"Here, you need it more than I do"

Posted by : Mahabhagvat das

This was in Kitchener, we were part of the 40th Annual Multicultural festival. We organized a Harinama, idea was to gather a few devotees together and walk through the crowded festival singing out the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. We had a sizeable group however, Dhira Grahi Prabhu was leading, his brother Acharya Prabhu was holding the microphone for him. Enthusiastic Mayurdhvaj was inside our walking Bhagavad Gita, a giant book who walks and talks the message of the Bhagavad Gita. In this case, the person assisting our walking Bhagavad Gita was so enthused by the Kirtan that our Book was dancing up and down enthusiastically assisted by Mayur Dhvaj. It was a strange sight for many people, you know, persons of different cultures dressed in saris, dhotis and kurtas, with Tilaka marks on their foreheads. But people were smiling, some were waving, some danced a quick step, others just couldn't take their eyes (and ears hopefully) away from the joyous Harinama.

One young man, walking in the opposite direction, was mesmerized by this display of Bhakti enthusiasm. I approached him and said we were actually practicing a type of Yoga, a very joyful and naturally exuberant Yoga. He looked at me, looked at our dancing Bhagavad Gita, and as he was looking, I handed him a Bhagavad Gita and told him that he'd love to read it, to surely take it home with him, showed him a few of the pictures, the Sanskrit verses, the translations, and told him we don't need the money, but take donations to help us cover the printing and shipping costs. All of this was happening as we walked with the Harinama moving at a fast clip. He took out his wallet, looked at the money in there, one $10 bill, thought about it for a moment, and said "Here, you need it more than I do". I handed him the book, and he held on to the book, going back to filming the procession as it meandered through the festival site. I was very amused that this young man felt something, but also that he thought it was an act of charity. I was still touched that his heart was clean and pure enough that he could spontaneously part with all the money he had at the time. The charitable young man accompanied us all the way through the Harinama celebration, filming us all the time, just couldn't get over the sights and sounds of the Harinama.

Later, much later on the same day, we met again. He talked about how his Mom loved this sort of stuff, and how he wished she could take it all in. He gave me his email address, and we have been in touch since then. Being in Kitchener, he has tried some times but hasn't been able to come to any of our events, but please pray that he reads this Bhagavad Gita As It Is at least once, and realizes that Krishna is the one giving us all everything we have, and not the other way around.

Yuga Avatara and Yuga Dharma

In the next millennium — this present age of Kali-yuga — the Lord incarnates to preach the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. In this age the Lord is yellow (Caitanya Mahāprabhu), and He teaches people love of God by chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa. This teaching is carried out personally by Kṛṣṇa, and He exhibits love of Godhead by chanting, singing and dancing with thousands of people following Him. This particular incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is foretold in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32):

kṛṣṇa-varṇaḿ tviṣākṛṣṇaḿ

sāńgopāńgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ sańkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ

"In the age of Kali the Lord incarnates as a devotee, yellowish in color, and is always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Although He is Kṛṣṇa, His complexion is not blackish like Kṛṣṇa's in Dvāpara-yuga but is golden. It is in Kali-yuga that the Lord engages in preaching love of Godhead through the sańkīrtana movement, and those living entities who are intelligent adopt this process of self-realization." It is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.3.52):

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuḿ

tretāyāḿ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāḿ

kalau taddhari-kīrtanāt

"The self-realization which was achieved in the Satya millennium by meditation, in the Tretā millennium by the performance of different sacrifices, and in the Dvāpara millennium by worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa, can be achieved in the age of Kali simply by chanting the holy names, Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is also confirmed in Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.2.17) where it is stated:.

dhyāyan kṛte yajan yajñais

tretāyāḿ dvāpare 'rcayan

yad āpnoti tad āpnoti

kalau sańkīrtya keśavam

"In this age there is no use in meditation, sacrifice and temple worship. Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare — one can achieve perfect self-realization."

Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Chapter 8

All our senses must be employed in service of Krishna

So all together there are sixty-four items for discharging the regulative practice of devotional service. Out of these sixty-four items, five items—namely worshiping the Deity, hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, associating among the devotees, sankirtana, and living in Mathura—are very important.
The sixty-four items of devotional service should include all of our activities of body, mind and speech. As stated in the beginning, the regulative principle of devotional service enjoins that all of our senses must be employed in the service of the Lord. Exactly how they can be thus employed is described in the above sixty-four items. Now, Srila Rupa Gosvami will give evidence from different scriptures supporting the authenticity of many of these points.

Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 6

Sankirtan Connection - every donation counts

I had a few minutes and I was debating whether I should even go out on Sankirtan but then I thought I should try so I went out. As I was walking on the street I saw a young couple walk towards me. I stopped them and showed them a small book. The girl said she knew the book as she had met us at a party. At first I thought she was cooking it up but then as she started to reveal the series of events, I was shocked.

She explained she had met us at the party where we had a stall and taken a book. At that time she had no money but just a multi-coloured plastic bracelet that she gave to my friend Shyama-mohini for the book. The part she didn't know was that when Shyama-mohini returned from the party we had discussed how she should use the bracelet in some way so that that girl gets a benefit. This was aligned with what Vaisesika Prabhu had taught us on his recent visit to use everything that someone offers in Sankirtan for some service. A few months had past since that incident but just yesterday Shyama-mohini had decided to use this bracelt and I had seen it so I recognized it. When this girl started to explain that she gave a bracelet - I immediately connected the two stories and described her bracelet to her (distinct pasta bracelet). She got all excited too and I showed her and her friend another book. I explained how these books take away all miseries of life and they should read it. She told me she didn't have another bracelet to give. Laughing I explained that we also take money. So her boy friend gave a donation for the book. They were both culinary students from Humber College in downtown Toronto and we talked for a while and they said they would come.

Returning back I was thinking of how Krishna is the Ultimate connection. How I met a man a few months ago on Sankirtan who invited us to this party to distribute books, how Shyama-mohini, Radha-mohan and Vrndavan Prabhu spent all night taking the austerity of being at the party and how they met this girl, how Shyama-mohini just decided to use her offering and I once again met her and she got another book. This is just the part of the story we know, we cannot even imagine what else Krishna does to make it all easy for us to connect with him.

BG 7.7: O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

The Maha Manatra

Submitted by : Mahabhagvat Dasa

One lady approached our Sankirtan stall, without too much questioning, she took a Chant and Be Happy from a sankirtan devotee, but had questions, so she was looking around for someone to speak to. I greeted her. We spoke for some time. She told me how she was having difficulty keeping her children in school, the whole environment was so cruel and heartless and her kids were constantly getting in trouble, mainly for standing up for others, while the teacher looked away and pretended not to see what was going on "I didn't see anything!" was their refrain. The boys ran around and played hide-and-seek, leafed through books, were mesmerized by the nearby Harinama. Her comments made me think about Srila Prabhupada's dismissive "slaughterhouse education" comment, in relation to the modern education system. One of the boys, the older one was attracted to my "Distribute Books" and "7thgoswami.com" yellow bracelet. I took it off and gave it to him, he put it on immediately, beaming. The lady made sure the boy thanked me properly, though I myself had simply received that bracelet from Vaisesika Prabhu's hand a few weeks ago, so it wasn't really mine at all. She told me she was going to home-school her boys, and was nervous. She asked me some questions which I thought were somewhat on the intellectual level, and I was thinking how I could get her heart into it, then I thought, why not get her to chant the Hare Krishna Maha mantra. I asked her if she'd been introduced to the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, the great mantra before, and she said no. I explained a little bit, gave each one of them a card, and asked them to repeat after me 2 words at a time. They chanted dutifully. No sooner than the lady had finished chanting the Mahamantra, she burst out crying, tears rolled down her face. I asked her why she was crying. She said she didn't know but that she felt lighter. I begged her to chant and bade her and the two boys farewell. This is the magic of the Holy Name, Nama Prabhu. He dives right into the heart and makes Himself comfortable, kicking out all inhospitable things from the heart to make space for Himself

