In Sydney, I mainly do book distribution on the street. We are also very fortunate to have a strong team of six Devamrita Swamis bramacaris opening the storehouse of love of God on the streets of hundreds of suburbs in Sydney. Since I took to the Grhasta asram, I have found another avenue for book distribution - inside our house. We set up a shop in the foyer with mainly books but other paraphenalia also. So we do home programs and some people buy books during the programs. But some of the most enlivening experiences are when people come to do some work for us or people knock on our door to sell us things. We had a plumber come to do some work. He ended up sitting down for a full meal of prasadam and bought a Gita and cookbook for $50. He also told us about these South American guys who install Pink Bat installation in the roof to give extra cooling in summer and heating in winter. He said they do it for free as the government offers this benefit to people so they use less air conditioning etc. So I called them up. They came around a few days later and installed the insulation. I cooked a simple lunch of Upma, tomato chutney, strawberry lassi, halava and custard. We all sat on the back lawn and took lunch prasadam. They all loved the prasadam and one man in particular was asking a lot of questions about our philosophy. He out of the four men asked for seconds and thirds of prasadam! They went back to work and when finishing, this one man asked if he could stay and ask some questions. We sat down in the shop and he asked very intelligent questions for 1 or 2 hours. He ended up buying a variety of books and gave $60. Sometime later we were preparing for the birth of a child. We planned to do a home birth so we got in touch with a professional midwife who has been doing homebirths for 20 years. On the day she came with her assistant. The birth went well and we were chanting Hare Krsna along with Prabhpada on a CD. We also fed the midwifes prasadam on the day. After the birth the midwife came for a visit and she took a keen interest in the books. She was eagerly looking over them in the shop and ended up getting $100 worth of books! The other midwife did not get any books then, but I met her on the street in her home town some weeks later and she purchased a Bhagavad Gita. Also we have had a number of people knocking on our door to sell us something. Most of them walk away with a book and some of them are happy to sit down and take prasadam with us. So I encourage all Grhastas to keep a good stock of books in your house because you don't know who will knock on your door and you can have them walk away with the supreme benefit; Krsna conciousness, through Srila Prabhupada's books. Your servant, Rupa Raghunatha das

Dear Devotees We went north of Sydney to Woy Woy and Gosford to tolerate the fresh air while we distributed some mercy without discrimination. Madhavendra Puri and I, the two reformed gurukulies, were dropped in Woy Woy. Like a pair of Special OPT Forces, S.A.S., we parachuted in to the fairly deserted town and positioned our transcendental trap, ready to free all those who entered from the grips of Maya. Hriman Krsna and Stambha Bhava prabhus continued on to Gosford. It was so quiet in Woy Woy we didn't think we could do many books. Eagerly we just tried anyway and we pounced on every person that set foot on the street. To our surprise actually, many books went out that day. Both Madhavendra Puri and I finished every book we had including cookbooks. Together we sold around $800 worth of books. So I realised that all you need is a trickle of people and Krsna willing, the day can be fruitful, for His pleasure off course. Sydney is always overflowing with monkey face sense enjoyers but some times it's good to get out of the city and be merciful to the small town folk. Actually a lot of devotees have come from the smaller towns. Now it gets interesting. That same day one young man, Cam is his name, pulled up in his car after driving past us. He came running back to us and with great excitement he said, "Hey guys. My friend told me that some of you were in Gosford handing out spiritual books. I had no time to go into Gosford but you are here also. What you're doing is great!" As he took the hard cover Gita he told me how he lives on an Island here and keeps to himself. He likes meditation and spiritual music. So I invited him to our 'Soul Talk' at Govindas and took his email. Now maybe a month or to later I was distributing in Gosford this time and sure enough I stopped a young guy. It was Cam again. He hadn't been able to make it down to Sydney yet but he asked for another BG because he accidently left his in the glove box of the car he sold. He told me how he wants to travel the world as a busker (musician). I again invited him to come visit us and experience some transcendental sound vibrations. Then he engaged himself in some ajnata sukriti. He told me I should go show Prabhupada's books to the people in the New Age shop up the road. Doubtfully I made my way up the road trying to find this shop. Just when I thought, "This is hopeless, I'm wasting too much time here, I've never had any luck in the shops any way." Then I saw the hippie flags out the front of the shop. It was hidden up a side street. So I thought, "well I'm here now, no more excuses, I should just try." Weak as I am at presenting SP's books I just prayed to my spiritual master. Being out of my comfort zone I was forced to be humble and that was my mood in the presentation. I didn't try to be all confidant and showman-like. I just fully depended on Guru and Krsna. I presented the books sincerely and honestly and to the best of my ability. While showing each book to the three staff present I gave a short description. I mainly focused on the books authenticity and how these books will give the peace the world is looking for. I felt so much ecstasy relying on Krsna, especially when they expressed their interest and offered to pay a good price for a full set of books. One of the ladies wanted a copy of 'Searching for Vedic India' for herself but I only brought what I could carry so I met her later to give her a copy also. Just go out and try to please Guru and Krsna will help us. Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai! Jai Sri Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayate. Aspiring to be a good book distributer, Dhruvananda Dasa (Formerly Uddhava Dasa gurukulie)

