To learn more about this shot CLICK HERE.

Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Patita Uddharana Dec. 8, I97I

This routine work, such as chanting, speaking, rising early, cleaning, cooking and offering prasadam, arati, reading books–these activities are the backbone of our Society, and if we practice them nicely in a regulative manner, then our whole program will be successful. If we become slack or neglect these things, then everything else we may try will fail. So it is very important that you keep your standards very high in these activities, then your preaching will be strong. Preaching is our real business, preaching and distributing books. If your preaching work is strong, then your management of temple affairs will also become automatically very strong. Just like if the head wills it, the hands will move. Preaching is like the head of our Krishna conscious Society–if the head is removed, the whole body dies. Managing is the hands, which work nicely if the head is healthy. If the hands are removed, the body will not die, but it will be crippled. So preaching is more important than management, but both must be there if the whole body is to operate nicely.

—————————–

In the above letter, Srila Prabhupada is telling us how important the missionary work of spreading Krishna consciousness is for our society. Srila Prabhupada particularly emphasises the importance of distributing literature. He compares it to the head of the body, whereas the body is compared to our society. The head can someheow survive without the limbs, but the limbs and the rest of the body can not survive without the head. That’s how important missionary work is.

At Sastra Dana, we continue our best to maintain the head, the sanity, the spiritual health of this society, by distributing the message of Krishna consciousness.

Here we’re presenting you with a few photos from the field. They are explained in the captions.

We are also very happy to report to you that our newspaper publication, 16Rounds to Samadhi, has been having a great deal of success. Many places where we were previously unable to place books are now allowing us to distribute our newspaper there. The newspaper’s content consists of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and very often sections from Srila Prabhupada’s books. The reason why the newspaper is being accepted in the stores such as Ralphs, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc., is that the newspaper has a less of a religious appearance, though the content is the same. We will tell you more about that in the next issue.

Thank you for your continuous support. May Krishna and Srila Prabhupada bless you with unlimited mercy. Be sure that you are doing the most important service in the universe by helping to extend the Krishna conscious gifts to the world. There is nothing as important as education, the education about the difference between matter and spirit and the nature of each respectively.

Kasyapa Prabhu places a Sastra Dana book rack in a hair salon in San Diego, Pacific Beach.

The owner of the hair salon in San Diego, Pacific Beach.

Kasyapa Prabhu, a gentle giant, entertains owner's kids.

Coral & Kelly place a Sastra Dana book rack in a vegetarian restaurant in San Diego.

Coral & the Sastra Dana book rack.

Sastra Dana book rack at the entrance of this vegetarian restaurant in San Diego, waiting to benefit and change lives of the restaurant's guests.

Bhakta Tyler

Bhakta Tyler and a few other brahmacaries ran into a fellow who learned about Krishna consciousness by reading the Sastra Dana publication, 16Rounds to Samadhi newspaper.

Carolina (Nancy) Escala came to learn about Krishna consciousness by reading the 16 Rounds to Samadhi newspaper, a Sastra Dana publication. She was happy to give us this short interview.

Help production and distribution of the 16 Rounds to Samadhi newspaper. Make a DONATION.

Bhaktin Chloe and Radha Kripa Mayi distribute books at a college in Los Angeles.

At Santa Monica college a woman greeted me and asked if I was there
for “Career Day.” I said no, thank you, I was probably not on her list.
I set up my book table about twenty feet away from where I usually
would. My usual spot was filled with tables representing the Army, Navy,
Police Dept., Fire Dept., Nurses, Teachers, National Guard, Sony
Studios, etc.

I was overwhelmed because they were everywhere but I was glad I had a
lot of BTG’s with me which had pictures of devotees doing Harinama
sankirtana. A nice flow of kids kept coming to my table and I
distributed the books and got donations for them easily. They asked if
this was a career. I said, sure, and I showed them the
Harinama pictures. I said, “We are offering for you to become a Hare
Krishna monk.” They loved it. I told them about kirtan and following the
four regulative principles. So Prabhupada’s mercy was available on
Career Day.

One older professor came by and pointed at my pictures of the Harinama
and said, “I get kids all the time now who come here and they don’t even
have basic English skills. Society is going to hell. I say they should
all do this. It would be the very best thing for them!” He started
repeating this to the kids who were at the table, that they should take
this up. He had met Srila Prabhupada in Haight Ashbury in the sixties.

At another school I met a Yoga professor who apologized to me as
soon as he came to my temple. “I am sorry, you know, I teach yoga here
but I can never teach them anything spiritual because I am a part of
the Physical Education Dept. I’m so glad you are here doing this.” He
bought a book. He said he eats at Govinda’s.

Your servant,
Karuna Dharini DD

Part 1:

Part 2:

About a week before Gita Jayanti, one devotee in Bombay went out to distribute
Srimad Bhagavad Gita. At one place, he knocked the door but no one replied. He
did not give up and again knocked the door, still it was unanswered. With firm
determination to distribute Bhagavad Gita, he again knocked with a much
greater force. At this time a lady angrily opened the door and shouted,
“What do you want? I am very busy with important work” and tried to close the
door. But as she was closing the door this devotee put his foot between the
door in such a way that she could not close it and he immediately put Bhagavad
Gita in her hand. Just by touching Srimad Bhagavad Gita, this lady felt relaxed
and calmed down. Then she enquired from the devotee about Bhagavad Gita and he
explained to her the difference between the body and the soul according to
chapter two. She then told the devotee that the “important work” she was busy ,
with was to commit suicide. She showed him the table, the fan and the rope
hanging from the fan. It was only by the mercy of Sri Krsna and his devotee
that she was saved from such a dangerous situation. Now she is a devotee and is
associated with ISKCON temple in Bombay.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada’s book distribution. All glories to Srila
Prabhupada!

Your humble servant,
Radha Piyari dasi

Dear devotees, here are a few more videos of devotees in action, distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books.

His Holiness Prahladananda Swami, ISKCON’s sannyasa minister and minister for health and welfare, addresses devotees regarding the 2009 December book distribution marathon.