Los Angeles Sastra Dana Newsletter
AN EXEMPLARY FAMILY
By Mahat-tattva das
One of the remarkable Sastra Dana sponsors is Kanada dasa’s family. There are six of them: husband Kanada dasa, his wife Kurvanti devi dasi and their four children.
After Srila Prabhupada had established the temple in New York City at the 26 Second Avenue storefront, he left for San Francisco to open another temple. At that time his disciples in New York had been training in Krishna consciousness for only six months, and now their beloved spiritual master was leaving them. They would be on their own to continue the preaching mission and their spiritual life. Knowing that they were feeling weak and little insecure, Srila Prabhupada wrote them a letter:
"I understand that you are feeling my absence. Krishna will give you strength. Physical presence is immaterial; presence of the transcendental sound received from the spiritual master should be the guidance of life. That will make our spiritual life successful."
Srila Prabhupada said, "I want that you to distribute our books very widely, then people will get the right information." So it looks that this instruction of Srila Prabhupada is the guidance in the life of Kanada dasa's family. Through the Sastra Dana program, they are sponsoring Srila Prabhupada’s books that are later placed in public, college, and prison libraries. They are also individually distributing many books. For example, just last month mataji Kurvanti distributed over 60 books (two Srimad-Bhagavatam sets and many big books) to the local high school and university libraries. ("Malibu High School" and "Pepperdine University").
One corner of their house in Malibu is reserved for the books, which is right next to the exit door so that whoever goes out can grab few books in order to distribute them to whomever they meet. Each member of their family is a book distributor. Even their grandfather once went with us to help with distributing books to one of the college libraries. Whomever they deal with, they will have a nice gift for them, one of the Srila Prabhupada's books. Business partners, customers or colleagues at their workplace, friends, neighbors, visitors, everyone will get a gift book.
This meditation on the mission of the spiritual master creates a transcendental atmosphere and makes their home a temple. Once I was talking with mataji Kurvanti on the telephone and in the background I could hear her husband in conversation with somebody. He kept mentioning "Srila Prabhupada" "books" and similar topics. Now we have to admit that when we call someone on the phone it is pretty rare to hear Krishna-katha going on in the background. Exemplary devotee is described in Bhagavad-gita (10.9):
"The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me."
