A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad changed the world. When he came to America from India in 1965, few Westerners knew the deep spiritual truths behind ancient Vedic culture and civilization.Within a decade most humans on the planet had heard the Hare Krishna mantra. Shyamasundar Das (Sam Speerstra) was one of the Swami s earliest disciples. In three volumes, Chasing Rhinos with the Swami describes in loving detail the seven years Shyamasundar spent at the side of the Perfect Person. Nothing was impossible for Srila Prabhupad, and he instilled this idea in the hearts of his first disciples: Go for the rhino! Volume One of the Chasing Rhinos trilogy is the intimate account of Bhaktivedanta Swami s amazing adventures in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, and with the Beatles in London, 1967-1970. These unique eye-witness stories have never been revealed in this special way, and will never be told this way again. Reading this deeply-researched treasure should be sadhana (spiritual practice) for every aspiring seeker.
"My good friend Shyamasundar Das's book 'Chasing Rhinos With The Swami' is out today. It's a first hand account of the Hare Krishna movement in the 60s - The Beatles, The Swami, Haight-Ashbury, The Summer of Love. I enjoyed it and know you will too."
"Get Ready for Chasing Rhinos with the Swami! Shyamasundar is about to take us on an incredible adventure into events that transformed our world. We will be witness to unimaginable events, events that made history, while we live side by side with Prabhupada, a humble saint who awakened spiritual love in countless hearts. This book is masterfully written and is truly unique."
"In 'Chasing Rhinos with the Swami,' Shyamasundara Das has accomplished something truly remarkable. He successfully takes his readers back in time, with descriptive language and storytelling expertise, and gives them -- fully -- the association of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. There have been other memoirs involving His Divine Grace, to be sure, but the attention to detail and visceral manifestation of time and place found in Shyamasundara's book is something new. It has never before been accomplished in quite this way. His street savvy, intelligence, common sense, and love for Prabhupada all come through with a tangible freshness, allowing readers entrance into the narrative in a very real way. He seems to remember it all, and he shares it with exacting specificity. He was there! And you know it by the way he writes about it. He lived it, and now, through him, you will live it too! A must read for all students of philosophy, the 60s counterculture, cosmic consciousness, eastern thought, and life itself. "
