Hell Froze Over : It’s Called Canada
It was sunny, but windy and cold, below freezing. And people were reluctant to stop. I collected a large number of rejections fairly quickly, and the mind was telling me to pack it up. “You’ve touched the pavement, you’ve collected rejections, so fine, done, let’s go now,” the mind said. But I said, “OK, let’s wait till we get one person who doesn’t reject then.” Pete looked at me as he crossed the street, but the rascal mind wrote him off! In fact, while Pete patiently waited for his bus, I...
read moreThree sets!
We went to a house and were greeted by a family from north India. They invited us in. With the open-minded couple, we talked about their professional lives, kids, and women’s empowerment and connected all of that with the Bhagavatam. The lady was genuine, and they took a set. People are looking for deeper experiences and connections in life, despite having high paying jobs, big homes and all facilities. Our next knock was on the door of a pious man from Kolkata, who at first seemed not so impressive. But when he started talking, we...
read morePerth’s new Park Harinam program attracts book buyers
This year, ISKCON Perth started a monthly Park Harinam program. Devotees meet up in public parks for a couple of hours and sit down and do harinam. Passers-by are drawn toward the spiritual sounds and join the kirtan – for a few minutes or an hour or so. A Muslim lady from Lebanon was driving past, taking her kids for their evening play time, when she heard the kirtan. She wanted to find out where the music was coming from, so she parked her car and walked toward our group. I approached her with flyers about our programs, and we talked. She...
read moreHappy customers
While walking from the parking lot to the campus, I requested some help from a student. He pushed the trolley uphill. While going up, during the course of our conversation, I showed him the Science of Self Realization. He then opened his bag and showed me his copy of the same book. He said, "I am reading this book, together with my friends, every week, and we have discussions to bring us closer on our spiritual journey." He said he received the book last semester. It was inspiring to see that. Another time, two students were waiting...
read morePeople in Hamilton getting the books
I've been in Hamilton for the second time, as our Mantra Lounge here is flourishing. The atmosphere is vastly different to that of Auckland: less rushed, a thinner populace, but intriguing individuals nonetheless. I met on two occasions, two individuals attending rehab and recovering from addictions. One from alcohol, the other from synthetic marijuana. Both related how their search for spiritual matters had been kindled after distressful experiences overwhelmed them. I mentioned how it tends to be a common theme that one realizes the...
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