I Had Never Been So Crushed
In the early 80's Radhanatha Swami started preaching in Chowpatti, he had one small room in the complex that they now have, and just a few devotees with him. Now they have a large and very beautiful temple hall, five guest rooms, and facility for sixty brahmacaries to live in. 95% of these devotees have college degrees. Some were doctors, lawyers, engineers, very qualified materially and now by the mercy of Lord Gauranga and His devotees, spiritually as well.
I asked Gauranga Prabhu, a graduate from the most prestigious university in India I.I.T. (India Institute of Technology) and the coordinator of the college preaching, how many preaching programs they have a week in Mumbai (Bombay) he said they have twenty. Practically everyone preaches at this temple, either by book distribution or college preaching. Once a month Gauranga Prabhu arranges that all the students come to the temple for a Bhagavad Gita class, kirtan, and prasad. Seven hundred students show up.
At the same time they have a van with five devotees that travels out of Mumbai to other cities. They also have devotees that go to the local trains to distribute books, which is amazing. A few days ago some devotees and myself took one of these trains after going to a preaching program with Radhanatha Swami. I had never been so crushed as I had been on that train, it's unbelievable that devotees can distribute books on them. One person that was hanging out the door asked me if I could kindly move to the left a few inches, I couldn't but he somehow squeezed in. Gauranga Prabhu mentioned to me that many people sleep in the train while standing up because they know they won't fall.
In the last two weeks the result of so much preaching has fructified. Radhanatha Swami initiated three hundred devotees. To be initiated they have to be chanting and following the regulative principles for at least three years. About 80% of these devotees have graduated or are still in college.
Preaching is the essence Books are the basis Purity is the force Utility is the principle
Nitai Gauranga
