2013
Jan
21
Lessons from Bhagavad Gita
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) studied the Bhagavad Gita sitting under the very banyan tree at ...”
31
The Scientific basis of Varnashrama system
“While travelling in a train from Haryana, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw an ugly incident ...”
Feb
18
26
From free samples to paying the price
“Radhanath Swami writes his realization that a guru or a spiritual master with the stick ...”
Mar
13
Relief from material attachments
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was carrying quite a few spiritual books with him and was ...”
26
Essence of all religions
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was shocked at Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama, the ...”
Apr
17
Need for absorption in spiritual life
“At the famous Kumbh Mela site, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) sat on the bank of ...”
May
07
Power Of Association
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) got trapped in a quick sand and as he was drowning, ...”
21
Pleasing God by pleasing devotees
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) now arrived at Patna and got the association of Narayan Prasad ...”
Jun
03
Appreciating all religions
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was surprised that Narayan Prasad had close friendship with a Muslim, ...”
10
Taste for hearing Lord’s narrations
“At Rama Sevaka Swami’s ashram, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) heard Ramayana, the story of Lord ...”
18
The stick of devotees mercy
“While leaving Rama Sevaka Swami’s ashram, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) received a gift from Rama ...”
Jul
01
Internal struggles of a spiritual seeker
“After surviving the attack of the wild dogs, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) also recollected an ...”
16
Duplicity in spiritual life
“One day at Janakpur, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) met an elderly  sadhu who while blessing innocent ...”
Aug
13
The black magic spells
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) met Vasudev, a handsome sadhu in his thirties. Although Vasudev wore ...”
Sep
10
Always Positive
“An entire chapter in The Journey Home describes Richard’s struggle at the Indian immigration. It ...”
2012
Jan
05
Are austerities needed in spiritual life?
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was intrigued by the Naga Babas; their austerities and rigorous life ...”
20
Overcoming distractions
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was also disappointed to see a yogi use his mystic powers ...”
Feb
14
Spiritual life transforms the heart
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was beginning to find spiritual life natural and his previous lifestyle ...”
Mar
03
Disappointment at Taj Mahal
“India’s greatest attraction for many foreigners is the Taj Mahal, arguably the greatest symbol of ...”
31
Learning about Death
“At Varanasi, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was intrigued by the way the Hindus dealt with ...”
Apr
08
A foreigner’s expert disguise
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) travelled to Pashupatinath at Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. He was disappointed ...”
17
Overcoming Hypocrisy
“While learning Zen Buddhism at Bodh Gaya, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was pained to witness ...”
25
Resolving contradictions in scriptures
“On the bank of Ganges at Calcutta, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was shocked to see ...”
May
08
Deriving strength from Holy Names
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had a profound experience at the convent of Mother Theresa. Richard ...”
21
Connecting to Krishna’s Holy Names
“At the Bombay Hare Krishna pandal, tent, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was stunned to hear ...”
Jun
11
Symptoms of a Real Guru
“At the massive tent at Bombay, amidst 25,000 people, Srila Prabhupada, the guru and founder ...”
30
Lessons from Nityananda Baba
“A man in forties, Madhava, befriended Richard (now Radhanath Swami) and persuaded him to visit ...”
Jul
16
Checking our tendency to criticize
“At Goa Richard (now Radhanath Swami) travelled to Calangute Beach, a haven for Westerners and ...”
Aug
07
Curing Forgetfulness and Seeking Spiritual Treasures
“One day walking along the beach at Goa, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw a small ...”
Sep
02
Taking serious responsibility in spiritual life
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had begun his spiritual quest with a desire to learn many ...”
28
Beauty of religious diversity
“For a spiritual novice as myself, reading the heart-touching struggle of Dalai Lama and his ...”
Oct
31
Selfless service attracts all
“In the company of Dalai Lama, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) felt reverential and also felt ...”
Nov
30
Living in harmony with mother Earth
“Near McLeod Ganja, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) lived in a cave. Richard had the company ...”
Dec
26
Radhanath Swami at his Poetic Best
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) would often be lonely but used this opportunity to connect to ...”
2011
Jan
03
A voluntary life of poverty
“On their very first night at Luxembourg, Frank was robbed of all his money. Richard ...”
06
Happiness by watering the root
“While travelling to London with Gary, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was struck by the photograph ...”
11
Can bodily pleasures give lasting happiness?
“The more Richard (now Radhanath Swami) tried to fit in with the social norms of ...”
15
Seeing the beautiful plan of god
“Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) were at France and wondered where to go now. ...”
19
Saying ‘No’ to temptations
“At a Cathedral in Florence, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) underwent a spiritual experience. As he ...”
28
Is the God of all religions same?
“At Rome Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had a candid talk with a monk from the ...”
