Sastra Dana: Do you know anything about the Sastra Dana program?
Hridayananda dasa Goswami: Yes, I know something.
SD: Do you know about our methods. We basically place books in waiting areas like doctors offices…
HDG: Right.
SD: …Dental offices, coffee stores. We used to donate to libraries, but we stopped because we found it much more productive to place books in coffee stores and such places…
HDG: Right, right. Yes, it is an excellent program!
SD: …And we also started doing these book-racks. Basically we load a rack with small paperbacks and place the rack in a store that is close to where a devotee family lives or works and they then manage the rack. They restock the rack.
HDG: It’s a great program. It is a wonderful program.
SD: What do you think are the advantages of this program or possible…
HDG: People get books!…and they read them. Because they have taken the books it gives people a chance to voluntarily take a book in a way that is not threatening and I think it is a very powerful and wonderful way to do the most important thing we can do and that is distribute this transcendental knowledge given to us by Srila Prabhupada.
SD: What about the devotees?
HDG: Yeah. Devotees should all be cheering for that… in other words we want to be practical. We have a job to do for Prabhupada to help this world and we should just get the job done.
SD: Some devotees fear that the free book distribution may ruin the business of book distribution.
HDG: I think it may save the business. There will always be devotees who are inspired to go out and give people books in places where it is appropriate to go, wherever they are able to go, but if we have a program like this, which is wonderful, which is powerful, which is doing so much good in the world we can hardly stop it for fear that it may affect something else. It is a wonderful, powerful program. It is saving the world.
SD: Apparently Prabhupada made some statements against free book distribution.
HDG: Prabhupada made these statements in favor of getting his books out. Prabhupada depended on us to understand the world we live in, the culture that we live in and to find an appropriate and respectful, effective way to spread his mission. Prabhupada was not dogmatic about practical details. At certain times Prabhupada was working in a cultural context in which giving books away might not have been respected. In other contexts it is considered appropriate. So I think it is really a question of just finding a way to connect to people and get them these books in ways that are respectable and accomplish our purpose, Prabhupada’s purpose, without being fanatical or dogmatic.
SD: Anything else?
HDG: Hare Krishna! I just think that anyone that can help the Sastra Dana program I encourage them to do so. It sounds like a great way to distribute a lot of Prabhupada’s books to people that want the books, people that will read them, without offending anyone.
SD: Thank you Maharaja.
