European Sankirtan Newsletter

Dear Prabhus,

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

This month Italy returned to its number one spot for continental Europe followed by France, Germany, Czech Republic and Hungary. The real surprise though was Finland that decided to fully realize their strengths by really jumping into the Bhadra campaign distributing an amazing 14 Srimad Bhagawatam sets and 12 Caitanya Caritamrta sets along with their usual number of books for an amazing 1461 points. If you really want to go up in scores the secret is sets, SB and CC.

They can be sponsored and then placed in Libraries or schools or gifted to sincere college students beginning in Krsna consciousness, sold on the street or to the members of the congregation. With this idea Finland distributed more Srimad Bhagawatam sets than any other country in continental Europe.

We should all dive into the Bhadra campaign following the example of the devotees in the UK who distributed an amazing 215 Srimad Bhagawatam sets!!! As usual the temples in the UK with their sincere desire to please Srila Prabhupada and their spiritual masters distributed many thousands of Srila Prabhupada’s books leaving us all in awe. Other smaller temples that excelled were Switzerland, Slovakia and Slovenia all out doing their usual scores. Slovenia is also diving into the Bhadra campaign, and we expect to see everyone jumping in with full faith that it can be done.

Srila Prabhupada said that the report of the number of books distributed gave him life and that he would live forever in his books so this should always be the center of our endeavor to spread this Krsna consciousness movement.

I would like to cite some passages from the Srimad Bhagawatam, Caitanya Caritamrta and the Krsna book.

CC Madhya lila chap.19 verse 132 purport “it is certainly not good to write literature for money or reputation, but to write books and publish them for the enlightenment of the general populace is real service to the Lord. That was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s opinion, and he specifically told his disciples to write books. He preferred to publish books rather than establish temples. Temple construction is meant for the general populace and neophyte devotees, but the business of advanced and empowered devotees is to write books, publish them and distribute them widely. According to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, distributing literature is like playing on a great mrdanga. Consequently, we always request members of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Goswami, one can become a Rupanuga devotee.”

This is the formula for following Rupa Goswami, distribute books.

Srila Prabhupada’s book distribution kijaya!!

This is from the Srimad Bhagawatam 7-14-39 purport “Therefore Krsna consciousness preachers should give more stress to the Sankirtan movement, especially by distributing transcendental literature more and more. This helps the Sankirtan movement. Whenever there is a possibility to worship the Deity, we may establish many centers, but generally we should give more stress to the distribution of transcendental literatures, for this will be more effective in converting people to Krsna consciousness.”

We should have firm faith in this that the best way to convert people to Krsna consciousness is by distributing transcendental literature Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Finally, the Krsna book chapter 22 near the end “Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead walked on the banks of the Yamuna, touching the leaves of the trees and their fruits, flowers and twigs and praising their glorious welfare activities. Different people may accept certain welfare activities to be beneficial for human society, according to their own views, but the welfare activity that can be rendered to people in general, for eternal benefit, is the spreading of the Krsna consciousness movement. Everyone should be prepared to propagate this movement.”

And there is no better way to propagate this movement, as stated in the previous quote, than distributing Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental literature.

Last minute!!!

Amazing scores from Moldova! Still Ukraine, with all it's difficulties, edged them out.

Your servant,

Trai Das

Sankirtan Meeting

For this months online Sankirtan meeting on Monday July 06^that 19:00 CET and 18:00 UK time we will have with us His Grace Navina Nirada Prabhu previously world Sankirtan minister who travels throughout the world distributing books and training and inspiring devotees for book distribution.

Please don’t miss it!!

