The story of one man’s journey from his youth in suburban Chicago to an adult in spiritual India and a world of mystics, yogis, and gurus.Within this extraordinary memoir, Radhanath Swami weaves a colorful tapestry of adventure, mysticism, and love. Readers follow Richard Slavin from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas as he transforms from young seeker to renowned spiritual guide. The Journey Home is an intimate account of the steps to self-awareness and also a penetrating glimpse into the heart of mystic traditions and the challenges that all souls must face on the road to inner harmony and a union with the Divine. Through near-death encounters, apprenticeships with advanced yogis, and years of travel along the pilgrim’s path, Radhanath Swami eventually reaches the inner sanctum of India’s mystic culture and finds the love he has been seeking. It is a tale told with rare candor, immersing the reader in a journey that is at once engaging, humorous, and heartwarming.Praise for The Journey Home“Here is an inspiring chapter of “our story” of spiritual pilgrimage to the East. It shows the inner journey of awakening in a fascinating and spellbinding way.” —Ram Dass, author, Be Here Now“He tells his story with remarkable honest—the temptations of the 1970s, his doubts, hopes, and disappointments, the culture shock, and the friendships found and lost . . . Add a zest of danger, suspense, and surprise, and Radhanath Swami’s story is a deep, genuine memoir that reads like a novel.” —Brigitte Sion, assistant professor of Religious Studies, New York University
I started reading this book somewhat grudgingly and after a tumultuous ride on a journey with the author, I came to this. It describes the author's confusion about whether God is personal or impersonal and how one day Srila Prabhupada removed his confusion. I had the same confusion regarding the nature of the divine and this removed my confusion as well. But unlike the author, I lean towards striving to attain the divine as impersonal through meditation. I will always remember this book for this section which inspired me to resume my spiritual quest.
"For some time, I had been troubled by a fundamental philosophical dispute over whether God was ultimately impersonal or personal. On the one hand, I had heard some yogis and philosophers profess that ultimately God is impersonal and formless, but that he accepts a temporary material form as an avatara when He descends into the world for the benefit of all beings. After accomplishing His mission, He again merges into His formless existence. All form and personality, according to the impersonalists, is a nonpermanent product of material illusion. In the final state of liberation, the soul sheds its temporary identity and becomes one with God, merging into the all-pervading spiritual existence.
On the other hand, I had heard other yogis and philosophers profess that God is the Supreme Person, that His spiritual form is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. At the time of liberation, the soul enters into the kingdom of God where it eternally serves the all-beautiful Personality of God in pure love.
I often pondered this apparent contradiction. How could they both be correct? God must ultimately be one or the other. Either He must be ultimately impersonal or personal. Out of respect for my beloved teachers, it had been difficult for me to think that any of them were wrong. Some attacked the opposing point of view while others refrained from argument by keeping the subject vague. I found that many spiritual teachings were similar until they came to this point.
What is the goal I should aspire to? I wondered. Should I strive to transcend dualities to become one with an impersonal, formless God? Or should I strive to purify my heart to serve a personal Lord with unconditional love in His eternal abode?
One afternoon, a guest asked Srila Prabhupada this very question. “Is God formless and impersonal or does He have form and personality?” The chattering of birds, screeching of monkeys, and honking of distant rickshaw horns were silenced by the anticipation in my heart. I sat up with attention, eager to hear his answer. Srila Prabhupada slowly leaned forward, his face perfectly relaxed and full lips curved downward at the edges. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, his elbows rested on the low table in front of him and his hands were clasped together under his chin. With a grave gaze, he quoted from the Vedas and explained, “We must first understand the inconceivable nature of God. The Supreme Lord is simultaneously personal and impersonal. It is an eternal truth that He is both formless and that He has an eternal, blissful form.”
I felt a warm, peaceful sensation flood my chest. With one hand Srila Prabhupada stretched his index finger upward. “The Lord’s impersonal, all-pervading energy is called Brahman. And Bhagavan is the personal form of God, who is the energetic source and never under the influence of illusion. Take for example the sun. The form of the sun as a planet and the formless sunlight can never be separated, as they exist simultaneously. They are different aspects of the sun. Similarly, there are two different schools of transcendentalists who focus on different aspects of the one truth. The impersonalists strive to attain liberation in the Lord’s impersonal, formless light, while the personalists strive for eternal loving service to the Lord’s all-attractive form. There is no contradiction.
