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Here’s
nice story from 1975 Thanksgiving Day in America. Ramesvara had sent a
report about book distribution in America (this is a little long but
its well worth the read): December 9, 1975 — Vrindavana
“Ramesvara concluded enthusiastically, “Our only desire
is to surrender our lives to help publish and distribute millions of
Your Divine Grace’s wonderful books. Here in LA they are selling
over 200,000 BTGs this month of December, more than even the entire
Radha-Damodara party combined. Of course Radha-Damodara is selling more
big books than anyone else. Devotees are more enlivened in the USA than
I have ever seen for distributing your books. This will be the biggest
month ever. Already one million BTGs is not enough for this
month.”
“Nothing pleases Srila Prabhupada more than hearing how his
books are being printed and sold. He wrote back, “You keep your
enlivened position. I was just talking to Hansaduta about the good
fortune of America that Krishna consciousness is there; and if you can
cover the whole America with Krishna consciousness that will be good
for the whole world.”
“Then Hamsaduta prabhu read out an ecstatic report by
Uttamasloka dasa, the president of the Chicago temple, although it was
not directly addressed to Srila Prabhupada. It described the efforts of
the devotees in the recent record-breaking, Thanksgiving-day
book-distribution competition. Out of 5,000 books sold by the three
temples, Chicago, assisted by nine Radha-Damodara traveling sankitrana
party brahmacaries, sold over 2,000. The letter was written to
Ramesvara prabhu and sent on. Hamsaduta read it out loud as Prabhupada
listened, eyes sometimes wide with amazement and appreciation at the
incredible effort and risk his disciples are taking to distribute his
books throughout this world of darkness:
“We took the challenge seriously—not that we were puffed
up and over confident of victory—for we knew that anything could
happen by Lord Caitanya’s mercy. Then the first crew
left—16 men and women—they were distributing by about 6:30
a.m. Later a small party went out by about 10:00 a.m. with more books
and prasadam, and later on in the day several others came out.
Altogether there were about 25 devotees at the airport throughout the
day. Sripati and I sort of floated about helping in different ways,
like you did. There were the 17 regular distributors plus Tripurari
Swami and a couple of weekend regulars and a few more new comers.
“In the first hour and half most of the distributors had done
15 to 25 books, so by the time we got out (about 11:00 a.m.) they had
already done about 300-400 books! The mornings are always good. Things
were quiet; not too many announcements and no break ups or hassles. We
all met together for lunch at 1:00 p.m. and took a preliminary count:
over 750 books—we were close to breaking the world’s record
half way through the day. By 1:00 p.m. Manusuta dasa had already done
100!!!!!! Praghosa dasa 80!!!! and Tripurari Swami 70!!!!! Our hairs
began to stand on end a little as we speculated about the potential
results and everyone was back distributing by 1:30 p.m.
“Basically we distribute two terminals… there is a
corridor about 25ft. wide that the people funnel through after coming
from the ‘fingers’… All of the passengers come
through there on their way to the baggage claim and also on their way
to a flight…. We found out from the paper next morning that over
220,000 people came through the airport that day!!!!
“At about 4:00 p.m…. a demon worker of the airlines
came up to one devotee and punched him in the face; the men were
stunned. Then he went up to another devotee and punched him in the
face! The men and karmis began to congregate. Tripurari Swami came
running to see what was happening; the demon punched him in the face!!!
All of the devotees immediately jumped on the demon and began beating
the stool out of him!!!!!!! There was a huge crowd all around and the
devotees were shouting for the police to stop this man. There was blood
on his face and on the ground. Praghosa’s punch had drawn blood
and there were drops of blood on Praghosa’s clothes and drops of
perspiration on his face: he was feeling very blissful!!”
“Prabhupada’s eyes opened wide at the description of the
fight. “Accha!” he said in surprise, shaking his head in
wonder at the risks his men were taking on his and Krishna’s
behalf. Hamsaduta was laughing and shaking his head in awe and he read
on. “Half the crowd was in our favor and the other half against.
