RADHANATH SWAMI IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW THIS FALL TO DISCUSS HIS MEMOIR THE JOURNEY HOME: Autobiography of an American Swami

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WHO: In 1950, Radhanath Swami (nee Richard Slavin) was born into a middle class Jewish family in Chicago. At age 19, he set out to wander the world in search of a closer connection to God. Today, Radhanath Swami is one of India’s premier spiritual leaders, with public appearances that draw thousands of followers.

Loyal supporters of Radhanath Swami donate millions of dollars each year, all of which is used to head up some of the most highly regarded community service projects in Mumbai. From the formation of a massive food distribution center for indigent children to emergency relief programs to the creation of an orphanage, an eye clinic, and a hospital—his contributions to India are so vast they have earned him a celebrity-like status. And yet Radhanath Swami’s life is anything but glamorous. As a Swami—or “monk exclusively dedicated to God’s services”—he has taken a vow of poverty, celibacy, and abstinence from intoxicants. He has no property, no bank account, and not a penny to his name. But he has found the one thing so many strive to achieve: the path to enlightenment.

WHAT: This inspiring tale of adventure and profound spiritual discovery follows Richard Slavin through a life-changing journey down the path of enlightenment to his current status as one of India’s great spiritual leaders, Radhanath Swami.

His story takes us hitchhiking across Europe and the Middle East—through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and eventually India.

He survives multiple near-death encounters including run-ins with drug smugglers, robberies at knifepoint, an attack by a pack of wild dogs, being held captive by a large venomous snake, and nearly suffocating in quicksand. Penniless and half-starved, he arrives in India and climbs to remote regions of the Himalayas where levitating recluses are among the many famous and unknown mystics who train him in the life of a wandering mendicant. He eventually finds himself in a holy forest where his long, matted locks and threadbare garments gain him entrance into the company of renowned yogis and saints. This is where he begins to learn that beautiful things happen in life when we “let go of our own ego”. THE JOURNEY HOME is an extraordinary memoir in which the author weaves a colorful tapestry of adventure, mysticism, and love.

WHY: Radhanath Swami will be touring the U.S. this fall and is available for interview.

Among some of the topics he can speak to are:

• How spirituality addresses timely topics such as the BP oil spill and the environment.

• His experiences and conversations with high-ranking spiritual figures such as the Dalai Lama of Tibet and Mother Theresa, whom he met in the ghettos of Calcutta.

• The causes of, and cures for, animosity among religions.

• How, at nineteen, after hitchhiking overland from Europe, he was rejected at the Indian border for being another useless beggar.” Forty years later he was invited to the presidential palace to have a private audience with the President of India.

• How his very simple lifestyle has brought him closer to God. He eats once a day, sleeps on a mat on the floor, and has taken vows of celibacy, poverty, and abstinence from intoxicants.

• The details of his incredible story. How he went from Richard Slavin, a Jewish boy from Chicago to Radhanath Swami, a man who has dedicated his life to God and to bringing others closer to God and their own spirituality.

• How his parents and siblings reacted to his quest for a different spiritual path and what those family relationships are like today.

• Why he wrote this book. As a very modest man, over the years he resisted urging by many to write his life story but finally succumbed to honor a dying man’s final wishes.

• What he wants people to take away from reading THE JOURNEY HOME, and why he believes it is not important whether you are a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew—but whether or not you can love yourself and every living being.

The following TV footage is available for use in conjunction with an interview:

• A lengthy interview with Radhanath Swami taped on May 24, 2010
• Recent footage of his largest charity projects in Mumbai
• B-Roll of pertinent spots in India that play an important part of his story
• Video of an interview with Radhanath’s father Jerry Slavin
• Please visit http://www.radhanathswami.com/ for more information.

Contact:
Vidya Ramakrishnan
425-652-1226
rvidya@gmail.com