Cultivation led to this set sale
This relationship began back last year. We had a kitchen-extraction cleaning at Bhakti Lounge, Wellington, NZ, so I rang up the company who previously had been collecting our oil every month. A gentleman answered the phone, and once we got talking he asked me whether Bhakti Lounge is connected to the Newlands temple. In response, I said that we’re not directly linked to them, but our centre is the contemporary version of a Hare Krishna temple.
As soon as I said that, he told me: “I’ll ring you right back.”
I was like okay. . . . So he rings back and says “I just spoke with my mum,who said if you’re Hare Krishna we must give you a good discount.”
That was pretty awesome.
One week later he came to Bhakti Lounge for the clean, and we exchanged numbers, because he seemed very favourable and I thought that maybe in the future he could be more generous and do some more seva for us.
So, after that, his family invited me for dinner, and they showed me their altar of Little Krishna and Ganesh.
Shortly afterwards I invited them to Bhakti Lounge, and they loved it!
Next, the December marathon was soon to start, so knowing that I wouldn’t see them for a while, I got in touch again. He asked me whether a few of us could come over for a kirtan and prasada, to bless their new born baby and new house.
We brought a Srimad Bhagavatam set with us in the hope that by Krishna’s grace, this family could take one. Madhava-Mohini, Purnananda, and I showed up at their home, and there were twenty-five guests. We all assembled outside, and we devotees entertained them with kirtan, prasad. We all got to know one another.
There came a point in the evening when Purnananda started talking about Lord Nrsimhadeva, and then Ankit (the father) brought out his Bhagavad Gita. Madhava-Mohini signaled that we should go inside and speak to Ankit and his family then. It seemed to be that Krishna was arranging this all perfectly.
As he held his newborn (four month old) in his arms, we said: “So Ankit, you should get this Srimad Bhagavatam set, keep this in your beautiful home and treasure it for the rest of your life. It will give your daughter the ultimate spiritual protection, and you could help more people on a greater level.”
He looked at me, looked at the devotees, and said, “How much do you want as a donation?” The rest is history.
Att. is a photo of Ankit and his family at the ladies’ ashram, when they visited for his wife’s birthday lunch!
Your aspiring servant,
Nanda-Patni Devi Dasi
