More Nectar from Madhumangal
Two days ago, I was doing "roaming sankirtan" – I walk and whoever I meet along the way I stop and present Srila Prabhupada's books (it's also a nice way of getting exercise). I was walking past an office block in Rondebosch, there I saw one man backing up his car into a parking bay and approached him. I introduced myself to him and showed him Srila Prabhupada's books. He was very interested in the books and began to ask me questions. I asked him if I could sit next to him and got in the car and explained more about the books I had. He was particularly attracted to the soft cover Bhagavad-gita I showed him. I told him that it was the oldest, if not, the rarest book in the world. I further went on to explain that it was like a manual about life and that it gave us detailed information about the soul and our relationship with God or Krsna. He took Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is and gave me a donation. . I asked him what his profession was – he told me that he owned a company that imports meat and apologized for the profession he was in. "Please, there is no need to apologize, who am I to judge you," I said. I further went on to tell him about the teachings in Srila Prabhupada's books and the effect that the slaughter of animals has on society, and in particular those of cows. I was astonished at how he listened with great interest. He even agreed with everything I told him. He told me, that he had no other choice, it was his lively-hood to support his family. I said goodbye to him, and invited him to our Sunday and Wednesday programs and gave him a nice postcard of the Ratha festival in Durban with the maha mantra printed on the back. He once again thanked me and said that he would study the Bhagavad-gita.
How wonderful it is, the boundless and causeless mercy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he bestows His mercy to anyone, irrespective of they are. That gentleman has become the rightful recipient of the Lord's mercy, on his way back home, back to Godhead
That Same day I saw one tall young man approach me. I introduced myself to him and told him that I was a traveling monk. He told me his name was Ian. I showed him Srila Prabhupada's books, which he looked at with great interest. He began to tell me that he was interested in Buddhism. At one point he I was talking about the spirit soul and he replied in a off-hand kind of way, that the soul did not exits. I showed him some of Srila Prabhupada's purports from his Bhagavad-gita As It Is where it explains the existence of the spirit soul and it's eternality and it's relationship as eternal servants of God. All glories to Srila Prabhupada – he began to understand about the existence of the spirit soul as I further read to him. We began to talk about yoga and I explained the teachings of bhakti yoga as Srila Prabhupada has presented in his books. He liked the book and took, Krsna Consciousness The Topmost Yoga System, and gave me a nice donation. I asked him what he did – he told me that he was student studying at the University of Cape Town. I told him that we had society on the campus, The Bhakti Yoga Vegetarian Society and if he was interested he should go to the weekly meetings. He further began telling me that he was thinking of becoming a vegetarian – he was such a sincere soul, I said to him, "If your mother were standing here now, I would tell her that she should be very proud to have a son like you. I hope that I will be able to meet her one day. He said that he would like to come to the temple and learn more and in particular he would like to learn how to cook vegetarian. I handed him an invitation flyer to our Sunday and Wednesday programs and told him if he liked he could come and spend a weekend at the temple and also he could help with the cooking for the Sunday feast. Yes he was very interested and eager, he certainly would come. I thanked him for taking Srila Prabhupada's book, gave him a hug and told him that I was looking forward to meeting him again and said goodbye.
The next day, I was walking along the same road, when I saw him coming towards me from a distance. The astonishing thing was that at that moment before I saw him, I was thinking, maybe I might see him again – by the mercy of Guru and Krsna, I saw him again! As I greeted him, I saw in his hand he had the book I gave him the previous day and a packet of rather expensive looking incense. "Hello Madhumangala, I am so glad to see you, I was coming to see you at the temple. I enjoyed the book and found it very interesting. I wanted to give the book back to you so that you could pass it on to somebody else, there are also some questions that I also would like ask you. I also want to give this incense to the temple," He said with a big smile on his face. I told him that he must keep the book and if he liked he could give the book to one of his friends, in that way he will be spreading the knowledge. I told him that I could not meet with him at that time and invited him for prasadam that same day and told him that I would be glad to see him then.
On my way back home, I was speaking to a lady, a nurse, who was parked by the side of the road. When I looked in the car to my surprise I saw Ian, and this lady I was speaking to was his mother. I introduced myself to her and told her how proud she should be to have such a sincere son like Ian. "Don't tell me, tell his grandmother, that's where he gets it from," she said.
Before prasad was ready I preached to them as they both sat and listened with rapt attention. I served them prasada as they both relished the mercy of Sri Sri Nitai Mayapur Candra. After prasad, I gave them a tour of the temple and they were quite impressed. I told Ian that he could come and help with the cooking of breakfast – he agreed and enthusiastically said that he would come. How glorious it is that the Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is sending us these nice devotees.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada ki jay!
Yours in the service of Lord Sri Krsna and His devotee,
Hare Krsna,
Madhumangala das.