Feb
02
Dangers of hypocrisy
“At a bookstore in Rome, Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s lower nature overcame him; he stole ...”
07
When Mr Time strikes
“At one monastery Richard (now Radhanath Swami) and Gary saw the monks meditate in rooms ...”
10
Abandoning bodily identifications
“After a few adventures at Athens, Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) hitchhiked to the ...”
17
Overcoming negativity through positivity
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had no idea about India but was determined to go there. ...”
22
Embracing hope during crisis
“At Istanbul, Richard (now Radhanath Swami), Jeff and Ramsey had a close shave, making a ...”
26
Giving spiritual impressions to children
“At the town of Erzerum, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) suffered from dysentery and an angry ...”
Mar
04
Responsibility of parents
“While travelling through the Iranian deserts, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was filled with concern for ...”
08
Seeing the essence amongst Shia Muslims
“At Mashed, a place of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims,  Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was pleasantly ...”
12
Love God, Love all
“The immigration officials at Afghanistan offered Richard (now Radhanath Swami) a cordial welcome, quite different ...”
16
Going beyond the body
“At Herat Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was shaken by the culture shock. All at once, ...”
21
Exemplifying Tolerance
“At Kandahar, Mr Hariz hosted Richard (now Radhanath Swami). Once while having a philosophical discussion ...”
28
Different types of intoxication
“Once, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) landed at a Hashish dungeon at Kandahar, surrounded by old ...”
Apr
01
Learning lessons from Nature
“Radhanath Swami is expert in learning from all. At Kandahar, Radhanath Swami learnt patience from ...”
06
Lust : a deadly enemy
“Due to a small mistake of the immigration officials at Kabul, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) ...”
12
American by birth, Indian at heart
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s six months of adventure filled travels was now entering an exciting ...”
18
One man’s food is another’s poison
“On entering India, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) travelled from Firozpur to old Delhi. He unwittingly ...”
25
Need for a vegetarian diet
“A pedestrian at Chandni Chowk offered Richard (now Radhanath Swami) food at a roadside restaurant. ...”
May
03
Controlling the Mind
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was excited to see a sign, ‘The World Yoga Conference’ and ...”
09
We don’t want peace… but Love
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s innocent expectations were disappointed when the ‘peace’ conference organized by Christopher ...”
18
Taking responsibility for our spiritual lives
“J.Krishnamurti impressed upon Richard (now Radhanath Swami) the need to give up superficiality in spiritual ...”
27
Charmed by a mysterious person
“At Connaught Circus, on a sidewalk, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw prints of various Indian ...”
Jun
07
The Precious Human life
“At the foothills of Himalayas, the first sight of the mountain and river Ganges thrilled ...”
23
Beauty and Grace of Mother Ganga
“On the bank of river Ganga, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) resolved to sit in silence ...”
Jul
02
Mother Ganga teaches perseverance
“Mother Ganges taught valuable lessons to Richard (now Radhanath Swami). One of them was the ...”
11
More lessons from Mother Ganges
“Every day Mother Ganges taught many lessons to Richard (now Radhanath Swami). One day Richard ...”
22
Learning sacrifice from Ganges
“Richard felt that although his harmonica was his constant companion and shared all his joys ...”
Aug
03
Intelligent use of Time
“After a month long fasting on Ganges Richard (now Radhanath Swami) rejoiced at the prospect ...”
18
Desperately seeking truth
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) continued to be a wandering pilgrim; he wished to learn from ...”
Sep
10
Happiness by connecting to God
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) found Mahavirdas Tat Walla Baba impressive; he was about six feet ...”
Oct
02
Substance behind shallowness
“At Rishikesh one day, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) found himself surrounded by lepers; they pressed ...”
27
Language of Love
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s most unforgettable experience at Dev Prayag was with Kailash Baba. An ...”
Nov
14
Yoga defies Medical science
“One day Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw an amazing display of yogic powers that left ...”
24
Sufferings to remember God
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) travelled to Dehra Dun to see Anandamayi Ma, an extraordinary woman ...”
Dec
08
Living in harmony with Mother Nature
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) learned to live in harmony with nature. His companions in the ...”
22
Miracle of God’s creation
“One person that amazed me on reading ‘Journey Home’ is Balshiva Yogi. This Yogi was ...”
2010
May
05
Spontaneous attraction for prayer
“ Meditations on The Journey Home - Chapter 1: Journey to the East Childhood is the most ...”
Deep and spiritual impressions of family
“ Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 Radhanath Swami’s parents Gerald and Idelle Slavin ...”
06
Symptoms of a spiritual seeker
“ Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 Richie (now Radhanath Swami) had habits ...”
Going beyond hate
“ Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 While attending Miami Dade College in ...”
Learning to tolerate and sacrifice
“ Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 Richard (now Radhanath Swami) wore his ...”
