The Perfection of Yoga
By Vijaya Dasa
Recently I visited the San Diego temple and was glad to see a couple of new sankirtan devotees distributing books. One of them was Bhakta Bronson. I asked him how he became a devotee, and he said he had received “The Perfection of Yoga” from Radhanatha Dasa while in a store parking lot. I was so pleased to hear this.
For those of you who don’t know Radhanatha Prabhu, he is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada’s who joined in the early 70s and has been distributing books ever since. In the late 70s he contracted a disease that at first had him using crutches but eventually put him in a wheelchair. While I was chanting japa in the temple, he came in to take darshan of the Deities. He mentioned to his caretaker Nrsimha Dasa that he wanted his coat taken off (he can’t do it on his own), and when Nrsimha pulled his neck forward to slide his coat off, I saw that his body was completely stiff. I was shocked.
When Nrsimha pulled his neck, his body went forward like a board. But what was even more amazing was that Radhanatha was so blissful chanting with the devotees and appreciating the beauty of the Deities, Sri Sri Radha-Giridhari, Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, and Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra. And what is most amazing is that he hasn’t stopped distributing books and he’s even making devotees! Not only did Bronson become a devotee, but after reading “The Perfection of Yoga” he explained it to his mother and *she* became a devotee. In India it is not uncommon for a devotee to preach to his mother and bring her under the shelter of Lord Krsna, but in the West it is very rare.
All glories to Radhanatha Dasa Prabhu! All glories to book distribution!
Your servant,
Vijaya Dasa
