Book Distribution at Home Depot by Krishna Mangala Devi Dasi

On the fourth of July Darsie and I needed to go to home depot to buy stuff for her new apartment and dirt to transplant my Tulasis .
Before we left I told Darsie “We should bring some books since we are both wearing devotional clothing and tilak, someone might ask us a question."  Even if no one asked we were going to stop someone and try to distribute a book.  We were not going to come back home till we gave a book to someone.
Without fail every time I wear a sari and tilak out other than the temple and harinam someone always approaches me and asks what is my religion, where am I from, or where to buy a sari.  On July fourth it was not any different and just as expected as we were in the parking lot loading the car, a gentleman named Oscar approach us and asked us "Where are you guys from?"  I reply by saying "She is from Texas and I'm from El Salvador"  he reply by saying "Ooohhh I thought you guys were from the middle east because of the clothes"  I told him we were Hare Krishnas and asked if he had heard of yoga before, then then I asked him if he had ever had stress which he reply yes to and I said here take these books with you, they will help you.  He happily received the books and said he was going to have his daughter also read them.
We invited Oscar to the temple and told him about our free vegetarian feast. He inquire about vegetarianism. I told him we also believe in Jesus and take his teachings to heart, and that he wasn't unintelligent, he clearly said "you shalt not kill" and that the word kill includes all life forms not just humans. Oscar reply by saying "Oh Wow so that's what Jesus meant" and he accepted it. He said he believes everything in this planet has a soul.  He even said, "I believe even the trees have souls" I said, “yes that is true.”
He said he felt blessed he met us and that we had been put in his path to received those books that were going to help him.

- Krishna Mangala Devi Dasi

The greatest book distributors–Bhakta Carl & Radhika Ramana Prabhus

While there are many greats in this most pleasing service.  Heroes such as Vaisesika, Vijaya, Brighupati, Navida Nirada, and Parameshvara Prabhus.  There are others, great heroes, who dynamic feats go on unsung.   One such fellow is His Grace Bhakta Carl Prabhu, the biological brother of His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami. 

Bhakta Carl Prabhu is an English Professor and Hinduism teacher in a university Iowa.  In his classes students have as a required reading the Bhagavad Gita As It Is and several other of Srila Prabhupada’s books.   He also uses other books as well.  In fact in the beginning of the semester students read, side by side, the Bhagavad Gita As It Is version of Srila Prabhupada, a very beautiful poetic version by a mayavadi impersonalist, a version by HH Tripurari Swami,  and a version by Graham Schwieg AKA Garuda das.   At the beginning of the semester students have their particular versions that they like.  Some like the poetic version, and some will also say that Srila Prabhupada is too heavy.   However at the end of the semester all the students prefer the version of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Bhagavad Gita As It Is.   The students say that this version is the most logical and gives the most clear explanations.   Bhakta Carl Prabhu also every year brings his students, many of which probably never have even been out of the state of Iowa, to Vrindavan India to go on pilgrimage and learn from all the great devotees there.

In my life I have distributed a good number of Srila Prabhupada’s books but I cannot say that I can make those books a required reading of the recipients.  I cannot imagine just how many books I would have to distribute to insure that a classroom sized group would study such books and new group semester after semester.  It is very glorious.  Such book distribution is in the line of another, little more well known hero, His Grace Radhika Ramana Dasa, AKA Dr. Ravi M. Gupta. 

 

Radhika Ramana Prabhu is well known for entering the university at 13 year of age, becoming valedictorian of Boise State at 17 and receiving his PHd at Oxford at the age of 22.  His students at his university also have Srila Prabhupada’s books as a required reading.  His students are required to read important books such as the Sri Isopanisad, Srimad Bhagavatam, and the Bhagavad Gita As It Is.  All glories to these unsung heroes!

Dhotis on Distribution?

