Typical Sankirtan Afternoon in Dallas, Texas

Sankirtan Afternoon in Dallas, Texas

by Mishra Bhagavan Dasa

Today was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Dallas, as I distributed in a Walmart parking lot. A variety of about 14 people bought Srila Prabhupada's books.

I approached an African-American couple who turned out to be Muslim followers of the championship boxer, Muhammad Ali. I told them that once Muhammad Ali had bought a Bhagavad-gitaand they said it was because their tradition requires them to read about all world religions such as the Bible, the Tao, the Koran, etc. They were quite happy to purchase Bhakti the Art of Eternal Love, in order to learn more about the Hare Krishnas.

Another man I met, who was sitting in his pick-up truck, was Fransisco, who had originated from Mexico. I said to him, "You mean Saint Francisco?" He was charmed by the comparison I made. After he read quite a few pages from the Perfecion Del Yoga, he gave me a few dollars, while praising the book as something he had been waiting for. Apparently he had previously met Hare Krishna devotees.

Sheila, from the Philippines bought The Perfection of Yoga, even though she did not seem particularly interested. But because I had previously been stationed in the military in the Phillippines, I spoke some of her language, so she purchased the book.

I have found it is very helpful when doing book distribution to be able to speak as many languages as possible, as it helps people to feel more comfortable when you can speak their mother tongue.

Then I saw a typical, middle-age Caucasian couple, who were piling groceries into their massive SUV. As I approached them I expected them to blow me off with a, ‘We don't need anything, keep moving.' As it turned out, they were patrons of Kalachandji's Restaurant, and had read the Bhagavad-gita, so they gave me a few dollars for a copy of Bhakti the Art of Eternal Love.

Next, I approached two ladies with a baby, who were coming out of their car, and they bought a hardback copy of The Science of Self Realization. This was a reminder for me to approach everyone, as we should never judge from external appearances who might be interested in receiving a book.

It seems to me that every person that took a book today made it a special event on what could be called a ‘typical sankirtan afternoon' in Dallas, Texas.

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