Book distribution on a train in New Zealand
At the start of the end-of-the-year marathon, although I wanted to go hard on the street and distribute heaps of books for the Lord, I was finding it extremely difficult to stop even one person. Most of my book distribution efforts on the street lasted for fifteen minutes and were very difficult. After a while I decided to catch a train home and help get New Gupta Vraja ready for the retreat.
I got on the train early with my suitcase and eventually every seat was full except for the one next to me. A young guy walked onto the train, but I didn't pay him much attention. He sat next to me and after a while asked me whether this was the train to Waikanae. I said "Yes" and carried on minding my own business.
Ten minutes into the train ride he asks me, "So where are you from?"
I told him I was from Otaki, and it turned out he went to Otaki College. We even knew some of the same people. He liked all the bands I used to like, so we got along pretty well. He told me about his trip to Japan and his interest in Buddhism and his plans for future travel. He wanted to show me some books by a guy called Alan Watts, so I humoured him, and it was good for a laugh.
After a while I told him how I had been studying Hare Krishna philosophy and how I even sold Hare Krishna books to people, and that if he wanted I could show him a cool book. He wanted me to show him the book, but we reached his stop just as I was about to bring it out, so I had to get off the train with him. (Mum would just have to drive a bit further to pick me up.) I showed him the book and the pictures inside, and he agreed to take it straight away and we headed to a petrol station so he could split his note.
His name is Andre Kruk; he is 17. We exchanged numbers and found each other on facebook and recently Andre came to Bhakti Lounge and asked me some questions about the book, which I was very glad to know he had been reading. He even brought his friend Danny who is also very philosophically inclined.
Vaisiseka Prabhu said in one of his films that you should always carry a book. After watching that film I started carrying a Teachings of Lord Kapila in my bag wherever I went. And now by the mercy of Krishna, Andre was the fortunate receiver of that book. A moonlike book in the presence of all his glow-worm books (Thus spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche for instance, featuring a parable on "the death of god"). Hopefully he will take the teachings of Lord Kapila seriously and devote his life to serving the devotees and become a pure devotee of the Lord.
Your servant,
Nanda-nandana
New Zealand
