Vaisnava Family Resources

Healthy Marriages. Happy Families. Strong ISKCON.

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About Radhanath Swami

Radhanath Swami is a Vaishnava sanyassin (a monk in a Krishna-bhakti lineage) and teacher of the devotional path of Bhakti-yoga. He is author of The Journey Home, a memoir of his search for spiritual truth. His teachings draw from the sacred texts of India such as The Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Ramayana, and aim to reveal the practical application of the sacred traditions, while focusing on the shared essence which unites apparently disparate religious or spiritual paths.

Born Richard Slavin, on December 7, 1950, in his teens he came to confront a deep sense of alienation from suburban Chicago life and the civil injustices of mid-century America. At the age of nineteen, while on a summer trip to Europe, his internal struggles culminated in a commitment to search for God wherever it might lead him. Meditating on the Isle of Crete, he felt a supernatural calling and the next morning set off alone to find spiritual India. The Journey Home documents his odyssey as a penniless hitch-hiker though Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and finally India. There he lived as a wandering ascetic, first amongst the forest dwelling Himalayan yogis and later amongst a wide variety of gurus and spiritual practitioners throughout India and Nepal. Ultimately, he was led to the holy town of Vrindavan, where he found his path amongst the Bhakti-yogis.

In Vrindavan he found the teacher he was searching for in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and representative of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, (the Krishna-bhakti tradition stemming from the 16th century mystic avatar Sri Chaitanya). In choosing Bhaktivedanta Swami, as his guru, Radhanath Swami felt compelled to shear his matted locks and reenter Western society with a mission to share the sacred wisdom he had received. This return exemplifies the form of devotional yoga which is at the heart of Radhanath Swami’s teachings, a spiritual practice expressed as tangible action meant to bring about personal fulfillment and benefit the world.

At the the age of 31 he took the monastic vows of a Vaishnava sanyassin and became known as Radhanath Swami.

Today Radhanath Swami travels regularly throughout India, Europe and North America, sharing the teachings of Bhakti-yoga. He resides much of the year at the Radha Gopinath Ashram in Chowpatty, Mumbai. For the past twenty-five years he has guided the community’s development and has directed a number of acclaimed social action projects including Midday Meals, which daily serves more than 260,000 plates of sanctified vegetarian food to the children of the slums of Mumbai. He has also worked to establish missionary hospitals and eye camps, eco-friendly farms, schools and ashrams, an orphanage, and a number of emergency relief programs throughout India.

How to be an Ideal Husband

November 28, 2019 by Radhanath Swami

Narada Muni the great acharya has previously explained to Maharaja Yudhisthira, the story of Prahlada Maharaja who is the perfect example of devotional service. Prahlada Maharaja remained faithful to the words of his spiritual master even in the face of the most impossible difficulties. Depending on a power beyond his own, the mercy of Krsna, […]

Filed Under: Articles, Marriage

The Yoga of Marriage

July 22, 2017 by Radhanath Swami

My Gurudev explained this is the solution for any problem in marriage- these two words, ‘forget it’. Because whatever the problems that you have based on circumstances, based on two different egos, because the ego is such a thing that when two egos are living so close to each other there sometimes has to be […]

Filed Under: Marriage

Principles for a Harmonious Marriage

April 28, 2015 by Radhanath Swami Leave a Comment

Across all religions there is a universal concept that when a man and woman marry with proper attitude they become one body. They don’t merge into each other’s existence, but it means that they start living for a common purpose – to serve God together. They share the same goal at many levels. First – […]

Filed Under: Tips/Techniques

Wedding Lecture by H.H. Radhanath Swami

October 25, 2002 by Radhanath Swami Leave a Comment

At the wedding of Bhavatarine and Govinda Ghosh Govardhana Puja, New Vrndavana, 10/25/02 Today is a very auspicious occasion. These two very wonderful devotees, Govinda Ghosh Prabhu and Maharani Bhavatarini devi have earned the respect and love of so many Vaisnavas all over the world, that New Vrndavana has become a place of pilgrimage. Actually, […]

Filed Under: Marriage

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Healthy Marriages. Happy Families. Strong ISKCON.

The GVT is a grass roots volunteer group of Krishna devotees who are mostly mental health or educational professionals. Our intention is to provide resources to support married couples and prospective couples primarily in North American ISKCON communities. However, the broader community of Vaishnavas, and anyone who is interested in spiritual married life are welcome to take advantage of the knowledge that is shared here. We want to help spiritualize your married life so that it will be an asset for your Krishna (God) consciousness. We welcome your suggestions to make this site relevant and useful.

It’s our vision that each couple has access to premarital education by qualified mentors

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Heart & Soul Connection

Heart and Soul Connection Book For more info on books by the GVT, click the cover. Available in other languages.

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