Book Distribution is taxies and What will this book teach me?
Devotees undergoing Brahmacari training in Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, Chowpatty, do book distribution five days in a week.
To catch the local train from Grant Road station they take a cab from the temple and also return by cab. The journey is short and the fare is minimal, and traveling by cab saves energy, which enables them to distribute for a longer time. During the short journey sometimes wonderful events take place. The taxi drivers are generally pious people, mostly from UP and Bihar. The devotees take every opportunity to give out books even to them. Here are a few stories:
Once Dina Gauranga Prabhu introduced a book to a driver like this: "Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all Vedic literature. All Vedas are like a cow. Arjuna is the calf, Lord Krishna the cowherd boy and the milk is the Bhagwad Gita."
The man nodded.
"But can you read Bhagavad Gita?" Dina Gauranga Prabhu asked. "No, because it is very long and difficult; so here is a small book. Bhagawad Gita is like milk and this book is like condensed milk – rabri! It has everything of Gita but in a condensed form."
The devotee accompanying him had a difficult time controlling his laughter after hearing this analogy.
The driver agreed but pointed to the photo of his guru and said, "I have books of my guru."
"But that is like dosa, here is rabri. Eat this."
The driver did not take the book, but the introduction for small book caught on, and devotees began using it with much success.
Another time devotees were preaching to a taxi driver to take a small book, but he would not listen. Suddenly they reached a red light and another taxi driver stopped next to them. The devotees inside the taxi were all canvassing the driver to take the book loudly and the other driver peeked over curiously to see what was going on.
"Take this book," Pancha Pandava Prabhu said while he offered the second driver a book from the window. "It is very nice."
The next moment, the driver reached in his pocket and brought out the money. Seeing him, the first driver also bought the book.
Another time devotees preached to a driver, and he said that he would not charge them any fare.
The devotees offered, "Your fare is 13 rupees and the book cost 20 rupees. You take the book and give us seven rupees."
The man did not say anything. The station came. Devotees again gave the book. Not only did the man take the book but he also paid the exact price – Rs. 20, without charging anything for the taxi fare.
Your servant, Murari Gupta dasa
Recently, while distributing books in Athens, I approached a man with his family and showed him the Bhagavada-gita, but he wasn't interested.
So I said, "You look intelligent, so I'm sure you know that life is meant for learning. This book will teach you so much."
He asked, "What will this book teach me?"
I opened it to my favorite picture and said, "See these five horses? They represent the senses, and the chariot is the body, the reins the mind, the driver the intelligence, and the soul is trying to keep things under control. This book will teach you to be a good driver so that you reach a good destination."
He said,” Well I certainly learned something there.” And gave a donation.
Your Servant,
Vijaya Dasa