Last Friday we were out doing harinam sankirtan it was a beautiful sunny day here in Wellington New Zealand. We were about 20 devotees. Gaura Raya prabhu was leading this powerful harinam. There was a rugby tournament in town 1000,s of drunk kids making fun of us and dancing etc.. I was in the back of the harinam passing out invites to our sunday festival. All of a sudden by Krishna's causeless mercy this one young girl maybe 17 or 18 yrs old approched with tears in her eyes. She said. "Can I give you a donation," and gave a $20? She said, "You guys bring such an amazing energy into the town I cant even describe it." I asked her (her name was Mitchelle), "Have you seen us before? Do you know anything about us?" She said, "No first time I am seeing you guys and first time I am hearing this Hare Krishna." She said she actually comes from Napier (small city in the north island in New Zealand 3 hrs from Wellington) and she was just passing through Wellington. I was so happy to see her enthusiasm so I asked her to come later that night for some meditation and some dinner at our out reach center (Gaura Yoga). She said, "Actually I have only 5 mins my mum and brother are waiting for me in the car we are leaving Wellington in 5 mins." I really wanted to give her some Prabhupads books and some prasadam so I requested her please come with me to our meditation center which is only few mins walk I would like to give you some of our books. She obviously didn't realize the importance of reading our books but I was praying like anything to Krishna. "Please Krishna allow her to come and get some of Prabhupada's books. So inspired by Krishna she finally agreed to come but she said, "I have only 2 minutes." So we ran to our center and she was so impressed by our out reach center the vibration and the devotees etc. So I gave her a slice of cake prasadam and 2 books (Science of self realization and a Gita). She gratefully left with the books and prasadam and promised me that she will visit us in the near future after reading our books. We also exchanged emails. It was amazing to see this lost soul get so much mercy in the 5 mins that she was in town. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and my eternal spiritual master H.H Devamrita maharaj for inspiring us. YHS Shastra-krit das "Chant Hare Krishna and be happy" (Text D:2263345) ------------------------------------------- ------- End of Forwarded Message ------

I took blessings from Caru Candra Prabhu, North American sankirtana record holder, and launched into my best, most enthused, book distribution session that I can remember. For 30 minutes down in the home-base of the Broadway-Lafayette subway station in New York City, I was in flow. It was unmistakable. And then.... Krsna just pulled the plug. Why, I could not understand. I did not see myself as particularly prideful or independent-minded. I was grateful and happy to serve Srila Prabhupada in a manner that is, frankly, so much nicer than I am accustomed. And I slowly began to suffer more and more through the pain of rejection and my previous successes. Was there such a thing as suffering without meaning in Krsna Consciousness? I thought that was the difference between material and spiritual suffering. But alas, I could not understand why Krsna was treating me in this haphazard way. Krsnaaa! How can I approach people and be normal when I can predict exactly what each one is going to say before he even speaks a word? This is surely an unreasonable task. After some time of trying to keep my mind together, my friend, Doyal Gauranga Prabhu spontaneously showed up on the scene. When he asked me how I was doing, I told him the truth, but somehow my tone had subtly shifted. Bewilderment and frustration had turned to acceptance and realization. It then occurred to me that for the last 45 minutes or so, I'd not really minded the suffering. I'd somehow struck a pinch of liberation without my even noticing! Delighted and enlivened, our conversation revealed to me how Krsna was working on me, sculpting me determinedly, without even my slightest awareness. My results remained meager as before, but my consciousness cleaned up. This was special mercy that I could not afford to take for granted in my present state. Then suddenly, *again*, Krsna pulled the plug! Dissatisfaction began to subtly seep through the cracks of my consciousness. And as it reached a second-wind of crescendo, I called out with fervor, "Krsnaaa! No one wants Your books out here! No one! What am I supposed to do? You can compel people better than I. But You're not doing anything. Krsnaaa! Is this really what You want?" At that very moment, I approached a young bearded man with an air of hipness. "Hey, I'm from Long Island, where are you from?" "Alabama" "We're just showing these books to nice folks. Check it out. It's a classic of Eastern wisdom. You've heard of karma, right? What goes around comes around. These ideas originate in this book. Thoreau and Emerson said this book changed their lives, Gandhi said it gave him inspiration in his darkest hour. I'm a monk, my name's Ari, what's yours?" We spoke for but a moment before he exclaimed, "You know, I've been looking for this." He took a Gita and gave me a generous donation. As he walked into the train that arrived on the platform, he turned to me slightly and said, "What you're doing. it's not easy." He paused a moment. "Keep doing it." And the train swept him away. My jaw dropped, but there was no surprise in me. It's said in sankirtana circles that if you perform the service for long enough, you meet Krsna out there. It's unavoidable. Your servant, Bhakta Ari (Text D:2261618) ------------------------------------------- ------- End of Forwarded Message ------

Sent by Bhakti Vikasa Swami In a lecture on this occasion in 1976 in Mayapur Srila Prabhupada quoted his Guru Maharaja: Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada . . . continued that “There is no need of establishing many temples. Better we publish some books.” He said like that. He said that “We started our Gaudiya Matha in Ultadanga. The rent was very small, and if we could gather two-hundred-fifty rupees, it was going on very nicely. But since this J. V. Datta has given us this stone, marble stone Thakurbari [Datta donated for a marble temple], our competition between the disciples has increased. So I don’t like any more. Rather, I would prefer to take out the marble stone and sell it and publish some books.” So I took that point, and he also especially advised me, “If you get money, you try to publish books.” So by his blessing it has become very successful by your cooperation. Now our books are being sold all over the world, and it is very satisfactory sale. So on this particular day of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s advent, try to remember his words—that he wanted many books published about our philosophy, and it should be given to the English-knowing public especially, because English language is now world language. We are touring all over the world. So anywhere we speak English, it is understood, except in some places. So on this day, particularly on the advent of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, I’d especially request my disciples who are cooperating with me that you try to publish books as many as possible and distribute throughout the whole world. That will satisfy Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as well as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. (Text D:2242189) ------------------------------------------- ------- End of Forwarded Message ------