Author Interview with Radhanath Swami on his book, The Journey Home

In an interview with Michelle Vandepas on Talking Books TV, renowned Bhakti Yoga exponent Radhanath Swami talks about his autobiography The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami.

In the 1970s, Radhanath Swami was Richard Slavin and he was a young man looking for direction. Even at such a young age, he felt that there was something missing in his life and was looking for the meaning of his existence. This yearning led him to travel to Europe, the Middle East, Asia and finally, India. It was in India that he met the man who eventually became his guru, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

The Journey Home is a remarkable read because Radhanath Swami writes about his search for inner truth and meaning with honesty, clarity and detail. As his story unravels, we see him grow in both experience and realization as he lets go of his ego and allows the “invisible hand of destiny” to lead the way. He meets spiritual personalities like Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama, takes risks and survives near death experiences—all to reach his spiritual goal of Bhakti or devotional mysticism. Then when he does so, he makes the decision to turn his back on a peaceful life as a recluse to return to the world and share what he has learned. This American Swami has since become one of India’s greatest spiritual leaders and his story will undoubtedly serve as both a guide and a source of inspiration for anyone who wishes to have a spiritual awakening and discover their calling in life.

In the interview, Radhanath Swami says, “If we are sincere to follow the calling in our life, then magical things happen. Sometimes those things are not what we want. Sometimes they are way beyond our expectations of what we want and in some cases, I believe the trials and the beautiful experiences bind us closer to our calling if we don’t lose hope and don’t lose faith. Indeed, this memoir shows us that being on a spiritual path will be a challenge, it will not be easy but it will definitely be worth every struggle.

About the Book
The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami is a rare tale of adventure and spiritual enlightenment that follows a young man’s journey for truth and meaning in life. American Richard Slavin travels from America to Europe, the Middle East and India, learning about different faiths and spirituality and fighting past numerous trials to emerge as one of India’s spiritual leaders, Radhanath Swami.

About the Author
At 19 years old, Richard Slavin left his home in America in search of adventure and meaning in his life. He finds himself trekking across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, until he reached India. It was in India that he found his guru and discovered the spiritual enlightenment that he had been looking for. He emerged as Radhanath Swami and returned to society with a strong desire to share what he’s learned about the rewards of living a life devoted to God. Since then, his devotional yoga tradition has led him to guide community development and social action programs in Mumbai, including missionary hospitals, eco-friendly farms, schools and Midday Meal, an program that feeds vegetarian food to indigent children daily. His memoir,The Journey Home, chronicles his incredible experiences and is a must read for anyone who is yearning to embark on their own spiritual journey.

Visit his website at http://radhanathswami.com

About Michelle, interviewer and reviewer
Michelle Vandepas is an entrepreneur, seeker of truth, questioner and overall impatient person. You can Hire Michelle Vandepas for internet consultations or interviewing, speaking and workshops. To find out more please contact michellevandepas at gmail or Twitter | Facebook

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Tagged as: book review, purpose, radhanath swami, spiritual leaders, Spirituality