“Similarly, the soul is part and parcel of the Lord, simultaneously one with God and different from God. Qualitatively we are one with God, being eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. But quantitatively, we are always but a part, just as the sunray is but a tiny part of the sun and yet has the same qualities as the sun. We are both one with God and different from God. God is the independent controller, but when the soul misuses his God-given independence, he forgets his relation to the Lord and falls into illusion and subsequent suffering.”
Leaning back against the wall, he tilted his head slightly and gazed directly into my eyes. “The two schools, personalists and impersonalists, both approach different aspects of the One God.” He went on to explain how Krishna, His form, qualities, personality, and abode were unlimited, and that all the true religions of the world worshipped the same One God. He had simply revealed Himself in different ways at different times.
How beautiful. With these simple and intelligent words, Srila Prabhupada had harmonized two apparently opposing views. As I listened to him, tears of appreciation welled up in my eyes. Yes, now it all makes so much sense, I thought. A dilemma that had confused my progress was now completely removed. A spontaneous, joyous smile stretched across my face. Srila Prabhupada reciprocated with a smile, too, one endowed with both wisdom and serenity."
Journey of Radhanath Swami is inspiring and fascinating, thrilling and much for fulfillment. The quest for Bhakti and finding inner peace through a series of life’s experiences leading to finding of his Guru & Lord Krishna.
I don't know how widely available this book is (published in 2008 in India by an Indian publisher), but I think it may explode in popularity! The author was a Jewish-American kid from the Chicago area that that was immersed in the hippy counter culture of the time. Then at the age of 19 decided to go on a quest to find spiritual and personal truth. The adventures that follow are NEARLY beyond belief! He flies to Europe with friends, hitchhikes from London hitchhikes through some of Europe's most famous tourist destinations (Amsterdam, Florence, Rome, Athens, etc.) on literally no money and finally to Crete where a vision tells him he must go to India. SO HE HITCHHIKES THERE!!! This is in 1970, he's got to get through Turkey (where there's a cholera epidemic!) and Afghanistan to get to his holy land, India!! I was jaw dropped and thrilled to be reading it in the prologue, in the first chapter I knew I was holding gold divided into pages!
And when it is made into a movie (because it will be, whether by Hollywood or Bollywood) the cast of cameos is going to be incredible! He hangs out with counter culture characters like Johnny Winters and Swami Satchinanda ("The Woodstock Guru"); encounters cultural characters like Ram Dass, J. Krishnamurti, Mother Theresa; sees Indian yogis levitate and read minds; and all the while morphs from a shaggy, pot smoking hippy to a wandering ascetic beggar in search of god to a spiritual teacher and Swami. A truly amazing and inspirational story! Hare hare:-)
Truly amazing and inspiring story of the spiritual journey of Radanath Swami as he explores many spiritual traditions across Europe, through the Middle East and India to find his heart's calling as a Vaishnava monk.
A beautifully written book that motivates and unveils the bittersweet realities of life. It narrates the common experiences of an ordinary individual, akin to those encountered in our daily lives. Within these pages, we encounter impostors, quacks, and charlatans. Some among us become entangled in this society of those with blackened hearts, while others accept it as the only truth. Only a select few valiantly resist. These exceptional souls refuse to let anyone taint their spirits or corrupt their hearts.
The book imparts valuable lessons, such as the importance of cherishing what we have instead of relentlessly pursuing our desires. Throughout Radhanath Swami's toughest moments, he received the most profound blessings from Krishna.
His encounters with Garry serve as a lesson in hope, faith, and friendship. The book underscores that we meet people precisely when the timing is right, guided by a divine plan for each of us.
Happiness, the book teaches, is within our grasp; having faith in Krishna is key. It advises against chasing fleeting material gains, emphasizing that life truly begins when these materialistic desires fade away.
There are numerous insights to absorb from this book. It's a must-read, encouraging readers to view life's incidents and accidents as valuable lessons.
My first autobiography read. It was gifted by a spiritual uncle at the time I lost my mother, as an attempt to help settle me...