The police came in and the demon said that we had given him a book and
then taken it back and started a fight. The police arrested the
devotees! This is typical of all the incidents—they attack us and
we get arrested! Anyway somehow or another, by Krishna’s grace,
the devotees were released and back distributing in 20 minutes.
“Around 6:00 p.m. I took a preliminary count… I sat in
the phone booth and added the score. As I added my eyebrows began to
raise higher and higher! My eyes began to bulge from their sockets!! My
mouth dropped open! I was speechless! Tears actually began to flow from
my eyes! We had broken 1400 books! I couldn’t believe it; I was
stunned and took another count to be sure, and sure enough, it was
right. I began to shout in ecstasy ‘Hari Bol, Hari Bol, Hari
Bol!’ All the karmis were looking at me through the phone booth
with screwed up faces of bewilderment… .
“When I got back there had been another incident… A
couple of plainclothers (cops) had tried to set up one of the women for
an arrest and she tried to get one of the men to help her. One of the
men tried to intervene and they arrested him and took him downstairs.
Another mother went down to find the girl whom they tried to arrest and
when the cops saw her they said “Where’s the other
girl?” “I don’t know” she said. “OK, then
we’ll arrest you instead!” “Hey, let me go! I
didn’t do anything!” Two small scuffles broke out with the
two devotees and the police. Another devotee came in to stop it…
and the police turned on him and the three of them mercilessly beat him
up on the floor in front of many bystanders! One of the
policemen’s guns fell out during the scuffle and books were
scattered every where. The devotees were then taken to jail downtown
(the two men devotees). Of course this knocked at least 100 books off
our score.”
Prabhupada was listening with rapt attention to the whole
description, occasionally raising his eyebrows in surprise and shaking
his head and smiling in appreciation. He was aglow with obvious pride
at the determination of his disciples to sell his books despite all
obstacles, and he listened to the entire report, blow by blow.
“While we listened to this incident and took prasadam, a demon
who had found three books ripped them up and threw them in our midst.
Unaffected, a little tired, but undaunted in their determination, the
devotees went back to distribute. Meanwhile a huge blizzard began and
traffic started jamming both on the roads and in the air.. At 10:30
p.m. I got a report from Sripati: over 1700 books—we might break
2,000!!!! This is incredible!! Who can imagine the mercy of Lord
Caitanya Mahaprabhu? All but four of the men were coming back at 11:30
p.m.—Manusuta w/191; Praghosa w/153; Tripurari Swami w/135 and
Ranganatha w/120…. The first crew returned in the blizzard by
2:00 a.m. and the four others left about 1:30 or 2:00 a.m. Everyone
struggled to get up for mangala arati (the four latecomers didn’t
even go to sleep) and after an ecstatic kirtana I ran around to get the
final scores… On Thursday we fasted from breakfast and chanted
and slept till noon arati when we had a big arati kirtana and after a
nice feast!!!!
“Thank you for inspiring us to compete for the mercy of the
Spiritual Master. If it weren’t for you we wouldn’t know
what to do. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Your servant, Uttamasloka
dasa.”
“Another page carried the totals for each distributor. Two men
did over 400 between them: Manusuta set a new individual world’s
record with 210 books, Praghoa was just behind with 200. Another
seven, Tripurari Swami, Ranganatha, Romapada, Buddhimanta, and Preraka
prabhus, including two women, Sabhuja and Jagaddhatri das…s,
broke the one-hundred—book mark. The grand total was 2,042
hardbound books.
“At the bottom of the list Uttamasloka added a note to
Ramesvara: “My humble suggestion and request is that you read
this letter and all of its contents to the assembled devotees of New
Dvaraka Dhama. Even though it is irregularly composed and full of
mistakes and errors, it is still very transcendentally pleasing and
will be relished by all.”
“At the top of the letter Ramesvara had written in large clear
capital letters, “THE MOST ECSTATIC SKP NEWSLETTER OF ALL TIME!
