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In Part 1 of this series, renowned Italian explorer, navigator, Viceroy and Governor of the Indies Christopher Columbus had received Divine inspiration to reach the East by sailing west. However, his “Enterprise of the Indies” plan faced numerous rejections. In 1492, this visionary and God-chosen man finally secured royal support from Their Majesties King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain to embark on his Divine mission across the Atlantic to the Indies. Christopher Columbus’s inspiration for sailing to the Indies was spiritual, not, as was commonly believed, driven by economic ambitions. Sources on Columbus’s life are filled with evidence that one of his main motivations for sailing to the Indies was to spread Christianity. He expressed this belief in a letter to Italian explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci, stating: “I feel persuaded, by the many and wonderful manifestations of Divine Providence in my especial favor, that I am the chosen instrument of God in bringing to pass a great event – no less than the conversion of millions who are now existing in the darkness of Paganism.” Christopher Columbus’s first major journey took place between 1492 and 1493. He was given command of three ships: the Santa Maria, Pinta, and Niña. The fleet set sail from Palos on August 3, 1492. From his chosen point of departure to his return voyage to Spain, there were numerous instances where Christopher Columbus believed that God’s Hand was evident in his critical decisions. Our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) mentioned Christopher Columbus during a lecture in Malaysia. “Columbus is the hero who discovered America. He wasn’t dreaming. He saw the America continent inside. He had a vision and knew it beforehand, but he couldn’t tell anyone that he saw where he was going and the place he was looking for. Of course, people would think he was a little crazy. He had just a small ship with not enough food! And just like that, he kept sailing and sailing in the ocean as if he had no direction. But, in fact, he already saw it in his dreams. However, if he said that he saw it in his dream and he knew that he would find it, many people would not believe him. In fact, at that time many people didn’t believe him. When he was about to find America, their food almost ran out! [...] At that time, his sailors almost killed him, because they were mad at him and blamed him for taking them on a deadly course. They didn’t believe that America exists. At that time, Columbus endured this situation; but he was still very confident. Because of his confidence and spirit of perseverance, we have such a strong country called America today.”
