The following is from the 1972 BBT edition of Easy Journey to Other Planets.
It is a slightly edited version of the Preface published in the 1960 India edition.
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A living being, especially civilized man, has a natural desire to live forever in happiness. This is quite natural because, in his original state, the living being is both eternal and joyful. However, in the present conditioned state of life, he is engaged in a struggle against recurring birth and death. Therefore he has attained neither happiness nor immortality.


The latest desire man has developed is the desire to travel to other planets. This is also quite natural, because he has the constitutional right to go to any part of the material or spiritual skies. Such travel is very tempting and exciting because these skies are full of unlimited globes of varying qualities, and they are occupied by all types of living entities. The desire to travel there can be fulfilled by the process of yoga, which serves as a means by which one can transfer himself to whatever planet he likes – possibly to planets where life is not only eternal and blissful, but where there are multiple varieties of enjoyable energies. Anyone who can attain the freedom of the spiritual planets need never return to this miserable land of birth, old age, disease and death.


One can attain this stage of perfection very easily by his individual effort. He can simply follow, in his own home, the prescribed method of bhakti-yoga. This method, under proper guidance, is simple and enjoyable. An attempt is made herein to give information to the people in general, and to philosophers and religionists in particular, as to how one can transfer oneself to other planets by this process of bhakti-yoga – the highest of all yogic processes.

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Bhaktivedanta Swami's first book, Easy Journey to Other Planets, was initially published in 1960 as two essays featured in his then self-published journal, Back To Godhead magazine. A positive letter in reponse written by the Indian physicist, Dr. Y. G. Naik (1906–76, Principal Gujarat College 1958–67), appeared to inspire Bhaktivedanta Swami to publish these essays in a stand-alone volume. Bhaktivedanta Swami featured his exchange with Naik at the beginning of his original edition, in a section he titled "A Scientist's Appreciation." This section was not included in later editions published in the West beginning 1970.

Of particular interest concerning Bhaktivedanta Swami's exchange with Naik, is a discussion about the author's use of the term "anti-matter." He argued it was more akin to Naik's definition of "anti-material," and used to consider concepts described from within the Vedic tradtion, and contemporary physics. Bhaktivedanta Swami also noted in an exchange with Nair, that his analysis of the "subject matter discussed in my article under reference is authorized [only] as far as it refers to the conclusion of the Geeta" (pp. vi–vii). Similarly, ISKCON's official biography of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami states that Bhaktivedanta Swami "was well aware that the scientists were not speaking of antimaterial in the sense of 'eternal,' or 'spiritual,' but he thought of using their scientific terms to capture the interest of scientific-minded people" (Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Prabhupada-lilamrta v.1, ch.1).

Also of interest is the book's Dedication page which stated: "Dedicated to THE SCIENTISTS OF THE WORLD, with blessings of, HIS DIVINE GRACE, Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, MY SPIRITUAL MASTER." From the perspective of a practitioner of Gaudiya Vaishnaism, there is no higher blessing than that of their spiritual preceptor.

The full edition of the 1960 volume is offered in the file listed below.