SHOULD BE READ ALOUD TO ALL OF THE ASSEMBLED DEVOTEES!”
“When Hamsaduta finished, Srila Prabhupada had a huge smile on
his face, clearly pleased and obviously enjoying transcendental
ecstasy. He dictated his reply, not to Ramesvara but to Uttamasloka.
“Please accept my blessings. I read your sankirtana newsletter
with great relish. Europe and America are in great danger, this Hare
Krishna movement is enveloping them. The sankirtana devotees are very,
very dear to Krishna. Because they are doing the field work of book
distribution, Krishna has immediately recognized them as true servants.
Just like during the war time, a farm boy or ordinary clerk who goes
out to fight for his country on the front, immediately becomes a
national hero for his sincere effort. So Krishna immediately recognizes
a preacher of Krishna consciousness who takes all risks to deliver his
message.
“It is called dhira bratta—determination. These boys and
girls are mahatmas-mahatmanas tu mam partha, daivim prakrtim asritah,
bhajanty ananya manaso, jnatva bhutadim avyayam:—’O son of
Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the
protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional
service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
original and inexhaustible.’ This verse is applicable here. If
these boys were under the material nature they would not take so much
risk. They are mahatma, they are real mahatma, not that long beard and
saffron cloth mahatma. They are unswerving in their determination,
dhira bratta. All glories to the American devotees! “I hope this
letter finds you and all the sankirtana devotees well, Your ever
well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.”
Your humble servant,
Hari-sauri dasa
Add comment December 9, 2006
Stories 2
Thakur Haridas Prabhu first joined in San Francisco. We were
Brahmacari Godbrothers back then. He was confused about how to chant
japa when he first joined. He thought chanting one round on his beads
meant chanting from the head bead all the way around to the head bead,
and then all the way back, so he was chanting 32 rounds per day. We
chanted together everyday in front of the Deities, and within a very
short time he became very advanced in his chanting. Srila
Prabhupada’s choice of his devotional name was very apropos.
In the beginning we were selling Krsna books door-to-door. On one
day every door I went to I sold a book. The secret to being a
successful book distributor, I found, is to be an avid reader of Srila
Prabhupada’s books. In the beginning all the other devotees were
selling books quite easily, but I couldn’t sell any. I tried
everything, even getting down on my hands and knees and begging, but
nothing worked. Then I remembered reading in “Nectar of
Devotion” that if we truly wish to earn Krishna’s service,
we must cry for it. As an experiment, I went to a place in the temple
where no one would see or hear me (so I wouldn’t be branded as a
fake), and cried again and again for permission to sell Srila
Prabhupada’s books. After that time, gradually, day-by-day, I was
permitted to sell some books.
On one day, when I was selling books, door-to-door in the Hollywood
hills, I came to one door, way out in the woods. Before ringing the
door bell I said a prayer where I admitted myself as being completely
unqualified for serving Srila Prabhupada. I frankly admitted that I
didn’t have any ability to speak or to represent the Krishna
Consciousness Movement. I begged to be empowered to speak something of
significance and to continue being allowed to sell Srila
Prabhupada’s books. I rang the doorbell, and an elderly woman
answered the door. She burst into tears when she saw me, since in those
days we wore dhotis and full devotional garb. She stated that she was
old and practically invalid, but that she had been begging for a
devotee to come to her home (which she felt was impossible being all
the way out in the woods), because she couldn’t visit our temple.
She bought all of my books.
On another day I met a hippy in the hills near Santa Cruz. I tried
to sell him Nectar of Devotion. He was poor, and had no money for his
book. I continued selling door-to-door for the next several hours, and
collected a little extra money to pay for his book. I hitch-hiked to
his house several miles back. I gave him his book. It touched him so
much that I would care about him and give him that book, that he read
it, later moved into the temple, became an initiated disciple, and
eventually took Brahman initiation.