The book took many weeks to finish because of distractions and preoccupations but I did seek it out despite much mental and physical confusion. It offered a fluid and believable read. Radhanath Swami's journey from a 19 year old American Jew boy to become Srila Prabhupada's follower 2 years later was full of tough travels, conflicting experiences and much exploration. It took him 6 months to reach India through Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan by land and with little or no money. I admired his determination and belief in his own quest. It was a surprise that the idea of India came to an American teenager in the 1970s when this country was even less tourist-friendly or known. It was good to know about all the sadhus he met--including Neem Karoli Baba who I'd heard about only in Steve Jobs' context--and his genuine interest in learning from them. I felt sorry for his troubles so many times and heaved a sigh of relief each time he got to eat anything substantial. After all his doubts, learnings, struggles, I've to say, however, that I was disappointed with his final decision to connect with a glamourous brand like Iskcon. Much as I enjoy going into clean and large Iskcon temples, eating its lovely prasad or buying rosary beads from its Delhi store, in its present state, Iskcon's concept brings many doubts to mind about its mission. And, this is when I believe in Krishna as a God too. Recently, when I asked a young Sivanand Ashram Swami about his impressions of Iskcon's mandate and method, he said that it has evolved into something that may not have been Srila Prabhupada's vision of it. To my own mind, Iskcon promotes a cult movement by offering music, dancing and single-minded chanting of a mantra. It's almost as if it's created a template that is attractive to adopt by Western seekers. I realize that many would advice me to keep my own heart and quest clear instead of deriding any sect but for now my impression of Iskcon is based on my experience of it...however limited that may be at this stage.
And yet, I do not mean to trivialize Richard Slavin's journey to find God and a guru. I'm full of admiration for his hardships and bravery to leave a comfortable life. The book itself is well written for someone who hadn't kept notes on his experiences and wrote about them 35 years later.
Westerners especially those who have an Indian heritage can relate to the stories of great individuals like Radhanath Swami. He is a living saint, master and it has been my great fortune to have his darshan on two occasions.
This is an excellent book, and there is a wonderful insight into his meeting with Ram Dass and Neem Karoli Baba, my copy is covered with copius notes, and I have read this from cover to cover twice.
Truly marvelous book. I had been a interested in the book reading since childhood, and have read various books but this book is just a different one. Extreme adventures (and yet true!! these are not the incidences from fictional life but rather a real living person’s story!!), the unshakable determination of Radhanath Swami to undergo anything and everything to reach his goal of life and the style of the writing of author is so simple and humorous that one never finds the book tiring but always expecting what is going to happen next..
No movie maker or a fiction writer can ever imagine to compose such a story! The book is replete with great adventurous and thrilling real-life events that take place in the life of a sincere seeker of the truth.
I was totally loving this book but then I got pregnant and stopped reading it when I was about 2/3 of the way finished (with the book, not the pregnancy). The reason is probably because it was pulling me in the direction of a more solitary spiritual journey and motherhood will be the opposite of that--just the wrong energy for the moment. Maybe I'll finish this book when my kid starts kindergarten. :) I still give the book 5 stars and I think it's going to be a great read for any serious student of spirituality--especially those seeking to develop a deep solitary practice or those who enjoy well-written spiritual travel-writing that reads like a novel.
Одна из самых лучших книг, которую я прочитала в этом году. Здесь всё: поиск себя, поиск жизненного пути, поиск Бога... При этом всё так искренне и чутко, что просто дух захватывает. То, как человек, нашел себя после концерта Джимми Хендрикса - это вообще отдельная история:) Книга о многом заставила задуматься и однозначно рекомендую к прочтению. А ещё лучше - к прослушиванию! Её аудиоверсия сделана просто великолепно - с мантрами, духовной музыкой и соответствующей атмосферой. Снимаю шляпу!
The writing was very weak at times, and at other times beautiful. I found myself on a roller coaster with this book. Sometimes disliking it, sometimes really enjoying it. Overall it is a beautiful story of his spiritual journey and there is something we can all relate to.
Nuostabi, tikra istorija apie vaikiną, kuris gyvenimo harmoniją atranda Indijoje ir tampa vienuoliu. Knyga priverčia apmąstyti begalę klausimų, o ypač, kas yra tas tikrasis gyvenimas. Labai džiaugiuosi ją netikėtai atradusi ir, kad pasiryžau perskaityti, labai įdomi patirtis.
A fascinatingnstory of an American young man who was searching for his spiritual path. The book is so well-written and inspiring that you feel blessed while reading it. It was very interesting to read about his meetings with such great people as Mother Theresa, Dalai Lama and others. It doesn't matter what religion you are in (or if you're not religious at all), the adventures and spiritual discoveries of this American Swami will not leave you indifferent. After this book I found a lot of information about Radhanath Swami, watched some videos with him and got really amazed by his activity in India and his teachings.
This is one of those books that can change your life or at least make it better...
A beautiful book. It tells about a man travelling all the way from US to India to find his destiny. Learning different religions, meeting diverse people and facing lots of challenges and surprises. What I personally took from this book is that everything that is happening is happening for a reason and that the misfortunes that we are facing are always leading us to something good and beautiful, even we cannot understand it at the beginning.
