ISKCON News | Book Distribution in the Heart of Johannesburg

Meet Loka Manohara Giridhari Das, a devotee who finds great joy in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books a few years after discovering them with his family. Today, he is a seasoned book distributor working in Johannesburg’s central business district, an area often associated with high crime rates.

When asked what motivates him to distribute Srila Prabhupadas’ books, Loka Manohara Giridhari Das speaks from the heart, “There’s no other feeling like it, you know…the thrill of distributing Srila Prabhupadas’ books. I feel closer to Srila Prabhupada when distributing his books, and that’s what keeps me going.” For him, distributing books is the most effective way of bringing people to Krishna consciousness, as Srila Prabhupada had instructed.

Despite the challenges of distributing books in a city that is often perceived as unsafe, Loka Manohara Giridhari Das approaches everyone he meets with an open heart, “Everybody is Krishna’s part and parcel, so why should we limit the mercy? My approach is that everybody is a candidate for receiving Lord Caitanyas’ mercy. So we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover because we don’t really know who the persons we get to meet are.”

His approach to book distribution is simple yet effective. He engages people in conversation, speaks to them with humility, and offers them a book. As a result, he has learned that when he approaches people with sincerity, they are likelier to listen to him and even take a book. And he has seen the impact of Srila Prabhupadas’ books on people’s lives. “Prabhupada’s books have changed the lives of so many people, and I have seen this firsthand. The books have the power to transform lives.”