You Never Know who you Give a book to.
Hare Krsna Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
As I was staying at the Kyiv temple in Ukraine a Prabhupada disciple named Misra Bhagavan das came to stay here as well. He began telling me about his life in and out of Krsna consciousness. He used to be on the Radha Damodara traveling party with Visnu Jon Swami and Tamal Krsna Maharaja, those good old days, but eventually because of the unusual types of fund raising the devotees were asked to do in the early 80's (specifically selling paintings) which he didn't at all appreciate. Then after some time of tolerating the paintings he left ISKCON to join the air force which he did for six years then he become a follower of the Greatful dead. After awhile he met a girl and they stayed together for some time apparently happy, but gradually he saw this life style as the same old chewing the chewed materialism and became disgusted. In 1992, as he was going around in a Greatful Dead concert hall he saw someone glowing, he described that this person looked like a light in darkness, although it was broad daylight. He went over to this person, whos name was Tara das, and received from him the Beyond Birth and Death. After getting a book from Tara das at the concert he read it and his former Krsna consciousness was again kindled. His girl friend saw the book lying around and would sometimes pick it up and read it. It started making a lot of sense so she also made a transformation in consciousness. Although they went different ways Misra Bhagavan Prabhu again took up Krsna consciousness and is now back in the fire of book distribution. His girl friend also took very seriously Prabhupada's teaching and is now Lalita Gopi dasi living at the New Vrndavana community taking care of the cows.
In this case we can see that when we distribute books not only are we helping people that have never had any contact with Krsna consciousness but we can also come in contact with those who have gotten off the pure path of Krsna consciousness and put them back on. In this case both took place by giving out one beyond birth and death (we shouldn't underestimate these so-called small books). Tara had no idea who Misra Bhagavan was, he just looked like another greatful dead fan, but underneath the external dress was a disciple of Prabhupada who was again searching for Krsna. Actually, under the coverings of everyone is Krsna consciousness.
All glories to the distribution of Srila Prabhupadas books!
Your Servant,
Vijaya Das
