A book distribution story

Krsnanatha · July 1, 2003

Years ago maybe 1983 there was a horrible trend in Orange County California of the so-called "Born Again Christianity". I was a book distributor in the Laguna Beach temple and I had a first hand view of how this social trend was energizing the local material society. Born Again Christianity is a gross distortion of what original Christianity and also Vaisnavism for that matter states as the philosohy regarding the spiritual master. Our line of teaching as well as their's (the Born Agains) says that one can only approach the Supreme Lord through a pure medium or Guru. Of course that is were the similarities part ways radically. While we of course believe that one must strive to follow to the letter the instructions and recommendations of the Guru they believe that they are sinners beyond any level of redemption. They accept that while they my be able to follow a basic moral compass any attempt to actually purify one's self is useless and any desire or attempt to do so is probably the whisper of Satan in one's ear. This last part of the "philosophy" was particularly attractive to the denizens of Orange County California. I am convinced alot the popularity had to do with the fact that so much propaganda regarding the necessity of spiritual life is available in Southern California and yet it is running concurrent with an even more powerful lobby from the sense gratification movement. This "Born Again" fit perfectly. Mudhas and cheaters would accept Jesus and thus be saved simply because they did this, so that issue was out of the way, Liberation, a spot in heaven. Then they would be told "Oh yeah by the way be nice to people and stuff but don't really sweat the fact that you sin because we are all wretched sinners and there is no chance of your changing, in fact we just caught some kind of lucky break that God tossed the only son he would ever have for all eternity down here on earth to be tortured to death for our sins. So don't bother to much about trying to change.

Now they are saved and given permission to continue their petty self envolved lives with the added feature to their false ego that they are superior to everyone as a result of being "Born Again".

I was a young devotee both physically and in experience. And out amongst these rascals I would go daily trying to sort through and find a few nice folks to give books to. On many occasions they would come to the DMV where I would distribute books and make quite good sport of breaking up my distribution and suck me into endless useless debates feigning interest only to be waiting through my presentation so they try to see how many different ways they could tell me I was going to hell. Their verbal assaults did nothing to my faith. That was no problem and the chore of tolerating being attacked by such miscreants is something I know countless devotees before and after have endured. But it did have an effect on me. It crept up slowly until one morning the sankirtana leader came over and told me that while I was collecting as much financially as before my book distribution scores were down, way down. I had gotten so timid about distributing books and the potential hassles that it might bring I was out there taking but not giving. I resolved that the first person that day no matter how they looked externally would get a book. And not just any book but one that made the unmistakable statement that I was a Hare Krishna. After the morning program I repacked my book box. Out went the innocuous "Who Are They" magazines and the "Coming Back"s which I had found I could distribute with a minimal hassle and in went the "First Cantos" and the "Science of Self Realizations" the one with Srila Prabhupada wrapped in a chaddar boldly tilaked on the cover. No one who might be handed that book could think anything except that the person on the cover was way outside of their ordinary day to day dealings.

So to the DMV, out with my books, the cool Southern California morning air encouraging the youth of my body, I began my little mission.

And there she came an older extremely conservative looking lady. I thought (literally said this to myself) maybe I should get warmed up first. My mind was trying to talk my intelligence out of this strong plan I had made and in this case my intelligence or the shadowy thing I like to call my intelligence stepped in and said,

"No, I vowed I would give the first person a book period, end of debate". By the time these gymnastics had completed their routine she was very close to me silently minding her own business quite unaware of the turmoil her presence had presented me with.

I stepped forward offered a genuine smile and a "Science of Self Realization" beckoning from my outstretched arm.

I said "Good morning Ma'am did you get one?"

She stopped looked at Srila Prabhupada and took the book in her hands, looked up at me and said "Oh I know this."

My heart sank I was already speculating what she would know about "this" and none of sounded good inside my head.

She continued "I know this man." a hint of kindness floating out with her words. "He's a great man, my daughter has some of his books, they are larger hard bound ones but I know this man wrote them. He is a great man." I was thinking the devotees would come around the corner laughing having put some stranger up to this but that didn't happen. We began a long sweet conversation about Krsna Consciousness. She took the "Science of Self Realization" and a First Canto Bhagavatam. She said she thought her daughter might have it already but promised she would find someone to give it to if it duplicated something in her daughter's collection. And finally as if this was not enough (and I swear to Krsna there has not been one ounce of fabrication or amplification of fact in this account) she turned to me and said, "You know when things get bad down here on Earth I think the good Lord sends someone like Jesus...or this man to straighten things out."

She went away as causually and quietly as she had appeared. I never again feared giving out books because I reasoned even if it made the Born Agains mad and made them chase me and threaten me ect... the possibility that I might sometime again meet up with some nice soul like that made the toleration worth it.

Sri Krsna Sankirtana Ki Jaya!