Country Compassion

It was a Saturday. Four of us set out in the sankirtan van to Campbelltown on the south-western outskirts of Sydney. It’s kind of like a country town with tama guna farmer type people.

This day it was rather quiet when we arrived. Usually only two devotees go there but this day we had four. So I felt bad because there was not many people around and it was my idea for four of us to go there so I decided to leave the street to my god brothers and I went to a quiet car park around the back of a small shopping centre.

I felt disheartened like we weren’t going to do many books and it was my fault. But I dug deep for some prayer to Srila Prabhupada and just tried anyway. I approached everyone going in and out of the mall, moving swiftly with careful positioning to catch people as they left and returned to there cars. I didn’t notice at the time but books were actually moving quite well.

A lady from behind said with great hope in her voice “Ah, haribol prabhu?”

She said, “Oh, you are a devotee! How wonderful!”

She told me how she went to New Govardhana gurukula (Australia). I also went there but she was a little older then I. Her name is Sita. She has fond memories of Krsna consciousness but now on her own with a non-devotee husband and three kids she was really struggling in the material world. She explained how due to association of her husband she has unfortunately been eating meat.

With great eagerness she asked, “Prabhu. Please can I take a book?”

She only had enough for one so she chose Krsna book for herself and her children to read.

She was so happy to see a devotee. She begged, “Please do you have any tulasi leaves or maha prasadam?”

Once having tasted Krsna one can never forget the transcendental nectar. Krsna never forgets ether and He is always reaching out to the lost souls in the form of book distributers.

After a couple of hours our friends at security came out to see if I needed refreshments. I mean chastisements for doing the car park. He mustered up an authoritative voice and said, “You can’t do this here. Do you have any Identification?”

I said, “No I don’t carry sorry.”

He said, “What if the police ask you?”

I said, “They never do. They like us and they let us be.”

I used some intelligence to make friends with him then said, “Good bye. Have a nice day.” As I left the area with an innocent smile on my face and I went to another place to distribute.

Shortly after I met with the other devotees and we went to Macarthur Square shopping centre about five minutes drive away. This mall is generally quite busy and fruitful.

I was excited because it was my first time there so with full enthusiasm I packed as many books as I could in to my bag with five more in my hands and ran into the mall.

It was amazing! Krsna really empowered me. Quickly my books disappeared. Running back and forth between the car and the mall everyone was taking!

The highlight of the shopping centre was when I stopped three young adults, two boys and one girl. I handed them each a Gita and with the biggest smile I simply said, “I am a monk. We are trying to spread peace. These books are full of wisdom. Please take a book and give a donation.”

All three took and gave a donation. Wow! It was ecstatic!

I invited them to our classes.

We finished at 5pm when the mall was closing and floated back home on a cloud of bliss.

The beginning of the day my mind was filled with so many doubts. All day feeling impotent, still I just prayed and Krsna empowered me to distribute over 50 hard covers and collect over $600 laxmi. The others also did very well

But Krsna has His way of humbling us, the next day I did 7 books and $90 laxmi. When I asked my Guru Maharaja why does that happen, big one day and tiny the next? He just smiled and said, “Krsna is showing you who is the controller.”

Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!!!!!!!!

Your Servant,

Dhruvananda Dasa