Content:

1. Srila Prabhupada on free books
2. On free books by Bhurijana Prabhu
3. Conclusion

1. Srila Prabhupada on free books

The following took place on a morning walk on May 9, 1975 in Perth, Australia.

Amogha: That’s why we take your books to the prisons. Sometimes we have a contest to see who can distribute the most books in three days. When they were deciding who would go with Madhudvisa Swami to India, they had a contest to see who could distribute the most books and get the most laxmi at the same time. So they would collect much laxmi, then they would go out and give away books to the prisons and jails and hospitals. Cases of books. They put them in the libraries too. They agreed; otherwise they didn’t get. They would ask them if they would use it, and they said yes. So in three days they distributed very, very many books.

Prabhupada: Free?

Amogha: Yes. First they collected the money elsewhere, then they gave it away to the hospitals and prisons. One boy he collected in one day, he won the contest, he collected seven hundred and fifty dollars in one day. Australian dollars. That’s almost one thousand U.S. dollars. I don’t remember how many books, very, very many books he gave away also. Big books, hardbound books, Krsna books, Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Prabhupada: So, you are trying to serve Krsna very nicely. That is very good. These rascals are in ignorance and you are trying to enlighten them. Very good service.

The following took place on a morning walk on March 8, 1976 in Mayapur, India.

Prabhupada: No, no, even giving them away, what is the wrong?

Madhudvisa: Well, you said we should not give the books away. You said we should sell these books.

Prabhupada: (chuckles) No, no, he has purchased. He has purchased. Then if you purchase from me and if you give free to others, so what is my loss?

Madhudvisa: No, there is no loss.

Siddha-svarupa: I’m not giving away his books.

Prabhupada: No, no, even if he gives away, this is not a fault, you see? Suppose there are… In South Africa many Indians are purchasing our books and giving 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 wrong thing.

2. On free books by Bhurijana Prabhu
(excerpt from his book My Glorious Master)

Wishing to distribute books, but fearing the repercussions of the collecting techniques the devotees used, I asked Prabhupada whether or not books could be purchased and distributed for free. His reply: “As far as possible.”

* * *

Prabhupada did not set up the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust to publish books and distribute them for free. Books were to be sold so the Book Trust could make a profit and publish more books. Prabhupada generally extolled the glories of selling his books as opposed to distributing them for free. In 1968 he even said that anyone who turns his books into money would go back to Godhead. Collecting money through book distribution is practical. The exchange of energy — money for books — makes people take the books more seriously. Having paid for the book, they will be more likely to read it.

Secondly, devotees require money to maintain the temples and expand the preaching. Money from book distribution can fulfill ISKCON’s needs for money while still allowing the devotee book distributors to speak all day about Krsna.

Still, Prabhupada also allowed us to distribute his books for free. Book distribution wherein a wealthy person buys books and distributes them in charity is successful both in India and Russia. Thousands of Bhagavad-gitas have been distributed to wealthy factory owners, who then present them to their workers.

3. Conclusion

Srila Prabhupada spoke against free book distribution sometimes. He also let George Harrison and Sumati Morarji pass out free books. George passed them to his selected friends, but Sumati received a larger quantity and was free to do with them whatever she liked. When the brahmacaries collected money by different means and passed out free books, Srila Prabhupada said that they were doing great work. When Madhudvisa complained that Siddha Svarupa was passing out free books, Srila Prabhupada said “No, no. What is the wrong? He has paid me. He has paid me. I am not at loss.”

So what are we to make out of all this? Well, let us see what Srila Prabhupada’s main concerns were about free book distribution. We’ll list the concerns that are mentioned in this document and also those that are not mentioned but commonly brought up.

• People will not read the books
• Books must be paid for
• People will throw the books in garbage
• People will not value free books

Now let us look at the Sastra Dana distribution mechanism.

Small sets of books are placed in public areas such as medical office waiting rooms, coffee stores, restaurants, etc. where the books are properly kept. Books are placed there after obtaining permission from the managers and/or owners. People that frequent those places don’t know how the books found their way there. The impression people have is that the institution has sponsored the presence of those books. Thus the appreciation that people have for the books increases.

Our books are paid for and the BBT gets their laxmi. Our experience is that upon establishing Sastra Dana the local temple donations don’t decrease, rather the donors now have another cause to contribute to. Thus they donate more. This is a simple, well documented fact.

Our methods of collection are absolutely non aggressive. We simply mail out our newsletter and those who want to do so can mail back a contribution. No soliciting. Our experience tells us that when people are inspired they will give everything, but if they are not inspired they will be annoyed if asked for even a quarter.

We see that the books distributed by Sastra Dana are not being thrown away because we are not indiscriminately passing them out. Rather we place them in locations where they are properly kept and read. This is written in our mission statement. We also have a monitoring system where we return to the stores and check our previously displayed books. We’ve seen people, many times, sitting there absorbed in reading our books.

Sastra Dana racks that offer free books offer only small, paperback books. Eventually as the program expands the BBT will print free titles exclusively for Sastra Dana rack distribution. Just imagine how wonderful it would be to have such racks all over the cities of America, something like the LA Times or the San Diego’s Reader racks.

We don’t go over and over again to the same stores to display our books. For example, we’ve been distributing in Los Angeles for over eight years now and we have not gone to the same store twice. So if we display a set of five books in a Starbucks once every eight years how does that make our books appear cheap or ruin the market? It doesn’t.

Sastra Dana primarily engages congregational devotees in book distribution. It does not take brahmacaries away from selling books in the streets. We practically see the ability of this program to engage the congregation in missionary activities. It is one of the few programs that are successful in this very important aspect of Krsna consciousness.

To see and hear what the leaders of our movement think about the Sastra Dana program and our methods of book distribution Click Here.

Hare Krishna