Steve Bohlert / Subal Das


Aloha. Welcome to my website. I hope you will take the time to look around and see the opportunities for spiritual growth I offer those in the Kingdom of Hawai'i and the world.	Introduction Let me introduce myself. I am Steve Bohlert / Subal Das Goswami, disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad and Lalita Prasad Thakur (Babaji), the son and disciple of Bhaktivinode Thakur. I carry on their spiritual teachings and natural devotional style (raganuga bhakti) in a post-modern way (adhunika-vad). I am an essence seeker (saragrahi) who sees things from a holistic, universalist theological position. Babaji told me to preach in the West. Bhaktivinode saw the transmission of his teachings to the West as an evolutionary spiritual development. He wanted an indigenous Western devotion to Radha and Krishna to develop. That is my mission I was first initiated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in 1967 and served as one of his leading disciples for eight years. He introduced me to these devotional practices and set me on a course that has continued for forty years. He gave me the name Subal Das Goswami. In the early 1970s, I lived in India for three years as a renunciant (sannyasi). I got to experience this spiritual path in its homeland and studied with a variety of reputable sources, most importantly Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor and Lalita Prasad Thakur, who gave me ragamarga initiation, the path of spontaneous love. I resumed my American beat/hippie lifestyle in 1974, and got involved with the New Age Movement, Sufism, Taoism, Zen, etc. while continuing my devotion to Radha Krishna internally. Then, I joined the United Church of Christ, went to seminary, got ordained and served as a Midwest church pastor for eleven years, all the while maintaining an inner devotion to Radha Krishna from the perspective that Love is the eternal religion of all and just manifested differently through Jesus and Chaitanya. Thus, I was very much re-Americanized, and my seminary education gave me new intellectual tools with which to re-examine the writings of Sri Chaitanya’s followers and the beliefs I formerly held. I find it is the most thorough and practical theological system available. However, it is very much in need of a major reformation for the post-modern Western world. I am getting some support from the Krishna community and invite other kindred spirits to join me in this project. I see myself as part of an on-going process of revelation and development which is what keeps faith alive and relevant. Bhaktivinode says, “Liberty then is the principle, which we must consider as the most valuable gift of God. We must not allow ourselves to be led by those who lived and thought before us. We must think for ourselves and try to get further truths which are still undiscovered. In the Bhagavat we have been advised to take the spirit of the shastras and not the words. The Bhagavat is, therefore, a religion of liberty, unmixed truth, and absolute love.” Since leaving the church in 2002, I returned to Radha Krishna devotion as my primary spiritual practice both internally and externally. Yet the old ways of doing this no longer work for me. I developed my own devotional style based on my cross-cultural, interfaith background. I call it Universalist Radha Krishnaism. I am married and live an alternative, contemplative lifestyle on the island of Hawai'i. I combine the best of what I learned from my Indian and Western spiritual teachers and mentors. I am indebted to all who helped show me the way. I invite you to join me on an incredible spiritual journey. Contact Information: Steve Bohlert P.O. Box 1360 Pahoa, HI 96778 1 (808) 965-7028 Click to email me.
Copyright 2003-08 Steve Bohlert

Introduction

Let me introduce myself. I am Steve Bohlert / Subal Das Goswami, disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad and Lalita Prasad Thakur (Babaji), the son and disciple of Bhaktivinode Thakur. I carry on their spiritual teachings and natural devotional style (raganuga bhakti) in a post-modern way (adhunika-vad). I am an essence seeker (saragrahi) who sees things from a holistic, universalist theological position. Babaji told me to preach in the West. Bhaktivinode saw the transmission of his teachings to the West as an evolutionary spiritual development. He wanted an indigenous Western devotion to Radha and Krishna to develop. That is my mission

I was first initiated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in 1967 and served as one of his leading disciples for eight years. He introduced me to these devotional practices and set me on a course that has continued for forty years. He gave me the name Subal Das Goswami.

In the early 1970s, I lived in India for three years as a renunciant (sannyasi). I got to experience this spiritual path in its homeland and studied with a variety of reputable sources, most importantly Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor and Lalita Prasad Thakur, who gave me ragamarga initiation, the path of spontaneous love.

I resumed my American beat/hippie lifestyle in 1974, and got involved with the New Age Movement, Sufism, Taoism, Zen, etc. while continuing my devotion to Radha Krishna internally. Then, I joined the United Church of Christ, went to seminary, got ordained and served as a Midwest church pastor for eleven years, all the while maintaining an inner devotion to Radha Krishna from the perspective that Love is the eternal religion of all and just manifested differently through Jesus and Chaitanya.

Thus, I was very much re-Americanized, and my seminary education gave me new intellectual tools with which to re-examine the writings of Sri Chaitanya’s followers and the beliefs I formerly held. I find it is the most thorough and practical theological system available. However, it is very much in need of a major reformation for the post-modern Western world. I am getting some support from the Krishna community and invite other kindred spirits to join me in this project. I see myself as part of an on-going process of revelation and development which is what keeps faith alive and relevant.

Bhaktivinode says, “Liberty then is the principle, which we must consider as the most valuable gift of God. We must not allow ourselves to be led by those who lived and thought before us. We must think for ourselves and try to get further truths which are still undiscovered. In the Bhagavat we have been advised to take the spirit of the shastras and not the words. The Bhagavat is, therefore, a religion of liberty, unmixed truth, and absolute love.”

Since leaving the church in 2002, I returned to Radha Krishna devotion as my primary spiritual practice both internally and externally. Yet the old ways of doing this no longer work for me. I developed my own devotional style based on my cross-cultural, interfaith background. I call it Universalist Radha Krishnaism.

I am married and live an alternative, contemplative lifestyle on the island of Hawai'i. I combine the best of what I learned from my Indian and Western spiritual teachers and mentors. I am indebted to all who helped show me the way. I invite you to join me on an incredible spiritual journey.

Contact Information:

Steve Bohlert
P.O. Box 1360
Pahoa, HI 96778

1 (808) 965-7028

Click to email me.