On one day, in the Denver temple, while I was distributing books in
a parking lot, huge rain clouds were gathering overhead. The sky turned
extremely black, and the first drops started to fall. I said “you
may not rain here today Lord Indra; I must distribute Srila
Prabhupada’s books”. I probably was reading way too much
Srimad Bhagavatam then, so what I said was probably especially foolish
and silly on my part. But amazingly it didn’t rain in the parking
lot all day, although the sky stayed complete dark and foreboding. At
the end of the day, the van picked me up to take me back to the temple.
When we got out of the parking lot, all the cars in the street were wet
and the street had a huge backup of water rushing down the street on
both sides. I asked the Sankirtan leader if it had rained. He said
“where have you been today Prabhu, it’s been raining all
day – there have even been flash-flood warnings all over the
city”.
Even though I am just an ordinary man, amazing, even miraculous,
magical things happened whenever we sold those books. The other amazing
thing I noticed was that no one could ever defeat Srila
Prabhupada’s words. I found great confidence whenever I spoke
Srila Prabhupada’s words from his books. If we wish to realize
the knowledge in those books, we must speak the philosophy we have
learned to others.
I found that no one could defeat me in any argument; no matter how
educated they might be by material estimation. I spoke to a college
professor once, when I was selling books in Knoxville Tennessee. He
stated he was a scientist. He looked at my devotee dress and stated
that our movement was just a bunch of sentimentalism – just dancing and
chanting in the street. I stated something which I had read that Srila
Prabhupada had spoken word-for-word: “this Krishna Consciousness
is a science to understand what is the difference between a dead body
and a living body”. Nothing extraordinary about this statement,
at least on the surface. But, when I said the words there was suddenly
a mild thundering in the sky. The air crackled as if it was charged
with electricity and the wind began to howl. Astonished the professor
looked at me and I looked at him. Both of us felt as if our hairs
standing on end. He said “give me all those books, I must have
those books”. I sold him 10-12 hardbound Bhagavad-gitas.
Comment posted by Suresh das on November 29th, 2006
Add comment November 29, 2006
Stories
By Mahatma Dasa
(The following is an excerpt from an unfinished book about my life
in Krsna consciousness. It details the history of how big book
distribution began in Iskcon, a history which has not been chronicled
in any Iskcon publications. The scene takes place in Vancouver,
Cananda, November of 1971.)
At this time in Iskcon (1971) big book distribution had not yet
begun. We only distributed Back to Godhead magazines (BTG’s) on
the street. We usually got donation of 25cents per magazine. If we were
lucky, we might occasionally get a really big donation of 50 cents. We
thought it was difficult to get that much money from most people so we
didn’t usually ask for it.
I have never been one to be happy with the status quo (sometimes
that gets me into trouble) and I began thinking that we should try to
distribute Krsna Books which had just recently been published. That was
such a big way of thinking at the time that it was hard for any of us
to take it seriously, myself included, since the Krsna Books sold for
$8 and we were cautious about asking for mere 50 cents. Yet on one
Canadian holiday in which everyone stayed home, we decided to go door
to door. The idea was that we would all bring one Krsna Book with us
along with our magazines. We thought it would be fun and exciting to
show people the book and the pictures and that alone would be our
reward for our boldness. We knew there might be a remote possibility of
selling the book but we didn’t have much faith that it would
happen. Still we showed everyone Krsna Book.
So there we were, knocking on doors as we usually did, and we were
really having a good time showing those Krsna Books. Then all of a
sudden we had a major unforeseen accident that day. We all returned to
the van one hour after we were dropped off and upon returning of the
devotee says, “I just sold a Krsna Book!” Our whole world
was turned upside down forever. We were in a state of shock. When the
shock wore off we started going crazy celebrating, banging the walls of
the van, congratulating the devotee who sold the book, laughing,
screaming. We were in major party mode celebrating this momentous
victory. We actually couldn’t believe what happened.
Here we were, a band of six very young devotees thousands of miles
from the big temples in Iskcon, and we were making history in the
pioneering of big book distribution.
