Romapada Swami | |
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| Personal | |
| Born | Brian Rumbaugh December 27, 1948 |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Religious career | |
| Based in | United States |
| Period in office | 1986–2018 |
| Previous post | Member of the Governing Body Commission Temple president |
| Present post | Sannyasi |
| Website | Romapada Swami |
| Part of a series on |
| Vaishnavism |
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Romapada Swami (IAST: Roma-pāda Svāmī; born Brian Rumbaugh,[1] December 27, 1948) is a Vaishnava sannyasi,[2] initiating guru[3] and is currently on leave as a governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (commonly known as the Hare Krishnas or ISKCON).[4][5]
Romapada Swami is an initiating guru in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and one of the leading disciples of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of ISKCON. He has been a bhakti-yoga practitioner for over 50 years. He travels extensively across the continental United States and Asia giving invited presentations and workshops at universities, corporates, communities, yoga and cultural centers.[4] He has lectured on Eastern and Western philosophies at universities in the United States, India and Europe.[6]
The youngest of five children, Romapada was born as Brian Rumbaugh and raised in a middle-class Christian family in (Skaneateles,New York) Utica, New York.[1] He attended the State University of New York, Buffalo,[5] where he was a pre-med student.[1] It was here, in 1969, that Brian met A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).[1] Shortly after being accepted to Medical school, Brian joined ISKCON.[1] He decided, that by dedicating himself to the spiritual life he would be more useful to the society.[1] Brian became an initiated disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in July 1971, receiving the name Romapada Das (Das meaning the servant of the Lord).[1] He accepted the renounced order of sannyasa in 1983 (whence he was given the title of "Swami").[5][7][8]
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Romapada Swami served in ISKCON as associate director of public affairs (1972–76),[9] as a spokesman,[10][11] and as a New York ISKCON temple president.[12][13]
Since 1978, Romapada Swami has traveled worldwide, presenting the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy.[5] Since 1986, Romapada Swami has served as an ISKCON diksa guru.
In March 1992, he was appointed Governing Body Commissioner for New York and New Jersey.[5] In 1994 he accepted the same responsibility for the Midwestern United States.[5] Currently he is based in New York, and frequently travels to India and Asia on preaching missions.[5]
Since the past 20 years, he has been taking groups of bhakti practitioners annually to various holy places spread across the entire Indian subcontinent.