From Madhumangala – Distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books as it is,
Please accept my most humble obeisances, all glories to our most beloved Srila Prabhupada, all glories to Sri Gutru and Sri Gauranga, all glories to the sankirtan devotees of the Lord!
Here is some sankirtan nectar from today, whilst it is still fresh in my fading memory.
Today at Simonstown, I approached a couple sitting outside at a table at a coffee shop. The lady and the man were both wearing black biker's leather jackets. The lady was sitting at the table smoking a cigarette, whilst her husband was busy talking on his cell phone. I introduced myself to the lady, and told her that I was a travelling monk from the Institute of Vedic Studies. She smiled as she greeted me. We got talking and started talking about things in general. I began to discuss the temporary nature of material existence, progressing to how the planet we are living on is a mother, and how by abusing her, we are presently getting the reactions, in the form of wars, natural disasters and distress. Next we discussed vegetarianism, its health aspects and the inhuman treatment of animals in the slaughter house.
I took out Srila Prabhupada's books, and presented them to her one at a time. The first book and she said: "Oh that's nice," the next one, "Oh yes that's nice." As the stack of Srila Prabhupada's books I gave her increased, she would get more exicted. She asked me how much I wanted for Srila Prabhupada's books. I gave her a price, as she nudged her husband who was still busy on the cell phone, "Give me a hundred!". She handed me a hundred rand. I thanked her very much for taking Srila Prabhupada's books and gave her an invitation to our Sunday and Wednesday programs, as we exchanged e-mail addresses. I told her that she she let me know what she thought of the books and that I was looking forward to meeting her again.
I had the realization that Srila Prabhupada's books are like treasure chest – you know when the pirate has the secret map of hidden treasure and he finds it, he gets into ecstasy beyond belief.
I went into a very exclusive yacht club and as I walked out, a young bearded man came toward me, wearing a greasy t-shirt and pants. As I introduced myself to him, I noticed that he was in a very agitated frame of mind. I kept talking to him, as he showed his disinterest in what I was saying to him as I presented Srila Prabhupada's books to him. I told him that I noticed that he was a bit stressed-out, to which he replied, "Oh yes well, well you know I have so many debts and things, and a lot on my mind…." I told him not to worry, but to try and understand that everything material is temporary, but that if he understands that there is something eternal, then he will be free of anxiety and stress.. I said to him, that I was telling him out of compassion and love. I said to him, this "Material concept of life that p[eople are living in, is the cause for impersonal and selfish existence. Don't you think that it is amazing, for one person to tell another, I care for you." The anxiety disappeared from his face, as he nodded in agreement. I gave him a big hug, and handed him Srila Prabhupada's book. He said that he did not have any money and gave me four rand. I thanked him, and told him that it was not the amount of money that he gives me that counts, but his devotion to God.
One special soul had received the great mercy of Srila Prabhupada and the blessings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
Some time later I went back to the yacht club, and I approached another man weaning greasy and oily clothes carrying a vacuum cleaner in his hand and a box of tools in his other hand. I introduced myself to him, to which he abruptly replied, "Sorry, I am not interested. Besides I don't want anything to do with religion and organized religion. I have had enough of it!" I told him the books that I had were about me and him, the spirit soul. But still he refused. I told him that real religion is eternal, because it has to do with the soul and it's relationship with God. I told him that there was so much disunity amongst different religions, because they do not know the difference between spirit and matter, they are looking at the temporary material body, thinking: I am this Jewish body, I am this Christian body, I am this Islamic body ect. But the soul has neither of these identities, it only has one thing that it identifies with, and that is with God, who is the father of everyone. Some people claim to have the monopoly on God, but God is one. He immediately had a change of heart, "Yes you are so right, now that's what I like to hear. I thought you one of those guys who was going to tell me that Jesus was the only way or something like that. But now I can see from what you are telling me, you are different, you are not like that." We spoke further about real religion. I asked him if he would please take one of Srila Prabhupada's books and if he liked he could make a donation. Certainly we would gladly do so he said, and handed me twenty rand. I gave him two of Srila Prabhupada's books and a big hug, a invitation to the Sunday and Wednesday programs and told him that I looked forward to seeing him there. Oh and when he does come, he should bring his appetite and dancing shoes with him.
Srila Prabhupada ki jay.
Yours in the service of Lord Sri Krsna and His devotees,
Hare Krsna,
Madhumangala das.
P.S. I distributed my books wearing a dhoti and kurta.
