Finland Marathon regards
Please accept our humble obeisances all glories to Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai,Srila Prabhupada and all the assembled Vaisnavas
Srila Prabhupada`s Christmas Marathon in Finland went quite nicely. Our marathon poster was this time entitled "Life is short, distribute while you can." Many of our boys did their records, and large part of the 3730 distributed books were maha-big Caitanya Caritamritas. Some CC-sets were sold also, some from the temple and Avadhuta Candra pr. and bh. Jani sold some sets also in the street.
In the beginning myself and one other brahmacari had some starting problems and after three days I had done some 20 books in total. Tattvavada pr, our temple president said in his typical encouraging way something like:" Well, at least try to get something together tomorrow, maybe you two have just better to serve in our luch club on saturday…"
And the next day I came from 6 to 25, Tapo Diyam pr. from 12 to 30 and Avadhuta Candra pr from 30 to 60.
We were travelling in two groups. In Tattvavada prabhus group there were some somewhat legendary names participating. Ajamidha prabhu who did his first marathon in Sweden somewhere there in -78- was participating. One day he challenged Tattvavada pr. to competion, 50 books in his goal. Competion was good, but Tattvavada won 45 to 35.
Parananda prabhu, one of the long time brahmacaries from Helsinki was cooking also for Tattvavada`s team. In former days his ryebread was very famous among our skt-devotees. "This bread can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by wind. This bread is unbreakable and insoluble and can be neither burned nor dried…"
Tapas prabhu, who distributed already somewhere there in -81- in Norway, and is nowadays president in Stockholm, Sweden, participated also for one week and distributed very nicely in Finland`s Swedish speaking areas. His wife Lajja mataji did also nice days from Helsinki Temple.
By Finlands winter standards the weather was mostly quite modest, but for the couple last days it was minus 10-15, piercing hard wind and heavy snowing . With Tattvavada prabhus words: "it is getting almost bon a fide…"
In these days I often remember Srila Prabhupada`s statement:"Krsna consciousness is 90% common sense." Besides praying,following sadhana, and endeavoring there in the street, proper clothes and eating in a way that your body stays warm etc.. play important role, if distributor wants to get something done there in the street. Also what comes to cars, you have to be attentive to all kinds of details because of the frost.
Just before the Christmas we did some days in the Helsinki center, but mostly we were travelling, distributing in medium and small size towns. On the small towns it`s often difficult to distribute longer than 5 or 6 pm, but on marathon we often took extra time at big car-markets, until 8.30.
Many of our distributors find it easier to distribute in a little smaller places.
What comes to this marathon sloka, "life is short,distribute while you can." It was in case actual inspiration for myself. Like H.H.Bhakti Vaibhava Maharaja once said in lecture that these kali-yuga minds and bodies are generally quite spaced out, so if you happen to find yourself attentive and eager for some devotional activity(like chanting the holy name or book – distribution), you should exploit that rare opportunity to the MAX. At least in my case, even while living in the temple mind is often divided to here and there. So although I didn`t get that big results together, it was my meditation. "Now concentrate to distribution while it is easy."
Your Humble Servent
Muniraja dasa
