Sankirtana Newsletter no. 6|Krishna Island, Hare Krishna Island, Govindadwipa,

Sankirtana News 6

Read Books, distribute books!!!

Sometimes devotees think that they cannot distribute books. Yet Prabhupada wanted that everyone learn the art of distributing transcendental knowledge through book distribution. That does not mean that everyone has to spend their time on the streets battling with their mind trying to sell vedic literatures. However everyone can give out Prabhupadas books in some way or another. The main ingredient for distributing Prabhupadas books is enthusiasm. If you are not enthusiastic about your product you will have difficulty selling it. Enthusiasm for Prabhupadas books comes, quite simply, by reading them. Regular reading along with regular and sincere chanting of the Hare Krsna Mantra are the main sources of enthusiasm to distribute a book. By reading we strengthen our own knowledge of Krsna Consciousness and gain the confidence of knowing thoroughly what we are giving people. We also gain greater appreciation and realise how valuable this knowledge is. When we see everything through the eyes of Sastra then we truly see everything in life for what it really is and are protected from the blindness of false opinions, and speculations, which may be outwardly appealing to the mind and senses.

If we study the lives of devotees who have been distributing books for many years, they all read Prabhupadas books again and again, going deeper and deeper into the nectar contained within.

No matter what motivates us the most in Krsna Consciousness it will be found in Prabhupadas books. If we are philosophically minded, or not, does not matter. Transcendental knowledge is not realised simply based upon scholarly qualifications, it is revealed by the Lord as He reciprocates with the sincere endeavour of the devotee. “ I offer my respectful obeisance's to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. By the potency of the shelter of His lotus feet, even a fool can collect the valuable jewels of conclusive truth from the mines of the revealed scriptures.” (CC Adi lila 3.1) So not only can we, but anyone who somehow gains the mercy of Lord Caitanya, can understand the great mysteries of vedic knowledge. Of course it is not expected that everyone distribute huge quantities of books. It is difficult sometimes to organise our lives in such a way that we have sufficient time to read and chant. However it is surely possible for anyone to distribute at least one book a week. Even in the mundane realm giving gifts is always truly more satisfying than receiving them. In this issue we’ll hear about how devotees are putting this into practice successfully.

BOOKS ARE THE BASIS OF OUR MOVEMENT. WHATEVER APPRECIATION WE ARE GETTING ON ACCOUNT OF OUR BOOKS, IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE FOLLOWING THE PATH CHALKED OUT BY EXALTED DEVOTEES. WE ARE NOT WRITING SOMETHING WHIMSICAL.”

Letter to TustaKrsna 09 Jan 1976

Prabhupada Siksa

I offer my obeisance's to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by whose mercy even an ignorant child can swim across the ocean of conclusive truth, which is full of the crocodiles of various theories.

PURPORT

By the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, even an inexperienced boy with no educational culture can be saved from the ocean of nescience, which is full of various types of philosophical doctrines that are like dangerous aquatic animals. The philosophy of the Buddha, the argumentative presentations of the jnanis, the yoga systems of Patanjali, and Gautama, and the systems of philosophers like Kanada, Kapila and Dattatreya are dangerous creatures in the ocean of nescience. By the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu one can have real understanding of the essence of knowledge by avoiding these sectarian views and accepting the lotus feet of Krsna as the ultimate goal of Life. Let us all worship Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for His gracious mercy to the conditioned souls. (CC Adi Lila 2.1)

Spiders and monkeys

If they can see it they will be more likely to buy it, so the more we show Prabhupadas books the more we’ll sell them. It’s a simple sales formula that has been put into practice by a few devotees who run successful businesses. For example Govindas restaurant in Aungier St. Dublin sell up to 40 Higher Taste’s a month just by having them on display beside the till, and will occasionally sell bigger books such as Bhagavad Gita to interested customers. Malati Priya Dasi sells jewellery at a market and has a separate table set aside filled just with Prabhupadas Books. People like browsing through them and will often purchase one to take home. Bhakta Derek who sells artwork sometimes gives out copies of The light of the Bhagavata to people who appreciate eastern art. Gopagana and Karunesvari also display books at their prasadam market stall in Dublin every weekend. Occasionally people will show interest in the books and each week two or three books will find a new home. Prahlada Maharaja keeps a packet of small books in his tool shed and gives them out to people who come to deliver the heating oil, or any other trades men who are inevitably called to his home from time to time. So it does not take a lot of extra effort to give out Srila Prabhupadas books. If we put our minds to it and just make the books available then Krsna will send people to take them. It doesn’t even require for us to be great preachers, or philosophers, we just have to act as instruments and Lord Caitanya will reciprocate with our desire to be an instrument of His mercy and will make full use of us in that way. And there is no cause to lament if it seems that we are not distributing very many books. If everyone is in their own small way contributing to the Sankirtana mission then the quantity of books distributed will be great. Many drops of water will eventually turn a stone into sand. When building the bridge to Lanka, Lord Ramacandra was equally pleased with both the spider who was throwing small dust particles into the ocean and the monkey warriors who were throwing mountain tops. So no matter if you are a spider or a monkey just try to be part of the army.