From that time one on whenever we went out door to door, we would
bring Krsna Books. And every once and a while we would sell one. Every
time it happened we went crazy. It was still as unbelievable as it was
the time we sold the first book. The first time I sold a Krsna Book I
got so excited – actually intoxicated – I couldn’t
find my way back to the van. I was running wildly down the street in
ecstasy and I couldn’t wait to get back to the van to tell the
other devotees what happened. But I got lost for a few minutes –
and the van was only two blocks away! Later I read that Prabhupada
said, “This book distribution is the real intoxication.” I
think those of us who were first to distribute big books got the most
potent brew ever of this intoxicating drug called big book
distribution.
Krsna wanted these books distributed in larger quantities but we
didn’t know how to do it. The problem we faced is that we
didn’t have any technique to sell the books. Our sales were just
a matter of luck, a numbers game of finally running into someone
interested enough in buying the book. We now realized that distributing
big books was possible and sensed we were on to something big. The
problem was we couldn’t figure out how to take advantage of this
potential so we could all consistently sell books. In other words, we
didn’t have a technique to sell the books.
Krsna had a plan to help us. In steps Thakura Haridas Prabhu on the
scene to save the day. Thakura Haridas, a tall, enthusiastic,
boisterous, in your face kind of guy from the San Francisco temple,
shows up one day in Vancouver. Thakur Haridas was all enthusiasm and
was always making huge plans to spread Krsna consciousness. In fact,
before he came to Vancouver he was in Portland teaching a professional
basketball team to chant japa! Thakura Haridas was looking for big
challenges in Krsna’s service and when he heard about our big
book distribution and enthusiasm to expand it, he bought into the idea
like a hungry brahmacari at a feast. He immediately became ten times
more enthusiastic about the idea than we were. It was like he found his
calling in life. He was ready to take on the world with Krsna Books.
At this time we were informed that Srila Prabhupada said if someone
will go anywhere to spread Krsna consciousness, not considering how he
will eat or where he will sleep, he would take the dust from their feet
and put it on his head. We practically fainted when we heard this. That
statement became the catalyst for a preaching revolution in our hearts.
On the spot we decided to load all the books we had into our van and
head east from Vancouver on traveling sankirtana. So with $5 in our
pocket and a full tank of gas, we headed east into the Canadian winter
on the first ever big book distribution traveling sankirtana party. We
didn’t know how we would eat, where we would sleep, or if we
would make enough money to live. And that’s exactly the way we
wanted it. We wanted the mercy and we knew we’d get it if
we’d be willing go out on a limb for Krsna. It was exciting. It
was an adventure. We were setting off to visit cities in which people
had never seen nor heard of Hare Krsna. (And, by the way, it was really
cold for a kid like me who grew up in Southern California).
We left in the late afternoon with a van full of books and a bag of
rice and dhal. We didn’t even have pots. Actually we didn’t
have anything we could eat. And the $5 was quickly gulped up at the gas
station. We were truly living on the edge, and we loved it. We arrived
in a small town in the evening about 8pm. We were used to going out on
harinama (chanting) wherever we’d go so that’s what we did.
The problem was that this was a small town and it was in the middle of
the winter, so no one was on the street at 8pm. Well, actually there
was one person on the street: the local town drunk. So there we were,
three of us chanting and Haridas with his book bag full of Krsna Books
waiting and hoping that someone might hear the kirtan and come over to
see what was going on. Nobody came so the only person he had to talk to
was the drunk. So that’s what he did. There he is showing a drunk
a Krsna Book and we are looking at him thinking this is ridiculous. And
he’s talking and talking and talking and we are thinking Thakura
Haridas is nuts, he is wasting his time, the drunk isn’t going to
buy a book. Get real Thakura. And then we watch in amazement as the
drunk takes out $8 and gives it to Haridas. No one had ever distributed
big books on the street and here Haridas sells a Krsna Book to the only
person on the street – and a drunk to top it off. This event set the
scene and mood for the rest of the trip; you can distribute Krsna Books
to anyone, anywhere. You just have a strong desire, believe you can do
it, and just try.
