be wasted.

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  17. Radhanath Swamis book “The Journey” home is like a treasure mine as you go deeper in, you lay your hands on more and more treasure and definitely we can understand his presences is a divine intervention as a hope for fallen souls.

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  18. The writer analyses the amazing qualities of Radhanath Swami and puts forth very convincing arguements from the Swami’ life in favour of reincarnation. Everyone would be forced to think like that after going through the book.

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  19. Journey Home book truely shows this fact in reality

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  20. H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj ki jai.

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  21. The Lord mercifully sends such great souls as Radhanath Swami time and again to improve the fallen lot of people like us, so definitely, it mustn’t be his first trip here!

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  22. Sheetal Maheshwari

    Radhanath Swami is a soul fully surrendered to service of God and looking at his early childhood we can understand that he must have been continuing his devotion from his previous life.

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  23. SONALI SHIVHARE NAMIRANIAN

    HH NRadhanath Swami Maharaj ki jai !!

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  24. What?? I do not understand or agree with this??

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  25. This makes us think about our present activities, as these will determine what lies for us in future also. Thus we can see people born at the same time in different material settings

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  26. ‘ The journey Home’ is really good one for those who are searching for something different. nice book.

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  27. Our material existence dates back to the first instance when we wanted to enjoy independent of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. We have been living our lives in re-incarnated forms of different species since time immemorial. Great self-realized souls like Radhanath Swami appear on Earth just to remind us of our constitutional position & our eternal place in God’s spiritual kingdom. We simply need to adhere to their instructions to put an end to this endless miserable cycle of births & deaths and go back home to Godhead permanently.

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  28. Re-incarnation is a debatable topic, but with the eyes of Vedic literatures, one can understand the existence of soul & its eternal nature…..

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  29. Great souls like Radhanath swami only come to give us their association

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  30. It is interesting to note the incidents coming one after other in the life of Radhanath Swami which proves the ETERNAL relationship of Living entity with supreme lord, but more inspiring and wonderful is to note the devotion and loving attitude which Radhanath Swami carries in his heart right from the very young age which shows he can never forget that relationship whether this life or past ones.

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  31. Facts do not cease to exist just because someone does not believe in them… The existence of soul is proved time and again.

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  32. Many incidents that seem unexplained, like the miraculous incidents in Radhanath Swami’s life, can be easily understood if one takes into account the past life influences and karma.

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  33. he is a special soul sent by the lord on a special mission

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  34. certainly he was a great saint in his past life..!!

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  35. Thats very likely Radhanath Swami is a great soul

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  36. Radhanath Swami Maharaj is a devotee of God in every birth!

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  37. That was a very interesting read , comments included!

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  38. Radhanath Swami is very special

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  39. rambaboo maheshwari

    Radhanath Swami started from where he left in his last life and now helping thousands to never take birth again.

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  40. Very informative article…….thanks

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  41. Arjun K Ramachandra

    Yes it seems so obvious that Radhanath Swami must have had past life else how could a 7 yr old boy follow habits of a sadhu in india?

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  42. Radhanath Swami is deffinately epowered by Lord.

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  43. I am very grateful to HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja for writing this book.

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  44. He may have come from spiritual world to liberate the conditioned souls.

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  45. The book Journey home on life of Radhanth swami gives many incidents to understand that soul continues his journey even after death.Existence of the soul is the central and essenstial point in any religion

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  46. In the light of GOD consciousness, all this becomes so plausible.

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  47. That’s a brilliant one….

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  48. Thank you very much for sharing

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  49. Most people in India, due to their better understanding and acceptance of Vedic philosophy, have no difficulty in believing in re-incarnation.

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  50. Very nice blog

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