A World-Class Butcher Takes A Book
I was distributing books on Queen Street in central Auckland one Sunday morning. I stopped a confident young man from Bolton, England. During the exchange he explained not only that he is a butcher, but he was New Zealand to represent England in the Butchering World Cup! He explained how proud he felt and how much he enjoyed the work. About the butchering “profession” he commented, “Butchering keeps one fit, but it is also a great way to take away stress.” He said that although he is “doing well in life...
read moreHow to Give Books for Free When They Don’t Have a Donation to Give
Hare Krsna, I'm sure you've all read the recent story I sent about a mended relationship. A young man was upset because he was given books as though they were free and then experienced them being taken back when he didn't make a donation. For years I've been saying to devotees, "Don't make it appear that the books are free and then ask for a donation, and if a donation is not given, take the book back." It still happens, as the incident in that story shows. It was an exchange with a student, a young man, not...
read moreAn Unexpected Encounter in the Wilderness
I cannot stop realizing how His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada is so merciful to his “grandchildren” in giving us the service to spread Krishna consciousness everywhere. I went with my family to June Lake. We were unable to find any spots at the campsite at 10 p.m., so we just set up our tent in the forest near the lake shore, which is not permitted. At 7 a.m. (the temperature was 3 Celsius) I made a fire and was about to jump into the crystal-clear lake. A person stopped by the fire, because he was cold. His name was Vikas. I...
read moreSome nice book distribution realizations from an ISKCON youth
Hare Krishna, dear devotees! My name is Radha, I’m 19 years old and I am a student in my final year at Sri Mayapur International School. I want to share with you my incredible experience of book distribution in London this summer. I hope that it will please the senior devotees and reassure them that book distribution is still alive and well. And I hope it will encourage all the devotees of my age to give it a try. Here is how it started: for a long time I had wanted to feel myself like a real, active preaching brahmacarini from Srila...
read moreMercy makes the blind see
While I was distributing books at a university in California, a blind lady came to me and said, "I overheard you saying something about spirituality, what do you have?" I said, "I have the Bhagavad-gita, which is considered to be the most important book on spirituality. It tells about the soul, God, karma, material nature, spiritual nature, and time. If you're interested in spirituality, then this is the book for you." She took it and happily gave a donation. There was a devotee with me observing how we distribute...
read more