Devamrita Swami
Devamrita Swami (born on October 16, 1950 in New York City) is a Vaishnava sannyasi and a religious leader for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Devamrita Swami is an initiatin guru and a member of the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON. Within ISKCON, he is known as "an author and researcher specializing in the ancient Vedic knowledge of India".
Biography
Devamrita Swami was born 16 October 1950 in New York City. At the age of thirteen, he received a scholarship to preparatory school in New Hampshire and at seventeen he entered Yale University. In 1972, Devamrita Swami graduated from Yale University. At this time he came in contact with the books of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He discovered that "the knowledge presented in these books was the beginning of his real education". He decided to abandon a corporate career and to concentrate fully on his spiritual development.
Devamrita Swami became an initiated disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1974. Working under Harikesa Swami he was awarded sannyasa order on Gaura-purnima of 1982. Since then, he has traveled worldwide, presenting the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy. Currently he is based in Australia and New Zealand, and frequently travels to India and the Orient on preaching missions.
Bibliography
- Harikesha Swami and Devamrita Swami, Varnashram Manifesto for Social Sanity, 1981, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
- Devamrita Swami, Cutting the Knot of Material Existence: Lectures & Essays (1979-1987), 1988, New Vrindaban Publication.
- Devamrita Swami, The Natural Sankirtan Servant: We Need You—and Your Donations Too, 1990, New Vrindaban Publication.
- Devamrita Swami, Perfect Escape, 1994, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, ISBN 91-7149-480-4. Commentary on spirituality of modern times.
- Devamrita Swami, Searching for Vedic India, 2002, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, ISBN 0-89213-350-3. Contemplating the vast ocean of India's Vedic culture.