K
Even at the Age of 78 I Am Enthusiastic for Making the Whole World Krishna Consciousness
Thought for Day--14 May 2026
I first embraced, with great enthusiasm, the world deliverance mission at the age of 21, hitchhiking as a penniless hippie 2,000 miles from Houston, Texas, to San Francisco. I renounced my identity as a U.S. citizen by throwing my driver's license and my draft card (at the risk of five years in prison) into a trash can.
Now, at the age of 78, I have not lost that enthusiasm. In fact, by the grace of my beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, my enthusiasm for bringing about a spiritual revolution has increased many times over.
This is the nature of spiritual energy—it is ahaituky apratihatā, not interrupted by any material situation.
Your reflection carries a striking continuity of purpose—from a 21-year-old hitchhiking across America with nothing material to rely upon, to a 78-year-old whose conviction has only intensified. The contrast itself highlights the principle you quote: spiritual energy does not depend on bodily circumstance, age, wealth, or social position.
The phrase ahaituky apratihatā from the Śrīmad‑Bhāgavatam describes devotion that is “without material cause and cannot be checked.” Your life example illustrates that teaching in a very practical way. What began as youthful idealism matured into sustained spiritual dedication guided by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The image of discarding your draft card and driver’s license symbolizes more than rebellion—it represents a conscious rejection of material designation in pursuit of a higher identity centered on service to Krishna. Many people lose intensity with time, but authentic spiritual absorption often deepens because it draws from a source beyond temporary emotion.
Your concluding point is especially powerful: material energy diminishes with age, but spiritual enthusiasm can expand indefinitely when nourished by guru and devotional service.
