Post Marathon talk by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami
Post marathon talk, Johannesburg, February 2, 2003:
In Vrindavan in 1977, when Srila Prabhupada was enacting his final pastimes, he appeared very sick. For weeks on end, he practically would not eat anything. Only once in a while he would take a little fruit juice or diluted milk. But Tamal Krsna Maharaja, who was Srila Prabhupada's secretary at that time, used to read out letters to him from different devotees. Srila Prabhupada would become very enlivened with the news of his book distribution. At that time, Srila Prabhupada mentioned that this book distribution "gives me life." Tamal Krsna Maharaja wrote to all the devotees around all the temples of the world about how the news of book distribution was giving life to Srila Prabhupada. And so devotees, in order to show their love for Srila Prabhupada, started to distribute books with renewed enthusiasm and dedication. In this way, I had the experience to personally see how dear this particular preaching program was to Srila Prabhupada. You can figure that book distribution was the most important preaching work to him. This is because Srila Prabhupada knew that through this book distribution this Krsna Consciousness Movement is going to spread. Srila Prabhupada's main concern was that this movement spread and that people take to Krsna Consciousness and become part of this movement. Therefore it is very enlivening to see how the devotees, in order to display their love and loyalty to Srila Prabhupada, are continuing to distribute his books.
Actually, this marathon time is a very special time for us. But we must remember that our entire LIFE is a marathon. We must not just distribute books during a particular time of the year. We should rather make it a point to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books all the time.
Srila Prabhupada also very emphatically pointed out that book distribution is actually the means to make devotees. So when we give people Srila Prabhupada's books, we should make it a point to give them Krsna Consciousness. We must make it a point to give them those books so that they can recognize Krsna, so that they can recognize their eternal relationship with Krsna, so that they can become devotees of Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada is still present. It is not that because we cannot see Srila Prabhupada he is not here anymore. Srila Prabhupada is here. We are not able to see him, but Prabhupada is seeing us. And when he sees that we are sincerely trying to distribute his books, that we are sincerely trying to distribute his message, that we are trying to make devotees, then Srila Prabhupada becomes pleased. And when Srila Prabhupada becomes pleased, Krsna becomes pleased, and that is the way we are going to make spiritual advancement.
Our main objective is to become good devotees. How do we become devotees? We become devotees by developing our relationship with Krsna. And our relationship with Krsna develops because of Srila Prabhupada's pleasure. In this connection, Krsna says, "Those who say they are My devotees are not My devotees. Those who are the devotees of My devotees are actually My devotees." So when Srila Prabhupada is pleased, Krsna will be pleased. If we therefore try to please Srila Prabhupada, knowing well what will please him the most, knowing well that the distribution of his books is going to give him the greatest pleasure, and if we continue to distribute books, Srila Prabhupada will be pleased, and the result we will see ourselves: we will see that we are making rapid spiritual advancement.
We have seen in the history of ISKCON, those who distribute Srila Prabhupada's books, they never have any problems with their spiritual life. Those who don't distribute Srila Prabhupada's books, those who don't preach Krsna Consciousness, they have difficulties.
So please rest assured that Srila Prabhupada's pleasure will enhance your spiritual advancement, and that the best way to please Srila Prabhupada is to distribute his books.
I feel very happy that so many of you have committed yourselves to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books, and it goes without saying that while distributing Srila Prabhupada's books, you experience joy. How many of you have experienced joy by distributing Srila Prabhupada's books? [most devotees raise their hands.] So, if you have experienced that joy, would you not want to experience that joy again and again? So please continue to distribute books.
While you are distributing books, please cultivate those you are distributing books to. Often we hear how people remember the book distributors. Some people remember, "At the time I met the devotee, I didn't really think much about the book, but because I was so impressed with that person, I decided to take the book. And when I started to read the book, I saw how precious this gift is." So please continue to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books. Please continue to please Srila Prabhupada and make rapid spiritual advancement.
Thank you very much.