Going beyond the pleasures of this world
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 A spiritual quest almost ended even ...”
11
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, ...”
Fighting a losing battle
“Meditations on The Journey Home – Lesson from Chapter 1 Although Richard was losing all interest ...”
19
Praying to accept God’s plane
“Meditations on The Journey Home – Lesson from Chapter 1 Richard and Gary surrendered their lives ...”
29
Seeking God through renunciation
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 God has his own ways of testing ...”
Jun
06
From hypocrisy to integrity
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 Richard and Gary often visited bookstores and ...”
24
Time- a sobering reality
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
29
Need to abandon sectarian pride
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 1 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
Jul
07
Thou shalt not kill!
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
09
Violence in peace conference - Overcoming fault finding
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
12
Going beyond superficial rituals and shallow religion
“At the yoga conference Richard became good friends with Bhikku Vivekananda, a spiritual leader from ...”
13
Swami Cidananda - an emblem of simplicity
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
14
Majestic Himalayas - the shelter for a seeker
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
15
Lessons from Mother Ganges
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
16
Worldly acquisitions plundered by Time
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
17
Searching for God within
“Meditations on The Journey Home - Lesson from Chapter 2 Inspirations 
from 
‘The
 Journey 
Home ‐ 
Autobiography
 ...”
19
Seeing beyond the superficial layer of faults
“One day Richard stumbled upon a leper colony. Dozens of them surrounded Richard, pressing their ...”
20
Fatherly affection of Kailash Baba
“One of the kindest, gentlest men Richard ever met was Kailash Baba. Once as Richard ...”
21
Motherhood and family culture
“Richard, having often heard people speak reverentially of a woman saint Anandamayi Ma, who was ...”
22
From being a God to becoming Godly
“Richard met a fascinating person, Balashiva Yogi who was frivolous and talkative, but became intense ...”
23
In the neighborhood of leopards and cobras
“Kailash Baba taught Richard to live in harmony with Mother Nature. Richard learnt to use ...”
26
Severe austerities of the Naga Babas
“On a lonely Himalayan footpath, Richard saw a fearsome tribe of Naga Babas. They held ...”
30
Futility of Mystic Powers
“Richard saw a yogi in his late thirties beg charity from pilgrims. On being ignored ...”
Aug
02
Cultivating humility and guarding against pride
“Richard had chosen the life of a beggar, sleeping on riverbanks or under trees, searching ...”
06
Guru resolves contradictions in religion
“After a pleasant learning experience of Vipassana meditation under S.N.Goenka, whom Richard found to be ...”
09
Curing the hunger of the heart
“Meditation from the Journey Home Book - Autobiography of Radhanath Swami At the convent of ...”
11
Battle between the mind and the heart
“Meditation on Radhanath Swami's Book - The Journey Home Book At the Bombay festival, a gigantic ...”
13
Hypocricy breaks trust
“ From Pashupatinath Richard travelled two hundred miles south to Bodh Gaya, the holiest place on ...”
16
Death - the body’s final destination
“At Varanasi which is considered by millions of Hindus to be the holiest of all ...”
18
Caught by the net of illusion
“From Bombay Richard travelled a few hours east to Ganesh Puri to the ashram of ...”
20
Sacrificing for others
“Richard travelled to the Himalayan town of Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh. High on a mountain ...”
23
Power of Greed
“Continuing his journey to Varanasi, Richard stopped at Agra and visited the Taj Mahal, a ...”
25
The trap of criticism
“On the way to Varanasi, Richard arrived back at Delhi and met Sean, a friend ...”
27
Fear of commitment to a spiritual path
“One night a huge scorpion fell from the ceiling of the cave, inches away from ...”
30
The message of Bhagavad Gita
“At Kurukshetra, under the very banyan tree where Krishna originally spoke to Arjuna, Richard read ...”
Sep
01
Hindu caste system - discriminatory or egalitarian?
“While Richard was travelling on a train winding through the Indian plains, he witnessed a ...”
03
Paying the price for spiritual experiences
“Richard met a thirteen year old ‘incarnation’ of Krishna who dressed with a crown and ...”
06
The mind’s burden of attachments
“During the course of his travels, Richard had become quite attached to the spiritual books ...”
08
Is religion for violence or peace?
“Richard visited Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, the beautiful Lord who appeared in the ...”
11
Facing the inevitable death
“Richard’s pilgrimage next led him southeast to Prayaga, praised as the king of holy places. ...”
13
From negativities to Goodness
“Richard got trapped in a quicksand. As he was being swallowed by the sand, he ...”
16
Personal inconveniences for pleasing others
“On his journey northeast to Nepal, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) arrived at Patna and met ...”
18
Seeing the same God in all religions
“While in Patna Richard (now Radhanath Swami)’s friend Narayan Prasad took him to meet his ...”
