Born in Toronto, David Forsee (1944- ) graduated from university with a B.A. in English Literature. He worked as a CBC radio journalist and in the 1970s developed a business as an independent trucking contractor in northern Ontario, where he married and lived with his wife and their daughter.

David first met Swami Radha at her Ashram in 1979. Following the three-month Yoga Development Course in 1982, he moved with his family to the ashram and has been actively engaged in Swami Radha?s work ever since. In 1991 he took an initiation into sanyas (the path of renunciation and selfless service) to become Swami Gopalananda.

Over the years he developed a close relationship with Swami Radha as a devotee and friend, and in the latter years of her life worked closely with her on the production of her video biography. This led to her request that he write this book to discover what he had learned from their relationship.

Swami Gopalananda is currently on the Board of Directors of Yasodhara Ashram and the Editorial Board which oversees the continuing publication of Swami Radha?s work.