So we’re on the street, it’s 8:30 at night and the
ecstasy is starting to get overtaken by the realization that,
“It’s dam cold out here, there’s no one on the street
and we don’t have a place to stay. Maybe we should do
something.” What a good idea. So we drive around town and by
Krsna’s grace we find a hostile. We knock on the door and we are
welcomed in, given our own room and fed the next morning with all the
fruit and nuts four hungry monks could ever want. We knew Krsna would
provide and the whole trip turned out to be a series of similar
scenarios in which Krsna supplied whatever we needed.
After breakfast the next morning we decided to go door to door and
beg for cooking pots since we didn’t have any. We also begged for
vegetables; “Here take a magazine and can you throw in a few
carrots as a donation? How about a couple tomatoes? Here, I’ll
give you another magazine for you friends if you can throw in a pat of
butter. And by the way, do you have an extra pot you don’t
use?” By Krsna’s arrangement we met a relative of a devotee
and she donated all the pots and utensils we needed. We collected some
veggies and also a few dollars. So we were set. We then drove off to
Calgary, the next closest major town on our tour, raring to do harinama
sankirtana and distribute Krsna Books and magazines that afternoon.
The more we depended on Krsna, the more He provided for us.
Actually, we had no doubt that He would provide whatever we needed.
After all, we had seen Him maintain the Vancouver temple month after
month despite the fact that we never knew where the money would come
from. So we never worried about how we would live. On the very first
day we arrive in Calgary we meet some hippies who have we have a head
shop and they tell us there is an extra room in the back where we can
stay. So right there without even knowing us, they give us the keys to
their store. Not that we would have, but we could have stole everything
and run out of town (what were those guys smoking?).
Were we excited when this happened? Not really. We just expected
that we would meet people who would put us up. Our faith was so high
that I think Krsna made things happen according to that faith.
Everyday Thakura Haridas would manage to distribute big books. The
rest of us were still trying to figure out how to do it and we would
sell one every few days. Thakura Haridas had become so enlivened by
distributing Krsna Books that he couldn’t contain himself. It was
common that after breakfast, while we were getting ready to go out on
sankirtana, he would run out for fifteen minutes to go door to door in
the neighborhood. And when we were getting ready for bed, he would do
the same thing. He had become addicted to distributing Krsna Books. We
really couldn’t believe that anyone could distribute big books
everyday like he was doing. He was simply distributing books with one
technique: his raw enthusiasm.
One evening after returning from sankirtana while we were taking hot
milk and preparing to take rest, Thakura Haridas again amazed us and
went out door to door. He returned about 20 minutes later so he to go
to bed when we did. “Thakura, where did you go?” He was
beaming. He told us that he had just sold a Krsna Book to an atheist.
Totally blown away, I ask, “What did you tell them?”
Boiling over with enthusiasm he replied, “I told them ‘I am
in ecstasy. You should take this book.’ And they took the
book!” We couldn’t believe it. This guy was amazing.
After a week in Calgary we head east to Edmonton. On the first day
we meet some favorable hippies. They have a huge house and invite us to
stay with them. We slowly turn the house into a temple because several
of the hippies living there want to get into Krsna consciousness. We
have morning programs and with their help organize three amazing Sunday
feasts that are attended by about sixty people. All the people in the
house are quickly becoming attached to the devotees, kirtana and
prasadam. This trip planted the seed in the hearts of five people who
became devotees over the next few months.
Thakur Haridas is becoming more enlivened every day. He is a
persuasive person who likes to inspire others. At this time traveling
sankirtan was just beginning in San Francisco. We heard they would fill
their vans up with BTGs and stay out on the road until all the
magazines were distributed. One Sunday morning Haridas decides to call
the temple president of San Francisco, Keshava, to let him know that we
had broken open big book distribution, something that no one else in
the movement even imagined was possible. Thakura says to Keshava with a
bit of pride, “So what’s going on down there?”
