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In the past couple of months there has been a new team behind the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) here at Govindadvipa. This service is so dear to Srila Prabhupada as it is directly responsible for delivering the message of Krishna Consciousness to society via Prabhupada’s books. Headed up by Gaura Hari and Sri Rupa prabhus, the new push involves the steady distributing by our travelling sankirtana devotees, occasional distribution by other devotees, festival sales and the new Sastra Dhana programme.

What is Sastra Dana? The basics of this program are simple: devotees and all those who appreciate Prabhupada’s books are invited to sponsor free distribution. Sponsored books are then donated to different institutions, for instance to all kinds of libraries, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, prisons, etc. In America devotees started donating books to coffee shops, beauty salons and hotels. American coffee shops generally have snug sofas for people to sit, relax, and chat or to read one of the books from the coffee shop bookshelf. One lady wrote to the BBT in Los Angeles asking for the catalogue. Her first contact with Srila Prabhupadas books was in a coffee shop. She used to go there every day simply to read Bhagavad Gita As It Is.

Through Sastra Dana lots of books are going out around the world. The program is very successful in parts of Eastern Europe and in America. The beauty of it is that everyone can take part either by sponsoring books or personally placing them in local schools, libraries, and so on. To date contact has been with libraries and several devotees are now engaged in going door to door locally with prasadam and books. Although traditional books sales are continuing, we are encouraging our members and friends to get involved in book distribution in this way. It is a great way for our members to get involved who may otherwise not get a chance to go out on sankirtana distributing books. Some devotees may ask if it is bona fide to give out books for free like this. This topic was discussed on a morning walk in Mayapur in March 1976 from which this extract sums up Srila Prabhupada’s feelings on the matter:

Srila Prabhupada: No, no, even if he gives away that is not a fault, you see? Suppose there are…In South Africa many Indians are purchasing books and giving them to the library. So somebody will read it. So that is not a fault. If I purchase from you and give it, distribute it free to somebody else, that is not a wrong thing.

Think of those who are in ill health and constantly sitting in doctor’s waiting rooms, clinics and even hospitals. Or think of the people who are in prisons who may otherwise never get a chance to hear about Krishna. Sastra Dhana is essential as we have still so many ways to tap into book distribution and people who haven’t yet had the mercy of learning about Krishna Consciousness. There are so many ways to get involved. You can contact the BBT team to discuss or simply sponsor books for distribution.

Meanwhile the existing stalwarts have been joined recently by Bhakta Ed on travelling book distribution and Gopal prabhu who is based on Govindadvipa and recently distributed in Enniskillen. Our young devotees are also active with Jayananda and Radheya prabhus getting involved. You can see Radheya presenting the Vice Principle in Erne Integrated College with Srila Prabhupada’s books in the first issue of Sankirtana News published earlier this year. But it’s never too late to get involved either, so watch this space for more news of young and old carrying out Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to “distribute books, distribute books, distribute books!”