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In 1970, at the age of only nineteen, Radhanath Swami left his home in America seeking adventure and spiritual knowledge. After trekking across Europe for months, he reached his long hoped for destination: India. After living there for many years as a sadhu or wandering monk, he returned to America in order to share the sacred knowledge and wisdom he had learned from the many holy men and women he had met there. It was an extraordinary choice, given what he had survived to get there: a journey filled with bizarre characters, mystical experiences, and dangerous adventures. The story is recounted in his recently published memoir The Journey Home (San Rafael, CA: Mandala Publishing, 2009). Reviewers have called Radhanath's saga "at once an engaging yarn, a love story, and the evocation of a transcendent paradise in all its savagery, solitude, and splendor.
Radhanath Swami emerged from his years of travel wanting to explain for others the beauty and rewards of a life devoted to God, and therein lay a dilemma. His many followers and friends describe him as completely selfless and consequently unwilling to take credit for his work and restless when a spotlight is focused on him. By choosing A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896-1977), a spiritual activist, as his guru (after declining offers of initiation from several tyagis or renunciants in the Himalayas), Radhanath Swami cast his fate to the wind, cut his matted locks, and entered back into the society.
Festivals
Pushyabhishek 2010
Pushyabhishek
ku-manäù su-manastvaà hi
yäti yasya padäbjayoù
su-mano-’rpaëa-mätreëa
taà caitanya-prabhuà bhaje
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya because simply by offering a flower at His lotus feet even the most ardent materialist becomes a devotee. All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityänanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Äcärya! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya! Let me now enumerate the activities of the Lord between the ages of five and ten. His chief occupation during this period was to engage Himself in study. The pastimes of the Lord during His paugaëòa age were very extensive.
Lecture on Dusshera - Glories of Lord Ramacandra
Hare Krishna! I wish to offer my gratitude to everyone who has so kindly assembled today on this auspicious occasion of Dusshera. Today all over the world there are millions and millions of people celebrating this day. But like most spiritual occasions not so many know why? - It is a characteristic of kali yuga that even very sacred things are perceived very superficially. Often times religious festivals of all religions are more of an opportunity for some sort of social entertainment than for genuinely cultivating Love of God - which is the purpose of every great religion and the purpose of every spiritual observance. The Srimad Bhagavatam tells “Shram eva hi kevalam” whatever occupation we perform whatever spiritual activities we do if in the end it does not awaken within us a deep attraction to hear about to chant about, to serve and to love God than we miss the point. We have wasted our time. Today Lord Sri Ramchandra is being remembered for his killing of Ravana.
Read moreMayapur Yatra 2009 - Indra´s Reaction To Govardhan Puja - DAY3 - EVENING
DAY3 - EVENING
Hare Krishna!
WHY VRAJAVASIS AGREED TO PERFORM GOVARDHAN PUJA
During today morning’s narration, on this blessed and holy place of Sri Govardhan puja, we heard about how Krishna transformed a typical Hindu tradition that was being followed for many generations into a most pleasurable, enlivening and meaningful festival. The Vrajavasis perform Indra puja every year, as mater of duty, to Indra, for getting rain, for their crops and cows and also to give a sense of allegiance for fore-father and fore-mothers who established this tradition. So it wasn’t very exciting, it’s something they would do, for certain religious purposes. Read more
Mayapur Yatra - Day 3 - Krsna_Worships_Sri_Govardhan
SB 10.24.35
kåñëas tv anyatamaà rüpaà
gopa-viçrambhaëaà gataù
çailo 'sméti bruvan bhüri
balim ädad båhad-vapuù
SYNONYMS
Sharad Purnima Lecture
SUNDAY FEAST LECTURE BY
HH RADHANATH SWAMI MAHARAJ
DATE: 4TH OCTOBER 2009 (SHARAD-PURNIMA)
Haribol!
The Real Significance of Bhumi Puja
The Real Significance of Bhumi Puja
By HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj
At Govardhan Farm, Wada - 2nd October 2009
Fulfilling the Reasons For Krsna’s Appearance
SB 10.3.27
martyo måtyu-vyäla-bhétaù paläyan
lokän sarvän nirbhayaà nädhyagacchat
tvat pädäbjaà präpya yadåcchayädya
susthaù çete måtyur asmäd apaiti
Read moreSrila Prabhupada Appearance Day Offering 2009
Srila Prabhupada Appearance Day Offering
By H.H. Radhanath Swami
I am grateful to be here on this most auspicious occasion of Srila Prabhupada’s Vyas Puja. Yesterday we celebrated Janmastami. Krsna appears in every yuga as the yuga avatar. He has numerous incarnations that come into this world. But only once in a day of Brahma, which means his day and night, which is described as 8 million 630 million years, Krsna appeared in His original transcendental form of Goloka, which is the highest planet in the spiritual world, with his most intimate devotees, Yasoda, Nanda, the sakhis, the sakhas. The special feature descended into this world just to attract the hearts of the conditioned souls into the intimate, loving pastimes of Vrindavan Dham, something that no other avatar can give.
Read moreHaridas thakur’s glorious passing away
SUNDAY FEAST LECTURE
BY
H.H.RADHANATH SWAMI MAHARAJ
DATE: 6TH SEPTEMBER 2009
ABOUT TRIVIKRAMA PRABHU, FAMILY AND SERVICE TO SOCIETY
Hare Krishna! We welcome everyone to Sri Radha Gopinath’s weekly Sunday festival.
Thank you for being with us. This morning, quite early a telephone call came to the temple informing us that our very dear devotee Trivikrama Prabhu was in a very critical condition. A few days ago he had a massive heart attack. This morning his health was seriously declining. According to the doctors there is very little possibility or hope that he will physically survive. I went to the Nanavati hospital to be with him and his family. Govinda prabhu was there telling very beautiful stories. I chanted with him for a couple of hours.
Srila Prabhupada Appearance Day Offering – 5th September 2009
I thank you Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaj for the eloquent, brilliant presentation of the genuine love of your heart for our beloved guru maharaja His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada . Your words were overflowing with realizations born out of deep affection and total surrender. I was thinking that Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, and Bhakti Vinod Thakur were personally from within your heart speaking through you to glorify Srila Prabhupada. Thank you very much.
SRILA PRABHUPADA’S TAKING OF SANYAS THE CULMINATION OF HIS FIRST MEETING WITH BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI THAKUR