Bus Sankirtan from Madhumangala dasa
Dear Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to your Guru Maharaj, all glories to our most dearly beloved Srila Prabhupada, all glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga, all glories to the sankirtan devotees of the Lord! Our bus from Johannesburg to Durban, (I had gone to join the sankirtan devotees from Pretoria and Lenasia, to distribute books at the 3-day Lucky Fish Music Festival), which was scheduled to depart at 11 am, after nearly 3 hours finally arrived. The waiting passengers began to get extremely frustrated as they began to complain, standing in the long line. From time to time, the bus company officials would come and try and pacify the passengers, who in return would get very irate. At one stage I thought a riot was about to break out. By the mercy of Guru and Gauranga, I had some books with me and began to distribute to some passengers, some would walk up to me and ask me to show them the books. I introduced myself to an Indian family. I asked the young son if he would like to take a book. He did not have time, he said. I told him that he could read 15 minutes before he took rest at night; no he could not he insisted. His mother turned to her son and said: "Give them to me," She said with great sincerity, "I am a Sai Baba devotee." I told her that was very nice, as each year during the annual Durban Ratha Yatra, many Sai Baba devotees come to the temple and offer service to Krsna by peeling vegetables. She began to persue the books, as she finished each one she gave it to her daughter. When the bus arrived and I had given my bags to be loaded, I began to realize, that the almost 3 hours that had passed, seemed like it had only been an hour. Although I had been preaching amongst the frustrated waiting passengers, some who would even come up to me and ask to show them the books. I wished I could have gone on distributing Srila Prabhupad's books the whole day. When we are engaged in the service of Srila Prabhupada, preaching the glories of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's sankirtan mission, our minds no longer become disturbed, being engaged in such service.
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt. (Bhagavad Gita As It Is 12.)
The passengers ran to the bus like a stampeding herd of wild buffalos, as though it were the last bus left on planet earth. Like sharks in a feeding frenzy, pushing and shoving each other, as they frantically gave their ticket to the attendant. The moment arrived for the bus to depart, as the passengers, who by this time were glad to be comfortable seated after hours of waiting. The bus pulled out of the bus station. Over the public address system, the bus hostess made an announcement,: "On behalf of the bus company, we apologize for the inconvenience, and we trust your trip will be comfortable one. We would also like to apologize to the passengers that the AC is not working, and trust that you will travel with us again." The whole bus shouted their disapproval: "Never again!" The bus began to heat up, as passengers again began to complain, at one stage on the top deck, they opened the emergency exit hatch, after which the bus driver asked it to be closed. The mechanism that kept it closed would not function, the driver was afraid the hatch could blow off due the fact that it was traveling against a strong head wind. It could not close; someone had to get piece nylon to close it. By this time, I had found it very difficult to breath. I went up to the bus driver and asked him if there was anything he could do to get some air in the coach. Somehow he had not heard me properly, and told me to sit down, as passengers are not allowed to stand while the bus is in motion. I repeated myself again and he told me to sit next to him in the co-drivers seat, which I remained sitting for almost the whole journey. I began preaching to the driver, as he began to ask questions. The bus hostess, who was standing next to the seat I was sitting in asked me if I was a Buddhist. By this time, she began to ask me about yoga, I explained about Bhakti yoga and the importance of chanting. The three of us began: "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna…" he began to laugh uncontrollably, I said to her: "You see how nice the yoga is, when you chant Hare Krsna, Krsna hears you, he becomes very pleased and begins to dance on your tongue." She asked me if the mediation we practiced could be used to communicate with her mother who had recently passed away. I asked her if she liked to read, yes she did. I told her that I had a very nice book for her, and gave her a Coming Back. She looked at the front and back cover, gave me a donation and began reading, "Yes this is going to be very interesting." The bust stopped at a rest stop for refreshments. Coming out of the rest room, I bumped into a young man who was sitting behind in the coach. "Does that lady still have an attitude problem," he asked.
I began to show him a selection of books, he chose a Life Comes From Life and said that he would take one when he got back in the bus coach. Just before we arrived at the Durban bus station, he took a book, gave me a donation, as we began to talk about Krsna's pastimes. I gave him an invitation to the Sunday Love feast, my email address and cell phone number he gave me his and said that he would contact me again. Making friends of Krsna, bringing them to Krsna with Srila Prabhupada's books. Srila Prabhupada ki jay!
Yours in the service of Lord Sri Krsna and His devotees,
Hare Krsna,
Madhumangala Das
