IN SEARCH OF THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF LIFE was written by our Divine Guide and Master, Om Vi?nup?da Paramahamsa Astottara-?ata ?r? Srimad A. C. Bhaktived?nta Sv?mi Prabhup?da just after accepting the renounced order of life in the autumn of 1959. At that time, ?rila Prabhupada was living in V?nd?vana and would sometimes practice madhukari-collecting a little food door to door for one's mainte nance, just as the bee collects a little pollen flower to flower. Srila Prabhup?da, however, often requested those whom he called upon to give pen and paper for his writing rather than the rice, dahi, and chapatis traditionally sought by holy men practicing madhukari. On those papers that he received as alms, Srila Prabhup?da wrote page after page, preparing his messages of Godhead for the world. Some of the manuscripts he published in his Back to God head magazine, and others, like Easy Journey to Other Planets, he printed as small booklets. Although unable to publish everything he wrote, ?rila Prabhup?da nevertheless continued to write and stockpile his manuscripts. Unfortunately, some of the early writings of His Divine Grace were lost after ?rila Prabhup?da left ?ri Vrnd?vana-dh?ma to conduct his worldwide campaign of spreading K???a consciousness. In 1977, just on the eve of our Divine Master's departure for the eternal abode of Sri Sri Radh�-K???a, I found a handwritten manuscript at the bottom of an old metal trunk in the R?dh? Damodara temple. The handwriting was easily recognizable as Srila Prabhup?da's. After the disappearance of His Divine Grace, I carried the manuscript with me wherever I went, showing it to interested devotees. On several occasions, my godbrothers suggested that I publish the manuscript for wide-scale distribution.