It has been almost a week since I arrived in America. I was planning to write earlier, but somehow it got delayed. Better late than never. I am staying at the Kishore Kishori Temple in Chicago, which is situated in the north of the city, just a ten-minute walk from Lake Michigan. Currently, I’m in an observing mode, trying to understand where exactly I am! And obviously, I’m trying to be careful not to keep on observing Maya !!!

This was my first travel abroad. In the airplane, a thought struck me — this is definitely not my first international travel. I must have been in so many bodies in so many lifetimes, traveling to numerous places all over the world, in upper and lower regions, suffering the results of my karma. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gītā that the soul is sarva-gataḥ — all-pervading.

Srila Prabhupada’s Journey Home

As I was flying over the Atlantic Ocean, I was reminded of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s travel to America. It was an extraordinary voyage that lasted for 37 days. I was sitting in an air-conditioned, pressurized cabin with all modern facilities. Of course, there was a little austerity too, but still quite comfortable. Prabhupāda, right from day one of his journey, suffered sea-sickness and subsequently two heart attacks.

He undertook this arduous journey solely to fulfill the instruction of his spiritual master. America was his guru-datta deśa— the land designated for him by his spiritual master. In a way, coming to America was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Journey Home.

The Journeys Home

My spiritual master wrote a book entitled The Journey Home. He traveled and hitchhiked across continents in search of the Absolute Truth. His journey spanned many months, through countries like Egypt, Turkey, Afghanistan, and finally India. In India too, he traveled across various places in the Himalayas, meeting many devotees, and ultimately reached Vṛndāvana, where his path was revealed. His journey began from his home in Chicago to his real home in Vṛndāvana.

In a small way, this is also my Journey Home — from India to Chicago, the home of my spiritual master. I am not sure how long this journey will last, but it will surely bring many learnings, adventures, and challenges along the way.

Our ultimate Journey Home, back to Godhead, is not an easy task. In one sense, it is simple if we remain aligned with the principles of Krishna consciousness. Yet, it is also challenging, filled with obstacles that can deviate us if we are not determined.

Taking us Home through the Journey Home

During his journey, Śrīla Prabhupāda felt deep separation from his beloved Lords — Madan Mohan, Dāmodar, and Gopīnātha — and he found solace in reading Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. One day, while chanting, as I was thinking about how devotees would soon go to Vṛndāvana and I would not be able to join them.

Then, I remembered how Śrīla Prabhupāda, even while on the Jaladuta and after arriving in America, felt intense separation from Vṛndāvana. His separation was not sentimental. It was real and spiritual. Through his feelings of separation, Prabhupāda experienced union with Krishna. This union inspired him to establish Vṛndāvana-like temples all over the world, so that everyone could connect with the mood and mercy of Vṛndāvana.

In that sense, it was not just Prabhupāda’s Journey Home — he brought his home through his journey and established it across the globe, allowing countless souls to experience Vṛndāvana in their own cities. Śrīla Prabhupāda brought Vṛndāvana to the entire world, and the whole world to Vṛndāvana.

The Journey Within

Now, after this Journey Home, begins my Journey Within. To the degree I am able to connect with Krishna, I will be protected from the allurements of māyā. When we undertake this inner journey, we encounter both opportunities and challenges. To the extent we stay connected with devotees and remain engaged in Krishna’s service, our Journey Within can progress smoothly.

Ultimately, our Journey Home — in service to our spiritual master and back to the spiritual world — becomes perfect when we keep searching for Krishna in our Journey Within.