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THE MORE MAYA YELLED, THE MORE THE GITA HELD HIM
Last night in Sridham Mayapura during Gita Jayanti, Vinod Gopal Prabhu and I were stationed inside one of the temple’s book shops. We were trying to give out Bhagavad Gita As It Is to the colorful array of universally fortunate pilgrims, the guests of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I spotted a slightly more Westernised-looking man in his 30s, wandering through the crowded shop, looking at the books, and at Lord Chaitanya’s Lila exhibit. I decided to speak to him in straight English, instead of my laughable...
read moreMatthew with 6 Gitas
I was distributing books in Balboa Park (in San Diego) and met a guy named Matthew. He was waiting for me while I spoke to a Mexican couple for five minutes. Then he came to the table and said that he’s very interested in meditation. He’s been practicing it for the past nine months. He lives in San Marcos California, where there is a Science of Self-Relaization fellowship close to his house. So he’d periodically go there. As he expressed the desire to get even more into meditation, we talked for a while. I showed him the text in the Gita...
read moreMERCY AS IT IS ON THE GITA’S ADVENT DAY
Nélio approached us, asking: “What is your religion?” Mahananda Murari Prabhu explained that we exist to serve God, and the Hare Krishna Mantra is, precisely, a request for service. After a frank and relaxed conversation, Nelio and his sister Neliane revealed that they now had a totally different view of us, and so happily they kept their Gita! In photo 2, Manohara Saciputra Prabhu went out after the Sunday Festival and was worried about his chances of distributing Gitas so late at night. The first people he approached were...
read moreKRSNA KNOWS BEST
Recently I was sitting next to this really nice Peruvian girl on the plane from SFO to Brisbane. She was so sweet and kind so I gifted her a stack of books. She cordially accepted them, then asked many questions. After our exchange, she placed the books on the seat between us. After we landed, she was packing her stuff, and I was wondering if she was going to take the books or leave them on the plane. As if reading my mind, she put the books in her bag and we parted ways. Sometime later, while waiting to collect my bags at the Baggage Claim,...
read moreMutual understanding, friendship, and a shared pursuit
“All religions lead to the same God, and all deserve the same respect.” — Paulo Coelho Alhaan Khan, of Muslim faith (stood beside me on the right in the photo), encouraged his friend Raja, a Hindu (on the left next to the book table), to accept a Bhagavad Gita. Initially declining to accept the Gita, Raja changed his mind with Alhaan’s gentle persuasion. Alhaan also encouraged Franklin, a Christian (stood on the left of Raja) to take a Gita. To complete this heartwarming scene, Alhaan insisted that all three make individual...
read moreYOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL TAKE PRABHUPADA’S MERCY
I was distributing books from a table at the Houston Zoo when a lady came by showing some interest in the books. I offered them to her and she wanted them, but for some reason she didn’t take them. A half hour later I was talking to another person who was also interested but had no money. Just then the lady who was showing interest a half hour earlier came and saw that the person at the table wanted the books but didn’t have the money. She said to this person, “It’s okay, I’ll get them for you.” The person...
read moreA BLISSFULLY BEWILDERING MARATHON BEGINNING
I wasn’t expecting anything as the marathon kicked off, but right away Krsna encouraged us as multiple Bhagavatam sets flew off our book tables. One guy got a $20 stack, later he came back and got a $50 stack, and the third time he came back I thought he must love these books so much I pitched him the entire Bhagavatam set and he took it! Then a lady who runs a charity fell in love with the Bhagavatam set and took it straightaway! Sometime later a South Indian prince who always wanted a Bhagavatam set came by and took one. I’m not sure he was...
read moreA top distributor in the UK, meditating on the marathon
“In generosity & helping others be like the river.” — Rumi Srila Prabhupada, during this legendary quest of your December Book Marathon 2023, the profound essence of existence will be unveiled within the sacred pages of your literary masterpieces. In the capacity of book distributors, we undergo a metamorphic journey, not only transforming our own lives but also serving as artisans of transformation in the lives of others. (see photo) As we disseminate your books to passersby on bustling streets, they remain oblivious to...
read moreBeing transported back in time
I met a 93-year-old gentleman of Indian descent in the Midlands of the UK, in the town called Loughborough. His full name is Rama P. Gupta. He took some books and gave me a very generous donation. After we spoke for some time, he explained that he was given his first name by Srila Prabhupada in 1930. When he was born, he said, Srila Prabhupada was his family’s guru. Rama was supportive of Srila Prabhupada over the years. In India, when Prabhupada started to develop temples in Mayapur and Vrindavan, Rama helped in various ways. He let...
read moreWorld Sankirtan Newsletter October 2023
Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada! Please see the attached PDF file for the latest worldwide book distribution results, which contains charts and images. ys, Mayapur Sasi dasa WSNmobile.com (mobile and desktop – password: krishna) Download here -> World Sankirtan Newsletter October 2023
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