Bhakti Hridaya Bon Swami

Who is Bhakti Hridaya Bon Swami?

Bhakti Hridaya Bon also known as Swami Bon was a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and a guru in the Gaudiya Math following the philosophy of the Bhakti marg, specifically of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Gaudiya Vaishnava theology. At the time of his death he left behind thousands of Bengali disciples in India. His current successor is Swami Gopananda Bon Maharaj.

Some reference books on Swami Bon's life are "On the path to Vaikuntha", "Viraha-vedana", and "Vaikunther Pathe", "My First Year in England", etc. He is noted for his translation into English of Sri Rupa Goswami's Sanskrit classic, Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu; as also his educational activities in Vraja Mandala, a sacred area associated with Lord Krishna, located between Delhi and Agra in U.P., India.

Swami Bon was the Rector of the Institute of Oriental Philosophy in Vrindavana, and Founder of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Academy in Nandagram, U.P., India. He initiated a few Westerners such as Swami Lalitananda Bon and Vamana dasa who was converted to Gaudiya Vaishnavism by meeting first Western disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Svami Sadananda Dasa in a concentration camp in India., and Asim Krishna Das.