The Joy of book distribution

[Haridham]

"Screw off" they tell me. "get lost" some would exclaim. Is there anyone that will stop for you to experiance what your experiancing you think. The only way to describe the glories and joys of book distribution is to go out yourself and give it a shot.

 

Glories and joy? After reading the first few lines how can someone say that something like this is glorious and full of joy. Well when you distribute prabhupads books and tell people about krsna to the masses a feeling of joy that is undescribable takes over you. You know that you arent doing anything and anyone who stops for you is sent by krsna.

 

"Screw off" and "Get lost" hearing those words can only get you more determined to give these books out because these are exactly the attitudes Srila Prabupad changed in the sixties with his books and the Maha Mantra.

 

Its a great way to learn humility and humbleness. From people seeing you, dropping everything and giving you any amount of money to have Prabhupads books to crazy Christians who tell you that you are going to hell.

 

If distributing books takes me to hell then that is the best path to hell.

 

There is more parts coming later in my experiance of book distribution. If any others have any experiances please reply.

 

thank you

 

hare krsna

 

Hari Dham

[bhaktachris]

Hare Krsna Prabhu,

I am a "weekend warrior" as the BBT has listed my results for book distribution. Lately my distributions of Bhagavad-gita Collier/Macmillan edition have been at local librarys.And they are loving it! (so am i) And hopefully (no question) Prabhupada is also happy with it. Also i have been distributing other smaller books to those who are intested (friends family).Those books are ones that are just sitting on shelves around the country and are advertised on "ebay". I have been able to get "authorized" editions from when Prabhupada was still here to keep the editors in line and not changing things. So i figure if they are just sitting on shelves and i can get them cheaply and redistribute them Prabhupada must be happy too. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Ofcourse Prabhupada is always happy /images/graemlins/grin.gif not being controlled as i am by the material nature and modes and maya etc.

Someday i will come to your level of determination and distribute books to those less willing to take, Thankyou for your inspirational writing of Book Distribution of the Highest Most Perfect Knowledge, Prabhupada's books. Bhakta christopher

[Guest guest]

"Screw off" they tell me. "get lost" some would exclaim."

 

 

Sounds like people have not changed much since when i tried to distribute back in 1969 and early 70s.

 

Actually, we did not even have books at first, just cards with the Hare Krishna mantra on one side and an invitation to the Sunday feast on the other. We would get maybe a quarter donation for them from some people. A little later we got Back to Godhead magazines. I even think the first ones were not in color.

 

Be humble and polite to people as you distribute, so even if they don't appreciate the philosopy, they will appreciate the qualities of the person they met. Don't give up, Haribol.

 

[gHari]

Haridham,

 

As promised I'll briefly describe how I received Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

 

It was the early seventies and I was associating with the various popular seeker books like TOWARD THE ONE (believe it or not, Sri Caitanya was the hero of the book although His position was somewhat hidden or channah as we vedic in-crowd say) and Baba Ram Dasa's BE HERE NOW. Two classics for seekers. Ram dasa at the back of the book had some suggestions of "good books to hang out with". The first was the Bhagavad-gita. Since I had pretty much worn out Ram dasa's book but not my infatuation with Lord Rama I decided to find this Bhagavad-gita.

 

Two days later as I was about to enter Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto to see the George Harrison concert, a devotee, a very humble glorious devotee approached me and said "I'd like to give you this book". As soon as I saw the title I mentioned that I had just decided to buy a Bhagavad-gita. I went on that Baba Ram das had advised that it was important to get an authorized version. So to verify the author I reached for my BE HERE NOW which I kept with me here now always. I couldn't readily find the reference but the name Swami sounded familiar.

 

How much should I give you for it? When he replied five dollars, I said "Look it has pictures and everything. It's worth more than that". I think I gave him ten or fifteen to also cover his time.

 

I could swear that George kept staring at me or the Gita in the concert. It seemed that he was the only one there, even though Ravi and the boys and stoned-out Billy Preston also performed. But all the while even when not singing or playing George was slappin' and tappin' to the music and held my attention.

 

Please excuse the tangent as I danced my did for a while there with George, but that is the story of sankirtana perfection; Supersoul to Supersoul.

 

How he did it? I guess he was just really really renounced and surrendered. Later he taught me how to chant and finger the new beads he had fixed me up with.

 

That is sankirtana at its finest.

 

Over the next years I would go places or take escalators down for no logical reason and there would be another devotee with the next Prabhupada masterpiece. Toronto, Chicago, Atlanta, Hawaii, New York, everywhere, Krsna was omnipresent, ready with His sankirtana mercy.

 

It is a very important thing. I'd have to think that one success erases the pain of a hundred screwed-up Christian poseur screw-offs. Perhaps it's like golf, where one good shot is enough to bring you back no matter how frustrating the rest of the game plays out.

 

gHari

[Priitaa]

gH,

 

Thats an incredible story! The old days, they were great.

 

Interesting how George kept staring at you from the stage. Yeah, probably was the Gita.

 

I wonder how Sriman George is doing now? /images/graemlins/smile.gif Probably better than me!