Book Distribution in my Home Town
By Vasudeva Datta das
Dear Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Recently we were doing sankirtan in my hometown in Slovenia. Before going there I had to go through a strenuous purification of my mind. And my false ego was flipping out: “What will happen when you will meet this relative and that professor or exgirlfriend?! How will all these people react when they see you in this strange dress selling books?!
I preached to myself that this was all nonsense and the mental platform. Actually, I was forced to go much deeper and ask, “Who am I? What I am doing?” I got a nice realization that I am not really spiritually advanced. But still I was praying to Guru and the Panca-tattva like anything to please remove this bodily concept of life.
Then I surrendered and “jumped into the ocean,” going directly into the center of my “sweet hometown.” By the mercy of Guru and Krishna, all the people were very nice. I went door to door. Many people immediately recognized me and invited me in; they usually took a book or two as “old friends.” One heavy professor from my high school was very surprised when he opened the door. I told him, “Dear sir, this is for you. To repay you because I was so naughty in high school.” The professor immediately went for lakshmi and took the book. He was so moved that he shook my hand and thanked me. Actually, most of my exprofessors took Bhagavad-gitas; many of then thought that I came just to see them.
At first I was afraid of how people who knew me would react, but soon I saw that this was an advantage in book distribution. After a while the Lord gave me even more mercy and courage, and I started saying a new mantra to all the people who I didn’t know: “Are you from this town?”
“Yes”
“Then you must know my mother Ida, who works at the government office.”
(Everyone knows my mother.)
Usually this would melt their hearts. They would remember how I was small, holding my mother by the hand. When they would be most excited I would just smile and give them a book. How could they refuse!?
In this way I did sankirtan for a full week in my hometown. These were some of the most blissful days in my sankirtan career. Many people told me to please visit them again and spend a little more time with them. So I am planning to bring them prasadam, incense, and more books.
Doing sankirtan in my hometown left a great impression on my heart. I feel that Guru and Krishna blessed me to more deeply identify myself as a devotee of Krishna. Since that time I have worn only dhoti and kurta, even to visit my parents’ home. And they accept me as a devotee.
Back home, back to Godhead (our real home) ki jaya!
Sankirtan Yajna ki jaya!
Vasudeva Datta das, TSKP Slovenia
