Imagine, if you will, boarding a cargo ship at 69 years-old to leave your home country for the first time in your life. You’ve set out on a month-long journey to go to a country where you don’t know one single person.

During the journey you suffer from sea sickness, dizziness, vomiting and also have two heart-attacks. After 37 days you arrive in the United States of America with an umbrella, a small supply of dry cereal, about forty Rupees ($7.00), several boxes of books and your life-long mission to bring Krishna Consciousness to the West.

This is the story of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) and how he brought Krishna Consciousness to the West.

Swami in a Strange Land, by Joshua M. Greene, is an exceptionally well-written biography that intricately chronicles a story of love, devotion, courage and possibility. Prabhupada’s life story beautifully demonstrates the quintessential example that “You can start with nothing, and out of nothing and out of no way, a way will be made.”

I had the opportunity to speak with Greene to delve deeper into what is difficult to comprehend, as to how Prabhupada accomplished all that he did, given his humble beginnings.

BJB: In addition to faith, surrender, and perseverance, what spiritual space did Prabhupada have to occupy to bring Krishna Consciousness to…