The Mercy was Flowing
Dear Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Today on sankirtana I had a couple of nice encounters. Today I had to pick up my spiritual master from the airport and do a few other things, so I was only able to distribute books for less than three hours. I was begging Krishna that I could do a full day's worth in just a couple of hours. By the mercy of my spiritual master, just about everyone I met was eager for a book. One of the first people I met was a nice young man from New Zealand. He was very interested in the Gita and at the slightest hint of a donation he gave US$ 50. I told him about the Hare Krishnas and instructed him in the chanting of the maha-mantra. I also gave him the SSR and told him, "I want you to have this one also because you are such a nice person." After that he was smiling from ear to ear. I have been finding great inspiration from teaching people how to chant japa and pronounce the maha-mantra. I can feel Lord Caitanya's reciprocation when I take the extra time to share this with the nice people I meet.
Later in the evening I met this group from Indonesia. One person on the fringe took the SSR and gave a donation, so feeling encouraged I approached the core of the group. I ended up talking with the guy who spoke English the best, but it turned out he was the most interested also. He gave a donation and took the SSR. Three other people also gave a donation when they saw him give one. This interested fellow was very intrigued how a westerner could be interested in "Hindu" teachings, and not only that but also know more than him about it considering that he grew up a Hindu. I politely explained that this is not Hindu, but Vedic. One of the other guys piped up saying, "Yeah, this Hare Krishna stuff is the pure form. This is where the real potency is." I was feeling very enlivened and we talked for about twenty minutes. I emphasized the importance of chanting the maha-mantra to them and told them how, since they are from Bharata bhumi, it is their responsibility to take this up very seriously. One of the people was so inspired by the talk that he gave another donation. One of them said that he had been drifting away from his Hindu roots, but now he feels very inspired to find the Hare Krishnas when he returns to Bali. He said, "Who knows, I may shave my head and wear tilaka and dhoti when I go back!"
Your Aspiring Servant,
Omkara Dasa
