Sankirtan Enthusiasm in Toronto, Canada

I would like to share with you the nectar stories of sankirtan during the last two days. One of our new book distribution superstars is Jessica Mataji. She is really amazing, and her interactions are among the most amazing book distribution experiences I have ever witnessed. The way she talks to people on the street is quite unusual, how she uses concepts in Krishna consciousness. Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!

 

Starting very close to our temple in Toronto, Patrick Prabhu, Jessica, and I, we went out for book distribution starting at around 7:00 PM. She stopped one guy on a bicycle and convinced him that she had some really good information about yoga and meditation through these books. The guy immediately pulled out his wallet and gave her $5, more than the suggested donation for that book. So, to reciprocate, she pulled our her bag, and gave him her own packed dinner Prasadam in a takeout container! The bicycle guy was touched, "Oh my God" he went, "you are so humble". He felt really wonderful about this experience.

 

Every person Jessica spoke to, she gave him the Mahamantra, a Govindas restaurant card and it was really amazing how she got full contact details with phone number, email address and home address!

 

Jessica and I then met a lady who is from Germany but has lived in Canada for over thirty years. She used to be a Yoga teacher in Vancouver, but in 2009, she moved to Toronto for economic reasons. The conversation began on the topic of Kundalini yoga, and suddenly she became interested in taking a book. In the meantime Jessica got her details and what the lady really wants is to come to our temple and buy even more books. But I tell you the friendly relationship happened only because Jessica Mataji's loving dealings with her. I am surprised how someone becomes so close to her in such a short time, but this is a sign of devotees who are pure hearted.

 

We also met one boy who was I think about twenty years of age, and Jessica started a conversation near Rosedale garden. The guy said "I tried yoga but it is really hard to get it, and kinda' boring", and Jessica handed him a book and said "It's OK you can just read the rear cover of this book". Srila Prabhupada writes about the perfection of yoga, how we are not this body and that we are pure servants of Lord Krishna, and how what we really must do is realize this by chanting Hare Krishna. So then she said "let's chant", and the young boy and his girlfriend joined us in chanting the Mahamantra. Jessica showed him her beads and she explained what is Krishna consciousness, what the effect of the Mahamantra is in in our daily lives. Really amazing.

 

Jessica stopped one boy who was named "Tomo", and he said it means "friend". Jessica started talking with him and she began to ask him questions, pointing to his hand, his eyes, his year, "what is this, and this, and this"… Like "whose ear is this", he answered "mine", she asked "whose leg is this", he replied "mine", she repeated "whose eyes are these", he replied again "mine". So then she asked her last question "All this is yours, but who are you?". The boy got stuck and started thinking "Who am I?". And then after a brief pause to let him think, she said "your are simply not this body, but you are just pure soul". Then he took the book and gave a donation.

 

One lady stopped and said to Jessica that she had a lot of money, but also lots of health problems. She told Jessica she really wants to find out what is the Absolute Truth. Jessica took out her book bag and took a Bhagavad Gita and showed her a very important verse, and I was totally wowed by her choice of verse, and the lady thanked Jessica and also she thanked me. She took the book and gave a donation.

 

So these are our some highlights from our Sankirtan experiences. There is much much more, a lot more nectar, but I am poor in writing, and I am short of time, so I stop here.

 

In all our sankirtan outings, our best motivation was Patrick Prabhu, who just amazingly continued to chant japa all the time. Wherever Jessica or I stopped, Patrick Prabhu just followed and he kept reminding us of how everything was connected to Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. His presence was really valuable for us and we together distributed 50 books in just one day, so we feel very happy.

 

Tomorrow also we are making a plan to go out, these times are so wonderful. I don't have any special nectar to share from my seide, but I am so thankful to Jessica, she does Sankirtan in a very amazing way!

 

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

 

JAY SRILA PRABHUPADA!

 

Your Servant,

Mayur Dhwaj Singh Raol