Blog
Train Book Distribution in Mumbai
Govinda Prabhu recollects how it all began 13 years ago in the trains: The most exciting book distribution experiences and incidents have taken place at the Bombay Central Railway station. However it all began 13 years ago when book distribution, as a part of regular service in the temple was still at a nascent stage. With very few devotees distributing books, nobody had ever thought of going to the railway station. One day Krishnananda Prabhu decided to take the initiative and told me to accompany him. I had just joined the temple. Coming...
read moreA Traveler
By Tulasi Devi Dasi I stopped a boy about 20 years old, with backpack, long hair and jeans. "No! No! I'm saved! I've been saved for four years now, I don't need that, I have Jesus"! So I said, "Great!" and then asked him if he had been backpacking for long. He told me he was spending a little time visiting friends in different places. Then he said he reluctantly had to go back to his family. So I said how real family closeness is how we are close spiritually, not just because of our material body plopping out...
read moreLecture by HG His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu
The following is a lecture given by His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu at the May 2003 North American GBC meetings/festival of inspiration in New Vrindavan: Vaisesika Prabhu: So many good qualities come out of those devotees who are engaged in this process of faith, the transferring their faith to other people. Book distribution is itself an act of faith, otherwise why would you bother? You wouldn't do it if it wasn't a complete act of faith. Many times when I am on Sankirtana I ask, "Why am I here? Why am I doing this?" And I...
read moreMore Nectar from Madhu Mangal das
On the last day of Srila Prabhupada’s December Book Marathon, I was caught by a security guard at the shopping mall. The Lady told me that I could not distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books and that I was not allowed to sell them. I told her that I was not selling them and began preaching to her. While preaching to her, she got on her 2-way radio and muttered something that I did not want to leave the shopping mall. Next thing I knew, this big burly looking security guard arrived on the scene and said that I should come up to the...
read moreFrom Madhuc-Mangal Das
I approached 2 young men at the bussiness center downtown Capetown South Africa. I introduced myself and asked for their names. They told me that they were research scientist researching atmospheric pollution and were waiting to have a meeting at a national fuel company. I showed the one that showed the most interest, life comes from life. I told him that it was a very important book that all scientists should read, as it talks about the imperfection of modern materialistic science. I explained that there is so much scientific research going...
read moreBook Distribution is also chanting
Regarding Sankirtana and book distribution, book distribution is also chanting. Anyone who reads the books that is also chanting and hearing. Why distinguish between chanting and book distribution? These books I have recorded and chanted, and they are transcribed. It is spoken kirtanas. So book distribution is also chanting. These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads, he is hearing. Book distribution must not be neglected. If things deteriorate that is another thing, but it is not the fault of book distribution....
read moreReal happiness
by Madhu Mangala das I approached two young men in Durban sitting outside a table at a beach front hotel in Durban. I introduced myself to them and told them I was a traveling monk. I presented Srila Prabhupada’s books to them – they did not seem interested in taking some of Srila Prabhupada’s books (they were more interested in their beers). The one young man told me that he was alright and that he did find such books of interest. I asked them where they came from – they were both from Pretoria. “Oh that’s...
read moreMore from Nrsimhadeva
From Jayananda das Regarding Nrsimhadeva on SKT: One time I was distributing books in Munich with Varaha Murti Prabhu, a stalwart German SKTer for many years. We were in the midst of several weeks of very successful distribution, and on this one particular day he was making an extra endeavor to distribute 100 big hard books. As evening arrived and it began to get dark, Varaha had just about reached his goal (he had distributed 96 or 97). Then, however, a big demon came and started following him around the shopping street breaking up any...
read moreThe Cell Phone Blues
"Excuse me, sir." "Yes? Sorry, I just got a call." Cell phones! Everyone has one, even ten-year-olds. It's unbelieveable. Sometimes there are two or three people walking along our sacred sankirtan spots, each one talking on a phone. It is a great offense to interrupt such a person, so we usually just let them pass. When I am speaking to someone and the phone rings, I want to grab the thing and throw it about a block away and tell the person that the book is more important, but I can't do that, which means that 99%...
read moreWork in the Office like, the Battle of Kuruksetra
written by Braja Bihari, Chowpatti India. This is the story of one man who bought Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita in the year 1980 and placed it on his book shelf. Time passed quietly but surely the 'bomb' was ticking and waiting to explode. Many books, newspapers, and magazines were dumped away annually during the Diwali maha-cleaning but somehow the Bhagavad Gita stayed. Once a year, this gentleman religiously removed the book off the shelf, cleaned the huge pile of dust and placed it back at the same spot. More than a decade...
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