European Sankirtan Newsletter

Dear Prabhus,

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

This month is special because it is the month before the Srila Prabhupada Marathon. The Latin yatras like Italy, France and Spain were resting up before the marathon. However, the Germanic yatras like Germany and Switzerland seem to have already started their marathon!!! Especially Germany is really on the rise doubling their usual monthly scores, let’s see what happens during the Prabhupada Marathon!! Two other yatras that did very well under the guidance and inspiration of H.H. Sivaram Swami were the Hungarian and Turkish yatras both of whom did much better than usual. I am sure that all these yatras have mounted an all-out attack on maya for the Srila Prabhupada marathon and that we will see many amazing scores.

As always, the UK yatra is on a whole other level with Radha Londonisvara yatra leading the way as well as Wales,Scotland and Bhaktivedanta manor doing very well. I am sure that some amazing surprises will be coming from the UK yatra for the Srila Prabhupada marathon. I can sense that they have mounted a campaign that will break all records.

We want to remind everyone that we are now into the last month and final push for the Live to Give Campaign so we should go all-out to flood Europe and the UK with Bhagavad Gitas and smash all pledges. Srila Prabhupada kijaya!!

Our usual monthly Sankirtan meeting online will happen in January and I will inform everyone as soon as the date and speaker are confirmed.

This month I would like to quote from some letters and lectures by Srila Prabhupada.

Letter 1974 “Whatever progress we have made, it is simply due to distributing the books. So go on, and do not divert your mind for a moment from this.”

Letter 1974 “Regarding Sankirtana and book distribution, book distribution is also chanting. Anyone who reads the books that is also chanting and hearing. Why distinguish between chanting and book distribution? These books I have recorded and chanted, and they are transcribed. It is spoken kirtans. So, book distribution is also chanting. Anyone who reads. He is hearing. Book distribution must not be neglected.” By giving someone a book we are letting people hear directly the pure chanting of the purest devotee, so it has the greatest benefit for the fallen souls.

Letter 1974 “Print as many books as possible, this is my real pleasure. By printing these books of our Krsna Conscious philosophy in so many languages we can actually inject our movement into the masses of persons all over the world, especially there in the Western countries and we can literally turn whole nations into Krsna Conscious nations.” We have to enter into the spirit of a world mission, the most exciting mission to spread Krsna consciousness to every town and village by distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books in ever greater numbers so people can hear from Srila Prabhupada. This is our mission.

Lecture 1975 “We are printing so many books. For spreading this knowledge, they MUST be distributed. Home to home, place to place, man to man, this literature must go there. If one takes one book, at least one day he’ll read it; “Let me see what this book is I have purchased the other day.” And if he reads one line his life will be successful, if he reads one line only carefully. This is such literature. So therefore, book distribution, I am giving so much stress. Somehow or other, small book or big book, if it is given to somebody, he’ll read it someday.

Even one line and his life is changed and many times someone besides who buys the book will read it and change his life. So, our duty is to somehow or other flood the world with Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Your servant,

Trai Das

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Sankirtan stories

France

Today at the train station in Melun, I tried to distribute books. I approached many people, one after another. Some showed a little interest, but as soon as I mentioned a small contribution, their interest faded. After several attempts, discouragement quietly crept in. I began to wonder if I should stop. That is when my eyes fell upon a man standing at a distance. His name was Mohamed. From the way he moved and behaved, I could tell that he was secretly involved in selling drugs at the station. Everything on the surface said: Don’t approach him.

Yet within, another voice arose — gentle, but clear. I felt that I was asked to take one more step of faith. Still,my mind argued. But I inhaled deeply, and prayed: “Śrīla Prabhupāda, please use me as an instrument.” And then, somehow, my feet began to move.

I approached him and began to speak about the book. I explained how this knowledge is not just information, but transformation — that if we read sincerely and apply it in our life, it can change the direction of our destiny. As I spoke, he stared at me quietly, intensely.
And then, to my great surprise, he said: “I need help. I was praying to God to send me the help I was searching for. Maybe this book is His answer and exactly what I need right now.”
His eyes filled with emotion as he accepted the books. Holding them close, he added, “ I will start reading this tonight. Please… pray to the Lord for me, Incha’Allah”
In that moment, I realized : we see only the outside, but Kṛṣṇa sees the inside.
Kṛṣṇa does not define a person by their past or by what the world sees. He sees their potential for surrender, their hidden cry for help, their dormant spark of devotion.
Even those standing in darkness carry within them a seed of light. Sometimes, all it takes is one book, one moment, to extend Krishna’s mercy.
Today, Kṛṣṇa taught me:
Do not judge a book by its cover — and do not judge a soul by its circumstances.
The conditioned eye sees a drug seller.
The spiritual eye sees a suffering soul.
And Kṛṣṇa sees a future devotee.