Journey into the Unknown

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to you!

At age 12 you climbed the bamboo scaffolding, 300 feet to the top of the Victoria Memorial. When devotees marveled at your courage you replied: “I was brave then, and I’m still brave – otherwise how could I have come to your country at 70 years old.”

Journey into the Unknown

“When I chant Hare Krishna, I feel no fear” you said, and equipped with that internal poise, nothing could faze you. Your life was a perpetual journey into the unknown, ready to go anywhere, at anytime, to try anything in pursuance of your mission.

When family life obstructed your spiritual aspirations you walked away and became a lone mendicant in Vrindavana… a journey into the unknown. When you received multiple dreams to accept sannyasa, though horrifying and inconceivable, you walked that path… a journey into the unknown. When there was an opening to venture to Western lands, despite the trepidation of others, you grabbed it… a journey into the unknown. When Butler, a nice American neighborhood, no longer facilitated your missionary purposes, you ventured into the urban jungle of hedonism, the Big Apple… a journey into the unknown. When Misra’s apartment in Uptown NYC proved fruitless, you descended to the depths of the Lower East Side, the skid row, the lowest of the low… a journey into the unknown.

You never looked for comfort or convenience, only for service and the opportunity to share. You never sought security or safety, ever confident in the divine backup of Krishna. You never hesitated, fueled by a volcanic desire to share Krishna Bhakti.

O Prabhupada, grace me with one drop of your fearlessness! Help me overcome the anxiety of embarrassment or failure. Immunize me against the disease of conformity which perpetually confines us within ethereal boundaries. Save me from the trenches of mechanical, mediocre, and stagnated spirituality. Please open my heart so I can absorb the inspiration of the vaisnavas and make their words my North Star. Bless me to embody your spirit and marry the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

By your divine grace, in my own small way, I’ll try to take some risks, be brave and venture beyond the comfort zone. Insignificant as I am, I’ll also try to make a journey into the unknown… eagerly anticipating the prospect of meeting you on the other side.

Yours eternally, Sutapa das