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At the age of only nineteen, Radhanath Swami left his home in America seeking adventure and spiritual knowledge. After trekking across Europe for months, Radhanath Swami reached his long hoped for destination: India. After living there for many years as a sadhu or wandering monk, Radhanath Swami 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 Radhanath Swami 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 - Autobiography of an American Swami. Reviewers have called Radhanath Swami'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. Radhanath Swami's 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 Bengali Vaishnava Saint, 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.
RadhanathMaharaj.net gives us a complete collection of the teaching of Radhanath Swami. Teachings consists of Transcriptions of lectures delivered by Radhanath Swami at various places. This website is to inspire the followers of Radhanath Swami to practice the philosophy of Vaishanavism.
SPIRIT OF REAL RENUNCIATION
We have been discussing the last few days here on Sri Mayapur Dham a few drop from the ocean of pastimes of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in relation to his lila of taking sannyas which took place specifically in this Nadia area, Navadvip, Shantipur. After lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is formally initiated by keshav Bharathi Maharaj in Katva, He roamed thought the Radhadesh with is devotees. He has specially recited a particular verse from the Srimad Bhagavatham which Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu felt in his heart, and wanted to present to world the real spirit of renunciation. Again and again He chanted the sloka
Tags: I am very grateful for this opportunity to speak a few words. We are celebrating the 500th anniversary of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s acceptance of sannyasa. He left His home in Navadwip, His beloved widowed mother, His loving beautiful chaste wife, all of His intimate associates, and Navadwip itself which is non-different than Vrindavan. He broke the hearts of those who are most dear to Him, to perform the supreme sacrifice of giving Krishna bhakti, Krishna prema to the suffering people of this world.
Read moreHare Krishna. I am sincerely grateful to all of you for so kindly coming this evening and to His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for so mercifully brining us all together.
SRILA PRABHUPADA ADAPTED THE MOOD OF LORD CAITANYA
Read moreMy sincere gratitude to all of you for kindly being with us in Mayapur dham.
500th anniversary of Lord Caitanya’s accepting of sanyas
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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 moreSB 10.24.35
kåñëas tv anyatamaà rüpaà
gopa-viçrambhaëaà gataù
çailo 'sméti bruvan bhüri
balim ädad båhad-vapuù
SYNONYMS
Lecture: DAY 2
As I am watching HH Jaypataka Swami Maharaj, I am meditating on how Srila Prabhupada invested within the hearts of those who genuinely gave their lives in his service, such unbelievable relentless compassion. Literally, we read about it, about how a devotee, no impediment can interfere his or her enthusiasm to serve. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur ordered Srila Prabhupada to bring Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s message to the western world; and whatever impediments came – poverty, 38 days in a cargo ship, heart attacks, sea sickness, alone in a foreign country, death threats – he kept preaching. He kept sharing Lord Caitanya’s message, because that was the order.
LAST KARTIK YATRA – A DEDICATION TO JAYAPATAKA SWAMI
I am grateful for everyone that have assembled this evening at Sridama Mayapur Dham, especially to H.H. Jaypataka Swami Maharaj.
Read moreInaugral lecture: DAY 1
Hare Krishna!
SRILA PRABHUPADA’S VISION OF MAYAPUR