Life-saving books
At a temple I visit there is a nice devotee who previously was a gangster.
While in jail he somehow received a Bhagavad-gita. He didn’t understand
much, but enough to now be a devotee.
He recently told me that a friend of his is in a high security prison and is
forced to do hard labor. The friend wrote to him, saying that he’d heard
about his new life as a monk in a temple.
He said, “I need help. This place is driving me nuts. If I don’t get some
type of help, I’m going to go backwards [take my life].”
My friend sent this person the Bhagavad-gita and instructed him,
“You want help, so read this book and get on your knees and beg for
forgiveness from God for your offences to Him and to others.”
Later he received a letter back saying. “Thank you so much for this book,
the Bhagavad-gita. It saved my life. I’m not this body, and this life is
temporary. Just by reading this book, I feel like I’ve left prison, because
the knowledge has set me free. Thank you so much.”
Another life saved because of the Bhagavad-gita! The whole world is a
prison, and by distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books we’re giving people a
chance to leave the prison and go back home back to Godhead.
One thing I’ve been thinking about is when we’re distributing, meditate on
giving not on taking. We’re givers, this is a giving society. When we’re
sincerely trying to give, people feel it and then want to give. If we want
to take, it creates a negative selfish atmosphere, and people back off from
the atmosphere we’ve created.
There’s not much time left in the marathon. For the rest of this marathon
let’s pray to give out more and more mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Lord
Krsna.
Your servant, Vijaya Dasa
iskconbookdistribution.com