Anyone seriously or even casually looking for answers in life, this is the book. What should be "MY" role in this vast world, how can "I" help myself and others also, these questions were cleared when i read this book. Really a VERY GOOD one, positively inspiration and practical.
And definitely clears the concepts related to God and His-will, different religions.
Although I know the Himalayas is full of mysteries, it was nice to know it from the pen of an American. We Indians, from childhood, hear so much about people having super natural powers living peacefully in the high mountain range of Himalayas, beyond the reach of common people. It was like getting one more evidence in favour of all the legends.
This is one of the most enriching and fascinating books that I've read. I completed it in about 1.5 days. Radhanath Swami is a very elevated spiritual leader and reading about journey and his views about religion and God was enlightening.
This is one of the most amazing stories of the search for God I have ever read. The journey to India is just the initial part of the book. From there you get an inside look at the many spiritual traditions of that land, all through the eyes of the young Richard, who is a genuine seeker of the truth. In some parts of the world you only get the two options: follow what your church or religious organization says or turn to atheism. In India there is more of an intellectual component. The many factions each define who the individual is and what the individual’s relationship is to a higher power, if there is believed to be one. More importantly, spirit is stressed over matter, as the body does not represent the individual. This book is a unique presentation of deep spiritual understanding fused within an action packed adventure. While I found it to be enormously entertaining, it was also enlightening. It would be a great fit for religious studies students in that it gives a personal account of many different faiths in terms of how they practiced their faith. But it does this within the context of a very stimulating action packed adventure. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventures and is open to hearing about different philosophies that have existed since the dawn of time. My favorite part of the book is the description of Richard’s time in the land of Vrindavana, which is infused with the devotional spirit. I found myself transported to that wonderful area and not wanting to leave. Immense thanks to the author for releasing this book, and hopefully he has many more stories to tell us in the future.
I bought this book while in India completing my yoga teacher training. We had a visit from a group of Hare Krishnas and I was eager to learn more about their faith. I purchased The Journey Home as well as a copy of the Bhagavad Gita in hopes of deepening my very basic understanding of the Hindu faith. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I found it very repetitive and a lot of it was difficult to read as truth. Many too-good-to-be-true situations cropped up making me think there had to be more to the stories than was written. Swami really seems to pull at strings to extract religious epiphanies and lessons from seemingly expected and somewhat ordinary experiences of an unexperienced (and frankly irresponsible) backpacker.
A spiritual journey of an american teenager back in early 1970. Great first half of the book where he travels the world but second half of the book gets too slow, becomes a bit too exalted and starts to proselytize. This book would be great for young people/teens because the author has a lot of "profound" revelations that most thinking educated adults would have already experience by the age of 27 (I hope). This book made me remember the main commandment of George Carlin: "Thy shall keep thy religion to thyself".
The book starts off as a simple writing but as the author pens down his experiences while travellimg in search of answers to his spiritual quest, it gets interesting.
Many incidences made my jaw drop. The meetings with various spiritual personalities are interesting, more interesting is the author's learnings from each of it. Author's focus on God is inspiring and so is his meeting his Guru. The account of travel through India is interesting
Such a deep book that makes me think. The Journey Home is so well written and covers a young man life who has so many thoughts and questions. He travels, or should I say hitch hikes to India. During his travels he meets and studies with many guru’s and teachers. He is so grateful, kind, and respectful during his journey. This book is very deep and full of adventure. You can go on his journey with him. It may change your life.
It's just amazing to read it. The reader takes us along his journey helping us to realize the most amazing truths of the world, which all the age old intellectuals has assimilated in their soul journey. I am flabbergasted to perceive my soul journey in his.... Eagerly waiting for his ahead books... :-)
The Journey Home is a beautiful story of a gripping spiritual journey. The author's account of his obstacle-filled road to spiritual understanding is so detailed and fascinating that parts of it seem farfetched. However, interwoven in this exciting story of exemplary resilience are gems of wisdom for anyone seeking spiritual development. Overall, this was a good read.
I so enjoyed this book. It reminded me of reading Siddhartha when I was in high school--like a light turned on inside. There is a certain vicarious bliss in reading of someone's spiritual journey. I remain inspired several weeks after completing this joy-filled and experience-filled gem of a book.
I love this book. Bright, memorable, enlightening… Rare masterpiece of truly honest search for oneself by a sincere simple boy from Chicago suburbs who lately became a renowned guru. Strongly reccomend