Determined to Give the Mercy
In a Pak 'N Save parking lot in Hamilton, New Zealand…
Despite the frigid temperatures, wind chill and light rain, Ramadas Prabhu and myself were persistently presenting Srila Prabhupada's books to the exhausted Hamiltonians, some of whom were just getting off work at 9:00 PM. A fortunate few dropped into their local supermarket, Pak 'N Save, on the way home, completely unaware that Srila Prabhupada's unlimited mercy was following through the parking aisles.
I approached a tall Gujarati fellow while he was loading groceries into the back of his car. Frozen chicken samosas, coca cola, cereal… Not very sattvic.
I said, "Hello sir, have you got everything?"
"Yes." He glanced at me apprehensively. (This isn't the safest part of town to be doing late-night sankirtan).
"Actually, you've forgotten this Bhagavad Gita! Haribol!"
My clever joke and bright smile failed to inspire him so he tried to deflect me with the classic "I am already knowing" lecture. I had my counter-attack ready:
"Therefore you know how important it is to take this Bhagavad Gita and give some charity for Krishna's seva."
His ugly side made it's unencumbered appearance as he raised his voice aggressively: "What am I going to get from this Bhagavad Gita!!??"
I raised my voice to meet the challenge: "If you read this book you will get Krishna prema!"
His face became tense as the corners of his mouth dropped into a pathetic frown. He looked like a man who had never smiled in his life. He growled at me angrily, "I am *filled* with Krishna prema…" After tossing a few things onto the driver's seat he then stormed off with the shopping trolley, to return it to the supermarket. I was unconvinced by his statement but determined to give him something. I noticed an elderly man (his father) sitting in the passenger side of the car just begging to be an instrument in the Lord's service.
I approached him from the driver's side window, which was already rolled down:
"Aap ke sahe? Krishna book lelo, bis dollar dedo! Tike?" (In amateur Hindi this means: How are you? Take this Krishna book and give me twenty dollars, ok?)
He smiled broadly, nodded his head side to side in that quintessential Indian way and reached for the wallet on the driver's side seat and gave a donation receiving the mercy of Krsna and Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada ki JAYA!!
Your Servant,
Yasodeva Das