Q. Prabhuji, I am asking your personal opinion on book distribution in big cities in Texas.  Dhoti/tilak or jeans/pullover for showing BBT books to public. A senior book distributor devotee recommends looking like Joe Public or a yoga student to show Prabhupada’s books?
Here is my reply:

Jeans were good in the 70's because back then speaking to a person in a dhoti on the street was like speaking to a grown man wearing a diaper on the street. It totally freaked people out, thus it was very hard to communicate. Such is not the case today. Just as chanting with others, san-kirtan, helps each other advance. Which is different than japa which is only for individual advancement. So similarly wearing a dhoti in public helps others remember Krishna and not just the person you are speaking with. People think, "There are the Hare Krishna's" By this public presence we do not become the forgotten cult of the past but rather a part of public life. People can easily recognize us by this method. Just imagine you are distributing books and that there is a person across the street who is interested. That person may not recognize you without devotional dress. Many of the people that I find that are very interested are the ones that approach me due to the dress.

photos from www.RedAshram.com
I have personal experience of distributing books in large cities such as New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and many others, wherein people would come up to me and say, "Hare Krishnas!, I thought you guys ceased to exist, extinct!" In New York there are many homeless people and charlatans who are well dressed and clean looking selling items and asking for donations. By wearing devotional attire, people are instilled with confidence that we are not out there just to make a buck but rather to distribute knowledge.

People respect the dress and are spiritually benefited by such an offering of respect. Often I am attached, which is not good, to special treatment that we devotees get when dress like priests, monks, and religious folk. People not only speak to you differently, but inquire from you about your beliefs as well.

(student dressed up for a school project)

One of the devotees who is responsible for the revival of devotional dress here in the States in public is Prithu Prabhu.  Back in the mid 90's and so on he had all the book distributors going out in Vaisnava attire. I remember back in Portland he had his very tiny little temple, however that little tiny temple had more young devotees joining and accepting initiation than any other temple in the U.S. This went on for several years. In the town, everyone knew the Hare Krishnas, we were part of the city's culture rather than a forgotten past.

Just one last thing I would like mention.  A disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Misra Bhagavan Prabhu, told me an anecdote the other day.  He spoke about how in the 70’s there was a wonderful video of Srila Prabhupada’s BBT production, “Brilliant as the Sun” ending with a devotee distributing books dressed in dhoti, tilak, and kurta.  Misra Bhagavan recalled, “Wow I wish I could distribute books like that.”  This was back in the day of tacky wigs, slacks, and button-up shirts and no disclosure. 

There are situations where I would not wear a dhoti. Like places I should not be distributing books.  But if it is just a public place then there is no harm and definitely benefit.

Warped Tour Book distribution: Lots of books and same the hair cut

Last year I wrote this blog, New looks, lots of books and a new haircut
about distributing the new BBT books at the Warped Tour. Here are some photos from this years distribution.



This one is Bhaktin Angela with some band from the tour. They told us that they got some books at a previous show as well.



These girls said, "I course we know yoga stuff, we're Asian!"
You can see the great Anandavidya Prabhu on the left side distributing a book to someone as well.


And here some more fortunate souls.
Hare Krishna
Your humble servant,
Nityananda Chandra Das

Srila Prabhupada Arrives in Cameron, Texas

Following is a sankirtan story from some residents of Kalachandji's Community:


Mishra Bhagavan Dasa and his wife, Sri Rangavati Dasi, long-time sankirtan devotees, were traveling from from Houston after attending Tamal Krishna Goswami's Vyasa Puja Festival. She was wearing a bright pink sari and he had on a dhori and yellow T-shirt that said, "Prabhupada on Tour." They pulled into a little town known as Cameron, Texas, Population 2,258. Sri Rangavati suggested that they do sankirtana at some stores there. It looked really slow, the type of desolate parking lot that a tumbleweed would roll across. She reasoned that these people do not usually see devotees and anyone buying a book would bring Prabhupada to the town.

The second person they approached bought a Spanish "Easy Journey to Other Planets," and Rangavati said, "Srila Prabhupada has arrived in Cameron!"

The next fellow was a Rasta type who gave ten dollars for a Bhagavad Gita. An older lady named Cammy was difficult to approach and wary about whether they were true Christains. "These books do not replace the Bible, but compliment it," Misra Bhagavan said. She was impressed with the verse: "In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional
service to the Supreme Lord does not take place." Cammy admired their outfits and said that her son just come back from India. He worked for a bank that had sent him there. She bought the Gita to show her son.

