Easy Journey To Other Planets (English) Old Book

"Easy Journey to Other Planets" is a book by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). First published in the early 1960s, it was written during the height of the space race, in response to the scientific community's focus on material space travel.

The book presents a different perspective on "interplanetary travel," contrasting the difficult and expensive methods of material science with a simple, spiritual method. Prabhupada argues that the human desire to explore other planets is a natural, constitutional desire of the soul, which is originally a spiritual particle. However, he explains that this desire cannot be truly fulfilled through mechanical means like rockets, which are limited to the temporary, material universe.

The central thesis of the book is that the most effective and "easy" journey to other planets is through the practice of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to God. Here are the key themes and concepts discussed in the book:

• The Difference between Material and "Antimaterial" Worlds: Prabhupada introduces the concept of an "antimaterial" world, which is a spiritual realm beyond the limitations of the material universe. He uses the scientific term "antimatter" to help readers understand the contrast between temporary, material energy and eternal, spiritual energy. The material world is subject to birth, death, and decay, while the antimaterial world is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss.
• The Insignificance of Material Space Travel: He argues that even if scientists could reach other planets in the material universe, it would be a futile endeavor. The living conditions on these planets are different, and the goal of human life is not to simply change one's location within the temporary world but to escape the cycle of birth and death entirely.
• The Power of Bhakti-Yoga: The book explains that by practicing bhakti-yoga—which includes chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, studying scriptures, and living a devotional life—one can purify the consciousness and, at the time of death, easily transfer the soul to any planet they desire, including the ultimate destination: the spiritual planets in the antimaterial world.
• The Yogi's Journey: Prabhupada describes how a perfect yogi can consciously leave the body at the time of death and travel at the speed of mind to spiritual planets. This is presented as a far more advanced and "easy" method than any material technology.

In essence, "Easy Journey to Other Planets" is a concise and potent introduction to the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, using the timely subject of space travel to explain profound spiritual truths about the nature of the soul, the universe, and the path to eternal life.