where there ‘s a will, there’s a way
India has the largest railway network in the world, and devotees take advantage of it to distribute books.
Lately we have boarded the Bangalore-Chennai express train to distribute Srila Prabhupada's mercy in the form of his books. I and my book distribution partner have been plying this route for weeks. The reception of the train commuters is usually nice and cordial, because they like to strike up a conversation with the devotees as we move among the compartments showing them our books. More often than not they do it so that they can pass their time quickly before they reach their destinations. Unique to India!
On one day when we boarded the train it was unusually crowded. We had forgotten that it was the begininng of the school holiday season. But our hopes were high and as we began to take the books out of our bags, the train reached the next station known as the Cantonment, which was just a five-minute ride from the city station. There a huge sea of commuters thronged into the train. We were stuck! We could not move in the train and everyone was standing shoulder to shoulder packed tightly! Usually on normal days commuters are seated and we could easily move around.
As the train moved, I thought to myself that today was definitely a hopeless day. But deep down I was thinking "Well, I will tell the devotees back in the temple that I could not distribute books today because the train was jam packed. I can just take it easy today."
As I was happily thinking in this way and feeling smug about it, I saw an unkempt looking man, reeking of alcohol, staring at me! I took my glance away from him. But this man suddenly yelled at me and said, "What are you doing standing here, You should go and sell your books!" I was totally shocked by what he said and to imagine that he was yelling at me in that jam-packed train where you could not even move!
I wanted to tell him that I could not do it, as the train was so packed. But I just felt at that moment that it was the Supersoul speaking thru him. I mustered all my strength and told myself that I must somehow distribute the books in the train. I was thinking that people will think I am crazy doing that, but I felt I had no choice.
As I pushed and pushed my way through, an amazing thing began to happen. Commuters began to give way. I could not believe how this could happen in that train. I knew definitely I was not Moses and neither was this the Red Sea. It was the Bangalore-Chennai Express.
By Krsna's mercy I was able to preach to some commuters and sell some books.
Krishna preached to me thru that drunken man that if there is a will there is always a way. The Lord has His own ways to speak to us and that He can use anyone, yes, even a drunk to give us His message to encourage us on sankirtan.
All glories to Lord Chaitanya's Sankirtan Mission! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Your Servant,
Sudarshan Das
