Mukti Brahmacari

One day a curious, unsolicited correspondent wrote to Prabhupada from India.  His name was Mukti Brahmacari.  Introducing himself as a disciple of one of Prabhupada’s godbrothers, and reminding Prabhupada of their past slight acquaintance, Mukti wrote of his eagerness to join Prabhupada in America.  Prabhupada still had hopes for getting assistance from his godbrothers in India – “This mission is not simply one man’s work.”  Therefore, he invited Mukti to come to America and asked him to request his guru to cooperate by working personally to secure government sanction for the release of foreign exchange. 

Mukti submitted the entire proposal before his spiritual master, who, as Mukti predicted, cancelled the trip.  Although Mukti’s guru was Srila Prabhupada’s godbrother, he did not want to be involved and he doubted that Prabhupada would actually get a donation from Padampat Singhania. 

And now Mukti Brahmacari also doubted: “If your program is not bona fide, the approach to a big personality will be a ludicrous one no doubt.”

On the same day that Prabhupada received the “ludicrous” letter, he also received the final blow of noncooperation from the Indian government.  Second Secretary Prakash Shah of the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. wrote:

Due to existing conditions of foreign exchange stringency, it is not possible for the government of India to accede to your request for release of foreign exchange.  You may perhaps like to raise funds from residents in America.

It was confirmed: Prabhupada would have to work without outside help.  He would continue alone in New York City.  His last letter to Mukti Brahmacari reveals his deep faith and determination.

So the controversy is now closed and there is no need of help from anyone else.  We are not always successful in our attempts at preaching work, but such failures are certainly not ludicrous.  In the absolute field, both success and failure are glorious.  Even Lord Nityananda pretended to be a failure at converting Jagai and Madhai in the first attempt.  Rather, He was personally injured in such an attempt.  But that was certainly not ludicrous.  The whole thing was transcendental and it was glorious for all parties concerned.