Keshava proudly tells Haridas about their new traveling program. They
fill their van full with BTGs and go out on the road and don’t
return until every last magazine is distributed. They are distributing
many times more magazines than every before. They are on fire. Haridas
is not impressed, but he wants to let Keshava toot his own horn so he
can smash him to the ground with his news. “That’s nothing.
You’re in maya,” Thakura’s intimidating voiced almost
screaming bloody murder. “We are selling Krsna Books. This is the
real sankirtana. Get out there and sell Krsna Books. Just bring them
with you and show them to people. What’s wrong with you.!”
Silence. Did Keshava faint? Did he commit suicide? No Keshava is a
warrior and his blood is boiling. He takes up the challenge. San
Francisco temple runs with the idea of big book distribution and soon
far surpasses all our efforts. Now the big book distribution revolution
has really begun. That call was such a momentous occasion that somehow
to this day I can still remember exactly where in the house Thakura
called, what the room looked like, what he said, his mood, etc. That
call ignited a huge fire of big book distribution in Iskcon. Thank you
Thakura Haridas. And thank you Keshava for taking the sauce as a true
warrior.
Keshava is now so enlivened that he calls his brother Karandhara in
Los Angeles and tells him about the big book distribution breakthrough.
Soon the fire catches on in LA with even more intensity than in San
Francisco. Not only do the LA sankirtana devotees discover that they
can sell Krsna Books, but temple devotees take Krsna Books to sell when
shopping, doing laundry, getting gas, etc. (“I don’t have
money to pay for the gas but I have this book I can give you as
payment.”). Devotees are becoming addicted to the intoxication of
selling Krsna books. LA then spreads the word about big book
distribution everywhere and the whole Iskcon world gradually catches on
fire.
The above story about the first big books being distributed in
Vancouver, Thakura Haridas taking up the challenge and then inspiring
Keshava are important events in the history of book distribution in
Iskcon, events which have have not been chronicled anywhere else in
Iskcon publications.
(Here in the book I describe other ecstatic events, but to shorten
this article and keep it focused on book distribution, I have
eliminated those parts. The following paragraph begins by making
reference to those stories).
Since so much ecstatic preaching is going on, I write the devotees
in Vancouver a blow by blow account of our activities; the TV and radio
shows, the Indian program, how the house we are staying in is being
transformed into a temple, and the incredible big book distribution we
are doing, etc. The devotees are so enlivened by the letter that,
unknown to us, they decide to send it to Srila Prabhupada so he can
also become enlivened by our preaching as well.
Prabhupada loved the letter. He encouraged me by saying that I get
the credit for starting the first traveling sankirtana party (actually
Gaura Hari Prabhu, the president of the Victoria temple, had taken out
the very first traveling party. But they had not done big books). On
that trip we distributed sixty big books. That was the all time Iskcon
record for big books distributed by one temple in one month and that
was reported to Prabhupada. Prabhupada was no doubt pleased and noted
how we had taken advantage of so many situations to spread Krsna
consciousness, and especially to distribute Krsna Books. He said that
seizing every opportunity to spread Krsna consciousness is the symptom
of an advanced devotee.
I feel so blessed to have taken part in that historic event and feel
fortunate beyond expression that Krsna sent Haridas Thakura to
Vancouver to run with my dream of distributing big books. I don’t
feel that I have any qualification to practice devotional service, but
perhaps having something to do with the beginnings of book distribution
has showered me with so much mercy that I am still able to continue in
Krsna consciousness even today.
–>
Add comment November 29, 2006
Sankirtan for Grhastas
Spiritual strength
So, you want to serve Krishna, and at the same time you need to
maintain yourself and/or your family nicely?
What better way is there than book distribution?
In the following article, we are going to give you practical hints (more…)
Add comment November 9, 2006
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