Adopting new ways of book distribution
Recently, I've had the good association of Hari Bhakta Prabhu (from Los Angeles) here in New Zealand. We were together over the New Year and again for a few days on book distribution until his departure. He was glorifying Jaya Caitanya Prabhu's set distribution: at tables, selling multiple books in one exchange. Inspired by this, and enthused by Devamrita Swami's request for such set distribution on the scene here in New Zealand, I purchased some string, a pen, and cork cards. Preparing them easily and efficiently on the street, I started presenting "Soul Science bundles."
Although my mind made it seem overly ambitious and weighty in offer, when I simply started comfortably presenting these sets, people were attracted by the variety and presentation of them. In two hours, on the hardest street to crack in New Zealand – “the mighty Queen" – two such sets went out, along with many other individual books that people opted for as an alternative.
I'm now excited about this type of distribution and want to thank Devamrita Swami and Jaya Caitanya Prabhu for inspiring us and setting an example, respectively, in this styled expansion. It has great potential to get people to receive and relish a whole lot more sastra than they may have ordinarily settled for.
As Vaisesika Prabhu says, "Devotional service is innovative, spontaneous and voluntary." (That forms the acronym IVS, which also stands for ISKCON Silicon Valley.) So let's be innovative and adopt new ways to increase the book distribution and perfect the old ways!
Yours in service,
Sevaka Vatsala Das
