Los Angeles Sastra Dana Newsletter
VANCA KALPA…
By Nitika Thapar
Hare Krishna to all of our readers!
We, at Sastra Dana are delighted to have such wonderful supporters like you and thank you very much for your generosity. You will be happy to know that this program is doing very well with the mercy of Guru and Gauranga and with an avid backing from you all. Our last meeting was well attended at Kakudmi Prabhu's place and we did have a few newcomers who were eager to taste the nectar of the Holy Name. We had the good opportunity of hearing H.H.Devamrita Swami that evening. Needless to say, the mood of the lecture was powerful and the audience equally alert. Maharaja had all of us introduce ourselves and talk about what each one of us was doing to advance this program. We shared whatever service we had to offer and it was very motivating to hear about the determination that some of the devotees have for book distribution. Maharaja specifically dwelt on two important issues regarding book distribution. He mentioned how, in the early days book distribution was the service of a selected few and how exalted that position was! However, today, the opportunity is overflowing and not only the regular sankirtana devotees but each and every one of us have the chance to distribute books. Book distribution is such a powerful activity that often times we tend to forget the impact a single book can have on a person's life. We just have to hear some of the sankirtana stories to be truly struck by the wonder of Srila Prabhupada's mission. A book once passed into a person's hand is the passport to Godhead, but remember-the final visa is totally dependent on our own sincerity. If there is any literature which is capable of giving the ability to really think about liberation from material bondage—it is the voluminous treasure offered by Srila Prabhupada. Technology is bound to fail sometime or another but books remain on our book shelves for a long, long time and once the message is in our hearts, it stays forever. The second thing that Maharaja stressed was that we should all write our individual experiences of book distribution. Sharing this with others as well as contemplating it ourselves will make us realize the potency of this wonderful process. Devotees have such fantastic experiences that it is imperative that these memories be written down and meditated upon. We are sure that all of you must have had some kind of encounter which would have given you food for thought and we hope that you can at least make an effort to write about it. Book distribution is neither a profession nor a hobby. It is the prime duty of every individual as emphasized by Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur. And if Srila Prabhupada could serve his Guru Maharaja so well, should we all not make our best efforts to serve Srila Prabhupada so that all the acarayas of the parampara can bestow their benedictions upon us? So Prabhus and Matajis, don't let time go by for time waits for no one. If you have the desire for distributing books but opportunity does not knock on you door, build another door! A simple act from your end can change so many people's lives. Just as honey is obtained from a bee-hive which is built collectively by a large number of bees, similarly we all have to contribute from our end in whatever way we can so that the nectar can be obtained and shared with thousands of people. With this note, we can only pray that we continue to get your consistent support and that others who have not had the chance to attend the meetings can hopefully do so in the near future.
Srila Prabupada ki Jai!
Sankirtan Yajna ki Jai!
