ALFRED FORD, the great grandson of automobile legend Henry Ford, straddles spirituality and corporate world with aplomb. But he is more comfortable chanting mantra in his Krishna temple at US mansion ( two hours daily) than talking automobile in the Ford’s corporate house.
“The company is basically looked after by my cousin. I am just a member of the Founder Trust,” middle-aged Alfred explains. He was in Ujjain to preside over the opening of the Krishna temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Friday.
A vegetarian, teetotaller and a staunch devotee of Krishna, Ford, aka Ambarish Das in the ISKCON community, has an Indian wife from West Bengal. So how he got smitten by Indian spirituality?
“I had all the material comforts that one could think of but still, I found something amiss, an emptiness. Lord Krishna filled the void in my life.”
He recalls how while studying religion in college in USA in 1974 he came in contact with devotees of Lord Krishna. “I started reading books and chanced upon translated version of Swami Prabhupada. The book changed entire meaning of life for me,” Ford told Hindustan Times.
Having accepted Prabhupadji as Guru, I came to India first time in 1975 and experienced the vast spiritual trove India is bestowed with.
{{/usCountry}}Having accepted Prabhupadji as Guru, I came to India first time in 1975 and experienced the vast spiritual trove India is bestowed with.
{{/usCountry}}“The greatest social service that one can do is to filter the teachings of Krishna to the people. Meals and money last only for a few hours but spiritual lessons continue down the ages.”