European Sankirtan Newsletter

Dear prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

July was a special month with many temples increasing. Some temples held Book distribution marathons in June so in July held back a little but all in all it was a very successful month. We are all super enlivened by RadhaKrsna Soho st. London. They are doing extraodinary scores every month now leading the way also for the Bhadra campaign with 66 Srimad Bhagawatam sets as well as 29 CC sets and these are distributed on the street directly into the hands of the conditioned souls.

The Bhadra campaign or the mass distribution of sets of Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagawatam is in its last month. This is the most dear mission of Srila Prabhupada to see a set of Srimad Bhagawatams placed in the house of every respectable person in the world. This is the time now to give it our best and try to inspire as many of our devotee congregation to take the Srimad Bhagawatam into their life and follow the example of the devotees in London distributing SB sets everywhere to everyone.

Srila Prabhupada only came to the west when he had the Srimad Bhagawatam ready and with him to deliver to the conditioned souls. Then he spent the next 11 years every night, not sleeping, to translate the Srimad Bhagawatam for the benefit of the world. Now it depends on us to deliver it to the people of this world. Remember in the 7 purposes of ISKCON Srila Prabhupada said that all the purposes would be achieved by the publication and distribution of his books. One time in Los Angeles the devotees went up to the room of Srila Prabhupada and told how they were distributing so many magazines and small books. He said, "very nice but what about the big books ?”, and he made a sign with his fingers of how thick a big book was. This is Srila Prabhupada’s main mission, the publication, distribution and reading of the Srimad Bhagawatam, so as followers of Srila Prabhupada it is our mission also.

As always, I would like to quote some words of Srila Prabhupada from the Srimad Bhagawatam.

SB 4th canto 7th chapter verse 44 purport: “The way to get out of illusory maya is to engage in the topics of Krsna. Lord Caitanya advocated a process whereby everyone may remain in his present position without change but simply hear from the proper authoritative sources about Krsna. Lord Caitanya advised everyone to spread the word of Krsna.” ___” Your duty is simply to talk to whomever you meet of Krsna. ISKCON is operating for this purpose. We do not ask anyone to first change his position and then come to us. Instead, we invite everyone to come with us and simply chant

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare,

because we know that if one simply chants and hears the topics of Krsna (as found in Srila Prabhupada’s books), one’s life will change: he will see a new light, and his life will be successful.” People will get the opportunity to hear about Krsna by receiving Srila Prabhupada’s books and will make their life successful. So, it is the greatest kindness and compassion on people to give them these books.

SB 4th canto chapter 7 verse 53 purport. “Devotees are compassionate to every conditioned soul, and therefore they are known as aparakya-buddhi. Because devotees are learned and know that every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, they preach Krsna Consciousness to everyone so that everyone may be happy. If a particular part of the body is diseased, the whole attention of the body goes to that part. Similarly, devotees care for any person who is forgetful of Krsna and therefore in material consciousness. The equal vision of the devotee is that he works to get all living entities back home, back to Godhead.”

By distributing books, we become happy, and we make others happy, a perfect win win situation.

FLASH: Sankirtan meeting with His Holiness Janananda Maharaja September 9th at 19:00 CEST and 18:00 UK time don't miss it!! You'll get super inspired!!

Your servant,

Trai Das

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Sankirtan stories

Krishna personally takes care!