Gopagana and Karunesvari display The Bhagavad Gita and Higher Taste cookbook, at their market stall each weekend in Dublin.

Sankirtana Scores

For the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha Govinda, Sri Sri Nitai Sacinandana, Srila Prabhupada and the vaisnavas here are the scores for the months of January, February and March 2007.

GOVINDADVIPA

M/Big Big Med Small

Jan: 40 371 487 254

Feb: 38 14 99 128

Mar: 310 74 313 490

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Tot 388 459 899 872

ISKCON DUBLIN

M/big Big Med Small

Jan: 3 9 172 15

Feb: 7 - 82 -

Mar: - - 35 -

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Total 10 9 289 15

18,998 books were distributed by Govindadvipa in 2006. Our goal for the 2007 is to distribute 40,000 books. Yes its ambitious but achievable if we all take part. So far at the end of March we have distributed 2619 Books. So we still have 37381 to go if we are to reach our target.

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Many fanatic spiritual movements have come and gone, but without the flawless philosophy of Krishna, they cannot stand. Therefore I want especially that my books and literature should be distributed profusely. This is our substance, real philosophical information, not some weak sentiments. So try for this, to give all men this Krishna philosophy, and many real devotees will come with us back to Home, back to Godhead.

Letter to Lalita Kumar 27 Nov 1971
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TRAVELLING SANKIRTANA

Much has been said so far about all the devotees who are doing their part to distribute Krsna Consciousness to others. However it is important to note that some of them do practically nothing else but that! As the year got underway the travelling Sankirtana party resumed its travels around the country. Presently Paurusa and Mayesvara Prabhu’s are travelling in the temple Campervan distributing books in towns and villages across the country. Some of these places never get the fortunate opportunity to see a vaisnava or hear about Krsna as there is no temple or devotees living in the locality. The travelling Sankirtana team provide a facility for people everywhere to come in contact with Krsna.
These travelling monks live a simple life and are mostly engaged in the study and distribution of sacred scripture. They live on whatever donations they receive from their book distribution.

Although mainly travelling and distributing books the Sankirtana team also help with festivals such as Ratha Yatra, and Harinama, or public Kirtana’s. And on important festivals such as Janmastami they return to the temple to take part in the celebrations and refill the Sankirtana van with hundreds more literatures for their future travels.
These devotees are able to reach great numbers of people with Krsna’s mercy.

Sankirtana stories and feedback from the public

“Hello dear friend, My name is David,

I’m writing to ask if I may come and visit the centre sometime this summer please? Upon meeting a member of Krishna Consciousness on the street in Galway and receiving, gratefully a booked named the Perfection of Yoga, I feel compelled to search for people that share the views expressed in this book. I have found explicit truths in these writings but am also left with a lot of questions. Recently I have been chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare when preparing food and working in the garden with the soil and plants. Very intrigued am I to find the thoughts behind this chant”

( This is an excerpt from a letter dated 22 March 2007 which arrived at the temple. )

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Gopala Acarya was distributing books in Dublin City and met an elderly man who was somewhat unenthusiastic about religious movements! However Gopal Prabhu managed to persuade him to take a copy of Perfect Questions Perfect Answers. The next day on the street it so happened that Gopala met the same elderly gentleman. That book was great!” he said. “Every answer was perfect. It was so good I was afraid to finish reading it!” He then happily purchased another book, Sri Isopanisad. On another occasion Gopala met a lady from China. She had previously gotten a copy of Facts for life and liked it very much. Gopala had some of Prabhupadas books with him that had been translated into Chinese. When she saw the book in her own language she immediately purchased a copy.

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Karunesvari was selling Prasadam at the Saturday food market in Temple Bar, when a man enquired about the books she had on the table. He told her “I met a monk on the street and purchased one of those books. He told me to chant Hare Krishna. I tried the chanting and started getting bad dreams!! Maybe its Karma I must deserve it!” He gave a donation and took another book.

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There is a butcher in Drogheda who buys a book from Paurusa Prabhu every year. A few weeks ago he took the Bhagavad Gita As It Is and said “That last book you gave me ( Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1) was great! I read it from cover to cover.” In Limerick City Paurusa was distributing Bhagavad Gita when he met a young man with his mother. Seeing Paurusa’s stack of Gitas he exclaimed, “I’ve been looking for that book in shops everywhere!” and immediately got his mother to give a donation for the book!