Sastra Dana Newsletter – April 2008
My name is Dharmasetu Dasa. I am a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. I joined in Boston in 1973 and I came here to San Diego in 1977 for a visit and never went back. I?ve served here at this temple in many different positions: Head Pujari, Temple President, Bhakta Director for about eight years. For the last ten years or more I?ve been working with Advaita Candra in Torchlight Publishing and his different business. I have a family, two daughters, to maintain. Even though I am working outside of the temple for about twenty years I?ve been the purohit (priest) here, taking care of all weddings, funerals, and samskaras, for the Indian community. It is a part of my income but the most important reason I do it is to help support the temple and it is also a wonderful opportunity to preach to our congregation.
Sastra Dana: How do you preach to them?
Dharmasetu: I utilize every single puja I do as an opportunity to preach Bhagavad-gita to them and I make it an absolute necessity that at the end of each puja, when they are all picking everything up and they are giving their donation for the temple, I make sure they get an armful of books, CDs, DVDs, or something. I consider this extremely important that they take Srila Prabhupada with them.
SD: That?s a gift from you?
DH: Yes, a gift, from the donations I receive, my personal daksina (monetary remuneration given to the priest). I utilize it to purchase books, CDs, DVDs, coloring books, anything I can put my hands on. I make sure I fill up their arms.
SD: Would you have any clue how many books you distribute a year?
DH: It is probably a few hundred. I do an average close to a hundred pujas a year.
I would say that the main inspiration is what Srila Prabhupada said that, ?What?s the value of your twenty minute talk? Better they have a book.? So even though I spend lots of time preaching to these people during the puja, it is the most important that they take one of Srila Prabhupada?s books with them. Many of these people see me a few times a year so we just keep increasing their library. We make sure they get more and more books. We also take some time to discuss the books they already have. I check with them, I make sure they are reading them and see if they have any questions. That way I feel that the service is perfect and complete.
SD: Do you see any results of your preaching work?
DH: Well, they keep coming back for more and sometimes they inquire very seriously about Krishna consciousness?those who take the time to read the books. I always encourage them to read and ask them what they got out of it, maybe mildly chastise them if they haven?t, and I encourage them to read more. Ultimately all of our preaching and our interaction with any conditioned soul, any member of our congregation is helping them to be more Krishna conscious. The best association is the association with a pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada. So I try to accomplish that by making sure they get Srila Prabhupada?s books.
SD: Thank you very much. Anything else comes to your mind?
DH: I?d like to thank Mahat-tattva Prabhu for doing an unbelievably fantastic service to Srila Prabhupada by expanding the Sastra Dana program.
