Hanumatpreshaka Swami
Encyclopedia
Hanumatpresaka Swami is a Gaudiya Vaishnava guru
and a spiritual leader for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKCON). He is known as a Vaishnava scholar, continuously traveling, lecturing on classical Indian literature
and philosophy. He is the founder and General Secretary of NIOS, the North American Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, and Visiting Professor with IECOO, the Institute for Oriental and Occidental Classical Studies, Ricardo Palma University, Lima
, Peru
. He is also a member of the faculty at Bhaktivedanta College
where he teaches on the subject of the text Bhaktirasamrita-sindhu. The Hindu Studies
scholar, Radhika Ramana Dasa
is a disciple of his.
Hanumatpreshaka Swami was born on January 12, 1948 on the island of Guam
and grew up in California
. After finishing Encina High School
in 1966, he entered the University of California, Davis
, graduating in 1970 with a first place prize in Psychology
and minor studies in Biology
and Electrical Engineering
. He then began Doctoral studies at Northwestern University
in Chicago
while also participating in the famous "Second City
" improvisational theater troupe. Soon he became convinced that Western knowledge was lacking much that might be augmented by Oriental wisdom. His mentor, Donald T. Campbell
, President of the American Psychology Association, agreed so he then headed East obtaining a black belt
in Okinawan karate
, and then receiving initiation
and taking vows as a brahmacari, novice monk, from A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
in 1974. He continued in this Indian tradition taking vows as a sannyasin in 1984, and becoming an initiating guru in 1994.
Since 1990 Hanumatpresaka Swami has also developed a program of global lecturing and travel. This has included work as associate director of the “Bhaktivedanta Institute” which organized two “World Congresses for the Synthesis of Science and Religion”, Bombay, 1985, Kolkatta, 1997. These included participation of Nobel Laureates such as George Wald
, Charles Townes, Sir John Eccles, Arch-Bishop Paulos Mar Gregorios (President of World Council of Churches
), the Dalai Lama
and many others. In March 1999 Hanumatpresaka Swami was the Chief Guest for the University of Calcutta
's critical seminar on "National Seminar on Science and Technology in Ancient India". In November 2004 and July 2005 he was principal speaker at the "National Conference on Psychotherapy", Caesar Vallejo University, Tujillo, Peru
.
With San Marcos University, the oldest university in the Western Hemisphere
, NIOS was a co-organizer for the “Bharatiya Sanskriti: A Festival of Classical Indian Culture”. The Festival was produced in Lima from 2005-2007. Sponsors and participants included many prominent universities, Ambassador of India and renowned scholars from four continents.
His name, 'Hanumat Preṣaka' is in Sanskrit
and it means 'One who sent Hanuman as a messenger', i.e. Lord Rama".
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
and a spiritual leader for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
(ISKCON). He is known as a Vaishnava scholar, continuously traveling, lecturing on classical Indian literature
Indian literature
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages....
and philosophy. He is the founder and General Secretary of NIOS, the North American Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, and Visiting Professor with IECOO, the Institute for Oriental and Occidental Classical Studies, Ricardo Palma University, Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. He is also a member of the faculty at Bhaktivedanta College
Bhaktivedanta College
Bhaktivedanta College, located in the rural Ardennes region of Belgium, is a Vaishnava college administered by ISKCON. The programme at Bhaktivedanta College is the study of Vaishnavism. -History:...
where he teaches on the subject of the text Bhaktirasamrita-sindhu. The Hindu Studies
Hindu studies
Hindu studies is the study of the traditions and practices of the Indian subcontinent, especially Hinduism. Beginning with British philology in the colonial period, Hindu studies has been practiced largely by Westerners, due in part to the lack of a distinct department for religion in Indian academia...
scholar, Radhika Ramana Dasa
Radhika Ramana Dasa
Radhika Ramana Dasa, also known as Dr. Ravi M. Gupta, is a notable Vaishnava scholar. Presently, he is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and a member of the faculty at Bhaktivedanta College...
is a disciple of his.
Hanumatpreshaka Swami was born on January 12, 1948 on the island of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and grew up in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. After finishing Encina High School
Encina High School
Encina Preparatory High School is a high school located in Sacramento, California. It is a member of the San Juan Unified School District. While the schoolthrived during its early years of existence and into the 1980s,...
in 1966, he entered the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
, graduating in 1970 with a first place prize in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and minor studies in Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
. He then began Doctoral studies at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
while also participating in the famous "Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
" improvisational theater troupe. Soon he became convinced that Western knowledge was lacking much that might be augmented by Oriental wisdom. His mentor, Donald T. Campbell
Donald T. Campbell
Donald Thomas Campbell was an American social scientist. He is noted for his work in methodology. He coined the term "evolutionary epistemology" and developed a selectionist theory of human creativity.- Biography :...
, President of the American Psychology Association, agreed so he then headed East obtaining a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
in Okinawan karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, and then receiving initiation
Diksha
Diksa also spelled deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism...
and taking vows as a brahmacari, novice monk, from A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher and the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna Movement"...
in 1974. He continued in this Indian tradition taking vows as a sannyasin in 1984, and becoming an initiating guru in 1994.
Since 1990 Hanumatpresaka Swami has also developed a program of global lecturing and travel. This has included work as associate director of the “Bhaktivedanta Institute” which organized two “World Congresses for the Synthesis of Science and Religion”, Bombay, 1985, Kolkatta, 1997. These included participation of Nobel Laureates such as George Wald
George Wald
George Wald was an American scientist who is best known for his work with pigments in the retina. He won a share of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Haldan Keffer Hartline and Ragnar Granit.- Research :...
, Charles Townes, Sir John Eccles, Arch-Bishop Paulos Mar Gregorios (President of World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
), the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
and many others. In March 1999 Hanumatpresaka Swami was the Chief Guest for the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
's critical seminar on "National Seminar on Science and Technology in Ancient India". In November 2004 and July 2005 he was principal speaker at the "National Conference on Psychotherapy", Caesar Vallejo University, Tujillo, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
With San Marcos University, the oldest university in the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
, NIOS was a co-organizer for the “Bharatiya Sanskriti: A Festival of Classical Indian Culture”. The Festival was produced in Lima from 2005-2007. Sponsors and participants included many prominent universities, Ambassador of India and renowned scholars from four continents.
His name, 'Hanumat Preṣaka' is in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and it means 'One who sent Hanuman as a messenger', i.e. Lord Rama".
External links
- The official Web-page of Anjana Suta Academy, Hanumatpresaka Swami
- Official webpage of NIOS, the North American Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies
- Hanumat Presaka Swami's lectures and diaries
- SDG Online: Letters from Hanumatpresaka Swami
- Sannyasa Reports 2006-2007
- His Holiness Hanumatpreshaka Swami's biography ISKCON VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
- HH Hanumat Presaka Swami biography ISKCON Houston
- HH Hanumat Presaka Swami Letters