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Los Angeles SD Newsletter, Vol. 4, Issue 12
LETTERS JAILS ARE NOW BECOMING GOLOKA VRNDAVANA A letter from Jivananda dasa, a prison inmate Dear Mahat-tattva dasa Prabhu, Please accept my most humble and respectful obeisances! All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada! Syamasundara dasa Prabhu has told me about your kind and wonderful service called Sastra Dana Project, and that you send him lots of books to send to prison libraries and inmates. I want to say thank you. Srila Prabhupada’s books, as you know, have a touchstone effect, and Syamasundara Prabhu has sent books to...
read moreLos Angeles SD Newsletter, Vol. 4, Issue 11
A THIEF By Mahat-tattva dasa A few days ago I went to a Starbucks coffee shop near New Dvaraka to donate some of Srila Prabhupada’s books. I go two or three times a year to this shop to replenish the books we previously donated, because sometimes people steal them from coffee shops. No one should steal, of course, but still we think this is wonderful because it means people are interested in reading them! One of Krishna’s names is Hari, “one who takes away.” Krishna, Hari, takes away material attachments. People may...
read moreLos Angeles SD Newsletter, Vol. 4, Issue 11
TURN A MUNDANE ERRAND INTO A VISIT TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD By Bhaktin Sara Bock If you are living and working outside the temple community, you probably perform many daily activities like going to the bank, grocery store, or gas station, or driving your kids around. When these activities are done in Krishna Consciousness, they are not mundane. But how to maintain this Krishna Consciousness with all the distractions and responsibilities of family life? Even those who are living in the ashram sometimes have to run errands that seem mundane. One...
read moreBook Distribution from Mumbai
"We Just can't do it!!" Bhakta Parimal rejected the proposal. As they turned to me, I flustered, "Well..er..mm, I mean" I was not sure myself. Vitthaldeva Prabhu insisted, "Prabhus, this is the best time to do it. Let's just go for it". We had our apprehension, although we knew it wasn't a bad idea after all. We wondered how the crazy Mumbaiites would react. Will the people appreciate our attempts…won't it be unbefitting the sadhus…is it too bold… and many other such doubts...
read moreStarting a Discusion
Dear devotees and Candrasekhar prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I liked your point about giving a very straight forward presentation of yourself as a representative of ISKCON when disributing Prabhupada's books. I did stickers and a few books nine years ago. I am indebted to the devotees who gave me the opportunities to do this service, but it was more or less explained to me that if I could get someone to buy a book or give a donation, even by tricking them somewhat and possibly disturbing them...
read moreThe Missing Link…The Follow Up and Character Cultivation
Over the years so many seeds have been planted in the form of Srila Prabhupada's books but unfortunately the follow up in the watering of these beginnings has not been a priority. Distribution is a perfect formula but minus the cultivation places a governor upon the full throttle potential of the sankirtan yajna. As one must read the books in order to truly distribute them, the next stage of individual and collective nurturing around the books has been a lacking affair. At any phase, the contact communications can provide not only...
read moreTime Bombs
TIME BOMBS Srila Prabhupada called his books, "time bombs." The people buy them, and in due course of time, they explode. 20 years ago, Mr. Ragbir Singh, a current aspiring disciple of His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami, was walking casually down Oxford Street in London. All of a sudden, a charming Western lady dressed in a sari approached him and gave him a "Sri Isopanisad" in exchange for a donation. Mr. Singh never read the book, but he kept it with him and brought it over to Canada when he moved there the following year....
read moreTranad api
Dear Vasudeva Datta Prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Thanks for your insightful story. It has helped me to assess my own consciousness. To the list of those that it's difficult to be humble with I would add one's spouse (if one has one). Familiarity can lead to contempt. As you know, because of their purity the six gosvamis were dear to the gentle and to the ruffians. Thanks again! Sankirtan yajna ki jai! Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Srila Prabhupada's followers (gentle and not so gentle) ki...
read moreTranad api
For the past few months I've been doing sankirtan in Japan. One day I wanted to call my mother in Europe but I had some difficulties with connection. So I called some technical service for help. On the other side answered one young man. I tried to explain to him the problem but he kept saying that this card is not offering me a live operator. I just wanted some advice from him about why the day before Ihad connected to America without problems but now I cannot get Europe. He became very angry an started saying "You fool! Shut up! I...
read moreLos Angeles SD Newsletter VOL. 3, ISSUE 12
VANCA KALPA… WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE MISSION By Nitika Thapar Our regular Sastra Dana program last week was a simple gathering of congregation members for an evening of bhajans at 3rd street Promenade. Since Friday the 1st was Nirjala Ekadasi, it was appropriate that we all remember the Lord by chanting His glories inviting everyone to enjoy the bliss too. As most of you are aware, Sastra Dana is trying its best to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books. With your generous support, in terms of time and money, we are able to pursue this...
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