Los Angeles Sastra Dana Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 21
DISTRIBUTOR OF THE WEEK
LAGUNA BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY
By Maureen Maher
Dear Sastra Dana devotees, Sri Krishna is so kind to have made a nice arrangement for Laguna Beach Public Library to receive a selection of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Here is how it came about.
On one beautiful sunny Friday afternoon in September, I headed down the hill to the library on my first attempt at offering the Sastra Dana program to the staff. A little anxiety struck: what if I embarrass Srila Prabhupada or the Sastra Dana devotees with some foolishness or ignorance? At such a moment, what else to do but to take the shelter of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra? Very soon came the strong memory of my complete astonishment on the first reading of one of Srila Prabhupada’s books. There was such a jolt of recognition at what I was holding in my hand and the clear conviction that all my questions were not only answerable, but sublimely so. (And this after a long sojourn of reading spiritual books which gave some momentary comfort but often raised more questions than they answered.) The remembrance of that moment was so profound that I knew that this must be the prime motivation for all the merciful devotees involved in book distribution. Every living entity should have the chance to experience such a moment, what to speak of the innumerable blessings which drown those beings fortunate enough to become engaged in devotional service.
With that realization, I charged through the front door of the library, ready for anything. The reference librarian, Mrs. Irene, saw me coming and locked right onto my hardbound copy of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. She stretched out her arms and took it from me saying, “Well, I’ve been looking for this for such a long time!” A nice exchange followed, during which she expressed her admiration for Srila Prabhupada’s work and mentioned that several previous library copies of the Bhagavad-gita had been stolen.(!) The following Monday, Marianna, in charge of accepting book donations for the library, happily placed a good-sized order for the benefit of all the sincerely inquiring souls of Laguna Beach. Both of these good ladies were stunned by the fact that the program is absolutely free. All glories to the intelligent mercy of the Sastra Dana donors!
But Sri Krishna was not quite finished with His little arrangement. The following Monday, as I lugged in the final carton filled with so many bliss-expanding “time bombs,” who should “happen” to stroll by the reference desk but Yudhishthir Prabhu from the ISCKON Laguna Beach temple. When he saw what was going on, he immediately went into even more ecstasy than usual (which is saying a lot)! The librarians were pleased to hear his lucid descriptions of some of the books, and there was so much happiness all around.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada, who delivered the most beautiful books in all the worlds, and to the incomparable mission of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!!!
