I was born in Sydney, Australia, to Catholic parents, on May 5th, 1970, on the auspicious Appearance Day of Sri Gadadhara Pandita (Srimati Radharani in Gaura lila). From younger age I dreamt to go to India. Onetime when I was 7 or 8 years I thought, I’ll do meditation. I closed my eyes and immediately everything became like lights, red – I became very afraid and never did meditation more. I went to a Catholic school, and after graduation went to Sydney University to study Economics, but I didn’t last long, as I packed my bag and went to India on a one way ticket when I was 19. I spent around two years in the Indian and Pakistan Himalayas, trekking, before ending up in Calcutta as a volunteer for mother Teresa for three months or so. Gradually became interested in Eastern religion, and ended up in Tamal Nadu, South India, where I stayed with a Guru for another year and a half. After a mystical experience, I left there, caught malaria, and ended up back in Sydney.
So I went back to Australia and by the grace of Krishna I received a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, written by Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami. I read Bhagavad-Gita and in one night my life has changed. Finding everything I had been looking for I joined the ashram of the Hare Krishna movement there. But being bitterly disappointed by the relations I found there, I prayed very much to Krishna for a helping hand. In two days I received lectures of Srila Gaura-Govinda Swami, the top-most disciple of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. In 1994 he came to Melbourne, by his grace I could meet him. I asked him to give me initiation, but he said me: “Don’t hurry, what’s your name? Where are you from…” Then he put his lotus feet in my heart and said: “The relationship with guru are eternal and based on love and faith. I accept you as my eternal disciple, but don’t hurry with the initiation, Srila Prabhupada was also waiting for 12 years”. At that time I was amazed by his statement and only when he left this world, and I took initiation from Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharadj – I understood his intention. I left again for India, again on a one-way ticket, and stayed in his ashram in Bhubaneswar for almost two years. He gave daily lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam for 3 to 4 hours. From him I developed a great interest in hearing the scriptures and the past-times of Krishna and Sriman Mahaprabhu, who appeared in this world to teach and taste the process of devotion, through the chanting of the Holy Names.
After Srila Gaura Govinda Swami left this world in the beginning of 1996, I went for guidance to His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja. In two weeks he gave me initiation and name Sri Radhanath das brahmacari. I stayed with him there in Mathura, India, in his ashram for six years, until I began travelling and teaching what I had heard from Him. In the year 2003, I was given the renounced order of sannyasa, lifelong celibacy.
I like to give everyone I meet an interest in real spiritual life. I like people, and try to help them by giving them the same chance I had to hear the instructions of the Vedic scriptures. I feel this is an all-encompassing and non-sectarian philosophy that can be practiced by anyone of any culture, as it is based on purely chanting the names of God. I try to make my lectures humorous and applicable. I travel mainly to China, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Guyana, Venezuela, Europe and USA, which sounds a lot, but it really is just a drop in the ocean. All is the grace of my spiritual masters, and I hope to always represent them as best as I am able.
The Upanisads state,
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-nasanam natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate
The sixteen names of the Maha-mantra destroy the pollution of this age of Kali. Throughout the entire body of Vedic literature one cannot find a more sublime means of spiritual religion.