About two years ago, after arriving back from Vrindavan where we stayed for seven months to be with our Gurumaharaja Kadamba Kanana Swami as he was leaving this world, I felt a lot of enthusiasm and energy to try and distribute books. Kadamba
Kanana Swami’s last audible word ever spoken was ‘MISSION’ and is there a better way to serve the mission than to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books? For some time, I tried to go on the streets every day to distribute. However, I didn’t have
much experience, so I was a little bit shy to stop people in their busy lives and
schedules. Therefore, I would just choose a spot and keep a book in the air, waiting for someone to approach me. Every now and then, someone would come up to me and we would have a brief conversation, so slowly I started to get into the flow. One day I was roaming through the city for several hours, finally ending up at the entrance of a supermarket. Even though so many people walked in and out of the shop, no one was really interested in a book. Ready to give up, I started to pack my books, when a man suddenly approached me. ‘What do you have there? I have been looking at you for a while now from that bench and it seemed important that I come to you. Can you tell me what these books are about?’ he said. I was very much surprised and started to explain a little bit about the contents. ‘Ahh yes, I know a little bit about this, Kali yuga, Treta yuga etc., right?’ He really did know about the philosophy! We had a lovely conversation about religion and philosophy for a while, together with his friend. Finally, his friend bought‘the science of self-realization’ for him as a present. I gave him my
card, so that he could get in touch if he would like to know more. Weeks, months went by, but no sign of the man. Until… exactly one year later… I received a message saying: ‘I don’t know of you remember me, we met several months
ago, I received a book from you at the supermarket! I finished it and thought it was amazing! Do you have more? And would you like to get together? I have some questions.’ Amazed, I agreed and we met up a few days later. He shared how he was impressed by Prabhupada’s clarity and straightforwardness, as well as his views on Jesus. We spoke
for two hours and after that, he bought six more small books! After a week, I again received a message: ‘I finished four of the books, I am starting to feel different inside and I have more questions!’. Again, we met up. ‘You know what is the
best book to read?’ I said, ‘the Bhagavad Gita!’‘Oh! I already have that book’ he said nonchalantly. I was surprised, ‘really? Which version?’ assuming it must be some Mayavadi version, because where in the small city of Heerlen could you get Prabhupada’s Gita? ‘The Bhagavad Gita as it is’ he said. I was astounded! ‘Where did you get it?!’ I exclaimed. ‘One day, just after finishing the Science of Self-Realization’, I was walking through the city’, he said, ‘and I passed a building that said ‘Buddhist Centre’. Being interested in all religions, I knocked on the door. A lady opened the door: ‘yes?’‘Hi! Do you conduct Buddhist meditation sessions or classes here?’ I asked. ‘Oh! No, we converted into a yoga centre’, the lady said, ‘but wait, I have something for you!’. She walked towards a small bookcase, filled to the rim with all sorts of spiritual books. She picked a random book and gave it to me: the Bhagavad Gita as it is!’’ By this time, I was so amazed that I burst into laughter, seeing how Krishna perfectly arranges everything, because… how did that Gita end up in that bookcase of the Yoga lady? This lady turned out to be my boss before, we did a few small projects together. At some point, we made an appointment, but I forgot all about it and did not show up. I apologized thoroughly and we made a new appointment. I still don’t understand how it happened, but I also missed that appointment! Two in a row! I was so disappointed in myself and I felt completely embarrassed about it. Thus, I hurried to her studio and offered her two books: the Bhagavad Gita and a Vedic cookbook. She, in turn, placed the books in her shelf and one and a half years later, she gave the book to this man! This was such a beautiful example of how Krishna always makes sure that His books end up at the right places, at the right person. No book is forgotten! Even though we don’t know what is going to happen with a book when we distribute it (is it going to stand somewhere in a corner gathering dust for years or is this person actually going to read it?), Krishna will always take care of His books! Also, when something goes wrong, such
as forgetting these appointments, can lead to something beautiful. We never know exactly why things happen, but if we trust Krishna, we can see the purpose in both good and bad situations, trusting that it is His plan for us. Moreover, everyone who is in touch with these books, even if the person doesn’t read even one word, receives mercy! This lady never even opened the book (the plastic was still intact), but Paramatma inspired her to give this book to this particular man, choosing from approximately 70 books in her bookcase! In this way, she distributed a Gita! She was an instrument for this man to receive Krishna in his life! Even the best Hollywood writers can’t come up with these kinds of plots… only Krishna can!
Sankirtan yajna ki jaya

From Portugal

Mr Claude Edvin was sitting next to me in the train from Sarcelles. I told him "I like your style, you look like Keith Richards."

"I'm his age also" he replied.

He is over 70 and he said he has nice memories of Hare Krishnas from '60s or '70s. "They had a nice restaurant in Paris. I remember the sound of the bells (kartals) playing". It seems that his Bhakti seed is fructifying, he took a book and said that he got good impressions of the devotees and that he would like to come visit the temple.