Encountering the Police Chief
The first time I ever went out on door-to-door book distribution, I knocked on the door of a beautiful home. The man who answered was the chief of police, and he told me in no uncertain terms that what I was doing was illegal business activity. He said he was going to book me and that I had to appear in the police station the next morning. I was thinking that my government job was going to be finished.
Krishna gave me the intelligence to tell him that I was not doing business. I told him to go through the books and see for himself that distributing these books is not based on demand, and thus it is not a business activity. He agreed that this was true, and then he asked me whether I had signed in to get a permit to go door to door with books.
I admitted that I had not known that this was necessary, but said that I would do it. So he decided that he would not book me, and he warned me that I had better sign in before I tried to do any more door-to-door book distribution. I assured him that I would.
As I was leaving, he called me back, and said, “You do understand that what you are doing is illegal?” I confirmed that I understood.
Again when I was leaving, he called me back and asked how much a book would cost. I told him that we accept donations.
And then he asked me which book I recommended. I recommended “Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers,” because he was always dealing with questions and answers on his job. He gave me five pounds and sent me on my way.
Every year, I sign in for a permit to go door to door with Srila Prabhupada’s books. And three or four evenings a week I go out for about an hour. That is the time that I have to do it, and that is the time when people are home to receive books.
Srila Prabhupada’s book distribution ki jaya!
Your servant,
Sacimata Dasi