A tattooed man with a bushy mustache named Lupe sat with his wife and children in the cab of a well worn pick-up truck. He liked the pictures and bought Bhagavad Gita in Spanish. An African-American lady asked, "Why have you come to Cameron?" They told her why and added that they didn't think the people would be interested. She gave a donation for a Gita and said, "Oh, you'd be surprised. People are smart in this town. We read a lot."

All in all, eleven people took books. Srila Prabhupada had arrived in Cameron!!!

Bill Clinton receives a Divine Nature book

Today Bill Clinton was visiting Dallas on campaign for presidential electorate Hillary Clinton. Mahamantra Prabhu kindly called me and told me that he was visiting and would be speaking just a few blocks from the temple. Mathuranatha Prabhu, Amala Kirtan Prabhu and Lakshmi Priya and her family went to see him and offer him a Divine Nature. After speaking and leaving the podium a large very intense crowd of people to rushed see him, including these devotees. Mr. Clinton would quickly shake the hands of the people with a nod of a approval. He did however slow a little when he was a approached by the devotees, taking a book from Amala Kirtan Das he said, "Do you want me to sign this for you?" Amala replied, "No, this is a gift for you." He looked at the cover and responded, "Thank you very much."

Recently on Krishna.com one of the devotees inquired in following post Eating Prasadam= Human Birth?
"I heard that if a person eats Prasadam even once in their life, they are guaranteed a human birth in their next life.

Is this true?

(If so, the book, chapter, and verse(s) which speak of this subject, if they could be included, would be greatly appreciated.)"


My response was that even an animal can go back to Godhead but appreciation is the key. Here is the reference;

Bali-mardana: I believe I've heard you said in other lectures that a person who takes prasādam, even a plant or a..., any kind of living entity who takes prasādam or hears the name, that it will come back at least to human form of life. Is that correct?
Prabhupāda: No, if he's devotee, then he'll come. But this taking of prasādam, or hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is advancement for becoming a devotee. But if he takes prasādam not as ordinary prasādam, foodstuff, he believes that "This is remnants of foodstuffs given to God," if he understands this philosophy, then guaranteed. If he takes the prasādam as ordinary food, "All right, these people are distributing, prasā... Let me take it. It is very tasteful," that will give him chance to accept prasādam next, next, next... In this way, one day he'll come to the point that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff." Then he'll... There is guarantee. Because only the devotee can appreciate that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff. It is Kṛṣṇa's remnant of..." Therefore, he understands Kṛṣṇa. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. In truth, when he understands, then his life is guaranteed. Why guaranteed? He goes back to home next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you simply can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is sufficient to take you back to home, back to Godhead. That is sufficient. It is so nice.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.23
—
Hawaii, January 19, 1974

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Antya 1.32

āra dina keha tāra dekhā nā pāilā

siddha-deha pāñā kukkura vaikuṇṭhete gelā

SYNONYMS

āra dina — the next day; keha — all of them; tāra — of the dog; dekhā nā pāilā — did not get sight; siddha-deha pāñā — obtaining a spiritual body; kukkura — the dog; vaikuṇṭhete gelā — went to the spiritual kingdom, Vaikuṇṭha.

TRANSLATION

The next day, no one saw that dog, for it had obtained its spiritual body and departed for Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual kingdom.

PURPORT

This is the result of sādhu-sańga — consequent association with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and promotion back home, back to Godhead. This result is possible even for a dog, by the mercy of the Vaiṣṇava. Therefore, everyone in the human form of life should be induced to associate with devotees. By rendering a little service, even by eating prasādam, what to speak of chanting and dancing, everyone can be promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka. It is therefore requested that all our devotees in the ISKCON community become pure Vaiṣṇavas, so that by their mercy all the people of the world will be transferred to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, even without their knowledge. Everyone should be given a chance to take prasādam and thus be induced to chant the holy names Hare Kṛṣṇa and also dance in ecstasy. By these three processes, although performed without knowledge or education, even an animal went back to Godhead.

So, hopefully for Clinton sake, he truly appreciates the all auspicious gift of this Krishna Conscious book and thus will make steadfast progress in returning back to the Kingdom of God where the devotee serves the Lord with unalloyed love.
Hare Krishna
Your humble servant,
Nityananda Chandra Das