The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami Paperback – Illustrated, January 19, 2010

This is a remarkable autobiography of a spiritually awakened soul. I’m finally beginning to understand why I love practicing yoga.“Yoga means union with our spiritual essence and religion is to bring us back to that same essence. Bhakti Yoga is the science of transforming material into spiritual. By harmonizing our relationships, talents, and property in devotion to the Lord, our spiritual love awakens. In this way the physical body and the spirit soul are united in purpose, and the love we share in this world reaches the eternal spiritual plane. The Bhagavad Gita reveals this mystery to be the perfection of Yoga and the fulfillment of life.”

What a glorious book. Joy. Suffering. God. Love. I cried; I laughed. I jumped for joy. Yet, herein lies a profound teaching of humility, and humanity. Thank Radhanath Swami. Thank you sacred universe.

This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. And to think that it’s a true story! A young Richard Slavin, destined to one day become a great spiritual leader named Radhanath Swami, decides to hitchhike from Europe to India. Barely having any money, he does the unthinkable, surviving near death-experiences along the way.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.In this book you’ll hear of how Richard had association with practically all of the camps, and how he finally came upon the one he would accept for the rest of his life. The adventures in this book are really amazing. I found myself in disbelief quite often. There is an incredible amount of detail as well.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.

This book is deeply charismatic and ingenuously personal. Radhanath Swami (aka Richard Slavin) takes you into his heart and invites you along to find your true self, even as he has done. His traditional spiritual initiation takes place during an arduous (and joyful) pilgrimage throughout India. The needs of his human body are many, but he learns to transcend them all, one by one, in a most dramatic and mind-bending fashion. The journey lasts about two years and is filled with descriptions of countless tests of personal self-mastery, most all involving life-threatening dangers of some sort, such as homelessness, sickness, near-starvation, violence, extreme weather, rabid and venomous animals, quicksand, dysentery, lack of sanitary services, etc -- all borne with supreme self-effacement and deep humility. For each extreme trial or test, there is also a blessing in the form of instant connection with Source.The love he expresses for himself and his fellow man is clearly what sustains his body and heart. Gradually his inner will to commit to lifelong service as a devotee of Krishna becomes stronger until he is able to surrender totally to his Path and ultimate Guru, Sri Pradhupad, the founder of the modern Hare Krishna sect. It is the story of a man who leaves his family and friends behind and sets off on an unplanned and arduous international search to find God in imitation of countless saints of the past. It is richly told, a magnetic tale with special appeal that only comes from a genuine spiritual intention to reveal one's truest self. It is a gift to the heart. I was deeply touched by this book.

Reading his books feels like he has become my Guru. Very insightful for anyone on a spiritual path