April 2008 – Volume 10, Issue 8

People’s Co-op

Organic Foods Market in San Diego

People’s Co-op of San Diego is located in Ocean Beach, one of the several beaches in this city. It sells organic foods and is one of the most popular food markets in San Diego. The whole town of Ocean Beach is characterized by alternative and open mindedness. The co-op tends to especially attract such individuals. Krishna consciousness is the spiritual alternative to the dull materializm and because it is so radically different to the present-day culture, it really takes some open mindedness for one to take to it.

It’s been more then a year now since Bhaktin Lori Formicola placed a Sastra Dana rack at this store. The rack is placed in front of the building under an awning, next to other five or six racks that, just like ours, distribute free publications. We did not count, but roughly, within this year many dozens of people came to visit our temple because they ran into this rack. Almost every Sunday, during the Sunday Festival at the temple, when we go around to give gifts of sweets and books to new comers, we find that some of them have discovered Krishna consciousness in the books Bhaktin Lori placed in the co-op rack. Pretty potent!

This is really the duty of all devotees of Krishna and followers of Srila Prabhupada, to be kind enough to take the time and trobule to find out how to share the spiritual wealth of Krishna consciousness with our brothers and sisters, the people who we share this planet with.

A co-op customer discovers the Sastra Dana book rack and acquires a copy of Sri Isopanisad.

Another co-op customer, a local artist. Sri Isopanisad, taken from the Sastra Dana rack, has grabbed his attention.

Entrance to the co-op. Our rack is to the right of it.

Free publication racks in front of the co-op. Behind and above them is the bulletin board advertizing all kinds of events in the local area.

Jack

…becomes a regular visitor to the temple after getting a book from our rack in Ocean Beach.

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The following is taken from a video interview that took place during the Sunday Festival at the temple.

Sastra Dana: What is the attractive thing that brings you over here and how did you find out about it?

Jack: The most attractive thing to me is prasadam.

SD: What is prasadam?

Jack: The spiritualized food that’s been offered to Krishna. I also come for spiritual advancement.

SD: How do you spiritually advance here?

Jack: Just by chanting Hare Krishna. I started clapping (during the chanting). I’ve heard that clears some karma. I’ve got a lot of karma built up. I’ve heard about the Pacific Beach temple from a one of the free publication stands outside the food co-op in Ocean Beach. I just happened upon it. The devotees, I believe, are trully….You see you have to hear the hare krishna mantra from a real devotee, then you get really blissed out.

SD: Thank you very much.

Jack: OK.

NEW Racks R In

We have just received a new batch of racks. Hurry to order yours before they are all gone. This is a great service opportunity.

Managing a rack involves regularly visiting the store where the rack is placed and restocking the books. Racks and books are paid for by Sastra Dana or by the book-rack manager.

There are two kinds of book-racks: those that offer free books; and those that offer books for a donation. Racks that ask for a donation have a donation box fixed onto the rack.

Become a book-rack manager! Let us know if you are interested and we’ll arrange to place a rack in some of the stores in your locality. You need to be ready to once every few weeks, or as often as needed, go to the store(s) and restock the books. Racks that have a donation box would need to have donations taken out of the box on a regular basis, the more often the better. What an easy way to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books and thus get his and Krishna’s mercy!

Contact us to let us know you want to manage a rack.