Click to Join the Sankirtan Meeting

Sankirtan Scores Continental Europe

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#iskconbookdistribution

I am especially happy to hear from you about the huge distribution of books in the Canada Zone. That is the most auspicious sign. You are making good progress, that I can understand. As soon as I see that there is such increased book distribution figures, I take that to mean that all other programs are successful as well. I am especially encouraged to note that you have sold 268 of our Bhagavad-gita As It Is in only three weeks’ time. That is very very satisfying to me. Srila Prabhupada Letter to Jagadisa, 5th January 1973

I am very glad to hear all the good news, especially that you want to sell books more and more. That is the best preaching work; each book sold means there is some practical effect of preaching, there is some tangible progress. So try to sell books as many as possible in your country, and in this way, so long you remain active but not for your personal sense-gratification, so long you remain active only satisfying Krishna’s senses, then this movement will be successful without any doubt. As soon as someone wants to satisfy his own senses, then he fails at everything. We are the only movement in the world which is preaching the real fact or secret to success, and outside our movement everything else will fail. So try to convince people to join us and be successful in their life, that will be your credit. Now you are the leader of so many men, so you have got the blessings of Krishna’s favoring you, because now He is forcing you to be responsible for becoming yourself perfectly example of Krishna Conscious devotee and making yourself perfectly example of Krishna Conscious devotee and making others Krishna Consciousness. Now become always attentive to all the aspects of your temple’s activities, especially to the regulative spiritual life and preaching work. If this standard of devotional practices is maintained at the highest level, everything else you do will become automatically successful. And that will please me very much. Srila Prabhupada Letter to Kurusrestha, 23rd November 1972

#iskcon #bookdistribution #srilaprabhupada

France

Today in Toulouse I was in station with Rasaparayana for going back to Paris after an ecstatic program with some yoga students. In the station of Toulouse Matabiau this young man came to us because he was attracted to the mrdanga on the shoulders of Rasa. He asked what is this instrument? We explained to him about the mrdanga and the chanting of mantras for meditation. He was really interested and he said that he is composing some french rap.
By speaking with him he said me that like indian mythology. I asked would you like to have the most famous book into indian mythology, the Bhagavad Gita? Oh yes !!!
After he said me that he just given up his job and his apartment. He said to his family that he was going for spiritual journey. He had only 2 bag and he was looking for spiritual place to start his journey inside. I spoke to him about New Mayapur and volunteer program, that made him so Happy.
Let's pray for him that he can take shelter at Srila Prabhupada lotus feet and get the mercy of Krsna Balaram!

Germany

A German traveler walked through our street, suddenly stopped and saw our daughter molding the grass. He was so thirsty from the long walk so he asked her for water.
We gave him water, prasadam .. some fruits and although he was very sceptical towards any other thoughts , fylosofy or religion, he accepted Srila Prabhupada's biografie.
We were very happy he accepted this special book and also small books beyond birth and death.
Which he was very curious for because he lost his wife recently.
What was also special is that this Prabhupada book was the only German book we had in our home at that time.

Hungary

JESUS IS ON OUR SIDE 🙂

— From a devotee distributing the Bhagavad-gita and other books in Hungary

"I was going from door to door. A lady opened the door, and I showed her the books. She invited me inside and said she would contribute for them. I was amazed by what I saw in her house. There was a beautiful, 2.5-meter-tall painting of Jesus Christ. I was awestruck. It was so beautiful. The lady came back and saw how much I appreciated the painting."

She said: "I think you will understand what I am about to tell you, since you like this painting so much. Two years ago, Jesus came to me in a dream and said, 'You should become a vegetarian, otherwise you won't be able to understand God.' I was shocked that he came in a dream to instruct me this way, but it was clear, so I became a vegetarian. Then, three days ago, he came to me again and said, 'In three days, a monk with books will come to you. Take them.' And now you are here, exactly on time."

She bought all the books I had. I was so happy to hear that Jesus is with us."

— YS, Bhagavat Priya dasa

Netherlands

Hare Krsna dear devotees,
today I picked up my mother Gita Govinda from the train station. As we passed by a beautiful smiling friendly lady, we joked and said lets give her a book but she already had gotten in a car. We quickly drove around and stopped her. She smiled and appreciated our small and friendly conversation so she happily accepted the books straight from car to car. Mom and I got into this spontaneous Sankirtan from a driving car and stopped a jogger who waited at the traffic light who also received a perfection of yoga. The next half an hour we distributed to another man who stopped his car and actually got out receive the books. He was already very spiritually inclined talking about SadGuru and Shiva Shakti and gratefully accepted. Then when I had to do the groceries, mom of course took a stack of books and of course some other fortunate people received Prabhupada’s mercy which is His books.

Spontaneous Sankirtan book distribution ki jaya!