These books will solve the problems of life and help reduce the miseries of life

I met an Indian girl at university campus - she was really young and from Delhi. I tried to show her Bhagavad Gita and nectar of instruction explaining their value in her coming years in Toronto. But like many she said she knew all about yoga as she was from India. I generally don't but this time I really tried to reason with her but she kept ignoring and avoiding the books saying she knew everything and doesn't need anything. So I gave her a card and told her to keep in touch and invited her to free lunch at temple. She became a little curious but by this time I was ready with tears in my eyes. Finally remembering a letter from Vijaya Prabhu to Book distribution nectar about how Srila Prabhupada encouraged us to preach directly, I decided to try being bold. I explained to her how I wish she understood how rare these books are and her money doesn’t matter but even if she gave a penny it is magnified millions of times in wiping her Karma when offered in the temple. Something then changed her heart and she said ok I will give you a donation. She dug out 2 dollars from her bag and was still refusing to take the books, but I insisted she take at least a Bhakti Yoga. Once she had taken the book, she started to tell me she was starting her masters in Engineering degree in UOfT. I told her how my friend was also from Delhi and was finishing her PhD in UofT. Turned out this little girl had also done her Engineering from IIT, the most prestigious engineering school in India. I was thinking about the hard work this little girl was putting in and how the system is designed to completely cheat us of any ability to see spiritual reality. It was so hard for her to even consider perhaps there is something more she can learn about. She did leave happy and gave her cell phone to stay in touch for future.

Quote from Srila Prabhupada
Deepak prabhu introduced me to Srila Prabhupada and said, "Oh, this is Gopinath Acharya das. He is one of our leading book distributors." So Srila Prabhupada was actually very interested; and he turned his head very regally, he looked at me and asked me what I said to sell the books. So I mumbled and fumbled something to the effect that, "Oh, Srila Prabhupada, I just tell them it's about yoga. They think it's about exercises and like that." Srila Prabhupada thought very pensively for 30 seconds or so and he said, "You should tell people that these books will solve the problems of life and help reduce the miseries of life."
From Following Srila Prabhupada, DVD #6

Intercontinental or Inter-galactic journey ?

I was really struggling to stand at University campus, there was no one and those who would stop were too busy. I even picked my bag; started walking towards the street car determined to find a place with more people but somehow could not get myself to leave the spot I was told to be at. So I decided to stay on and pray Krishna to send someone to engage me. That’s when I saw a thin young boy with a woollen hat - it was so hot and I could not believe anyone could walk alive with anything woollen. We started to talk and he was a travelling kid, born in Belgium and based out of Germany who had come to Toronto to discover himself a bit. I started to inquire about his family and asked him if his parents were happy. We started to talk about the Chant and be happy and he agreed to take a book. He did not have much money but he gave me what he did. He was leaving Toronto next morning and I invited him to spend his last evening in Toronto at Bhakti Lounge. He had a few places to visit but he said he would come over in the evening. I did not have much hope but to my great surprise he did turn up at Bhakti Lounge. He participated in the discussion and when we chanted Japa in the end, I asked him to describe his experience and he said ‘it was like waking up from a dream’. He was so much in awe and it was clearly visible – he kept describing how he felt like he was just waking up. Then he loved the dinner and just did not want to leave. He was only 20 years old and he told me when he was back home, he was not inspired to do anything as he could not figure out who he was and what was the purpose of his life. Moved by his sincerity, I showed him the Bhagavad gita, wherein I showed him the picture of reincarnation. He was so drawn by it and expressed how it resonated with him. He gave some more donation and took the gita and mantra beads. I requested him to chant japa daily but I do not know if he will. He just did not want to leave from the door and was the last one to leave – I could see that he was ready to cry and didn’t want to leave. Please lets pray that he meets devotees again in his journey. He was describing to me his travels around the world and I wanted to make him realise the lifetimes and different bodies he has travelled through, just to reach these transcendental books.