20
Lord Rama - God as an ideal person
“Each morning at Rama Sevaka Swami’s ashram, five sadhus gathered to hear Ramayana, the story ...”
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 ...”
24
Hypocrisy destroys faith
“Richard From Kathmandu, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) arrived at Janakpur, known in the scriptures as ...”
27
Curing black magic spells
“At Janakpur, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) met Vasudev, a handsome sadhu in his early thirties. ...”
30
Family culture in Eastern traditions
“On his return to Janakpur, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was fascinated to meet a young, ...”
Oct
01
Overcoming fear by connecting to God
“Just below the hill of Bodhnath, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) saw an interesting sight. A ...”
04
Is God a person?
“ While wandering in the forests, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) came upon Sita Rama Baba, ‘the ...”
06
Human life - a special gift of God
“For no apparent reason, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had an urge to walk from Swayambhunath ...”
08
Celebrating God’s birthday
“Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) boarded a train at Varanasi, and were compressed in ...”
11
From lust to love
“At Mathura Gary and Richard (now Radhanath Swami) were hosted by a guru who had ...”
13
A natural resident of Vrindavan
“Radhanath Swami ‘accidentally’ (or so, it appears to my ordinary vision) lands up at Mathura, ...”
18
Praying to carry out God’s will
“Affected by the atmosphere of Vrindavan, a longing to learn about Krishna awakened in Richard ...”
20
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati - A revolutionary guru
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) met Asim Krishna’s guru, Swami Bon Maharaj. He showered warmth and ...”
22
Humility and tolerance
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) soon learnt that one of the most special devotees in Vrindavan ...”
25
Neem Karoli Baba and Baba Ram Dass
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) met an extraordinary saint, Neem Karoli Baba, in Vrindavan. The Baba ...”
26
Rasa dance - an expression of selfless love
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) discovered that the religion of residents of Vrindavan was not reserved ...”
28
From idol worship to Deity worship
“When Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had first seen people worshipping an image of the Lord ...”
29
Surrendering the ego by shaving the head
“Everyone in Bon Maharaj’s ashram where Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was staying complained about his ...”
Nov
01
Becoming trustworthy
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) learnt an important lesson while staying at Bon Maharaj’s ashram. One ...”
03
The secret of feminine divinity
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) observed that everyone in Vrindavan loves Radha very much. He humbly ...”
05
God - the greatest or the sweetest?
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) and Asim Krishna met a mystical lover of Krishna, Sripad Baba. ...”
09
Personal God and the virtue of balance
“While in Vrindavan, Radhanath Swami contrasted the interesting lifestyle of Vishaka Sharan Baba with the ...”
11
An unforgettable lesson on humility
“While Richard (now Radhanath Swami) often questioned what real humility was and how it works, ...”
13
The power of faith
“In the association of Ramesh Baba, at the remote mountains of Varsana, thirty kilometres from ...”
15
The path of divinity revealed
“Finally at Vrindavan, in the Samadhi, tomb of a renowned saint named Rupa Goswami, Richard ...”
17
19
Culture of love and appreciation
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was wonderstruck to know of Srila Prabhupada’s journey to the west. ...”
22
Being an instrument of kindness
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was sometimes rebuked by Srila Prabhupada’s leading disciples. They pressured him ...”
24
Is Absolute Truth Personal or Impersonal?
“For some time, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had been troubled by a fundamental philosophical dispute ...”
26
Srila Prabhupada - the epitome of humility and compassion
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was glad to meet Shyamsundar, the devotee who had fed him ...”
29
Challenging the idea of detachment
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) had once judged Srila Prabhupada’s western disciples for carrying cameras and ...”
Dec
01
Choosing a guru
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) meditated on Srila Prabhupada’s sacrifice, his enduring consecutive heart attacks at ...”
03
An Incredible reunion
“In a remote forest at the Pokhara valley, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) meets Gary again, ...”
06
Seeking shelter in prayerme
“Little Richie (now Radhanath Swami) was shaken by the experience at Danny’s cellar; he was ...”
08
Learning gratitude from family
“Radhanath Swami writes that his parents Gerald and Idelle Slavin were emblems of gratitude, kindness, ...”
11
Is Radhanath Swami carrying past life impressions?
“I often wonder how a seven year old American child could have mannerisms of sadhus, ...”
16
The Triple ‘P’ formula to overcome obstacles
“As a young nineteen year old Richard (now Radhanath Swami) was often a victim of ...”
21
Offering meaningful prayers
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) wasn’t even a teenager when he enquired from his Rabbi the ...”
24
From ‘absorber’ to an ‘observer’
“Richard (now Radhanath Swami) began to question the values that the American society championed. He ...”
30
This world is a dangerous place
“Along with Frank and Gary, Richard (now Radhanath Swami) decided to go on a trip ...”