Radhanath Swami—an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, inspirational speaker and New York Times best-selling author—will be Rev. Dr. José Román’s guest at 3 p.m. May 19 for an Open Heart Conversation on stage at the United Palace, in Washington Heights. Together they will retrace his journey from Chicago, where he was born Richard Slavin to upper-middle-class Jewish parents, across the globe as a spiritual seeker to a life of devotion to Bhakti Yoga as a Sannyasin (monk). Sometimes referred to as “love for love’s sake,” Bhakti is one of the four yogic paths to enlightenment. Although it was introduced to the West in 1966 as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Bhakti Yoga has traceable roots to the first millennium, BCE. What became known as the Hare Krishna Movement developed into one of the most influential and often misunderstood spiritual and social reformations in U.S. history. Today, Radhanath Swami travels throughout India, Europe and North America sharing the teachings of Bhakti Yoga. He is responsible for numerous social action projects, such as Midday Meals, which serves food to children in the slums of Mumbai, and Govardhan Eco Village, a model farm community and retreat center highlighting the importance of spiritual ecology. He has established missionary hospitals and eye camps, schools, ashrams, an orphanage and numerous emergency relief programs throughout India. Among his critically acclaimed books are The Journey Home and The Journey Within.

Location: 4140 Broadway at W. 175th Street. For more information, call 212-568-6700, email [email protected] or visit UnitedPalace.org.