Ecstacy in Africa – by Madhu Mangal Prabhu
Today was a particularly slow day, for starters, the sun was blazing hot (Kampala is right on the equator), for about an hour or so I had only distributed about three of Srila Prabhupada's books. I went into one small shop selling sports goods and introduced myself to a young Indian man, the owner of the shop. I asked him if he was from Kampala, no he was originally from Punjab in India. I noticed on his wrist he had a silver band, the kind that the Sikhs wear.
I pointed to the silver wrist band, "Oh I see you are a ksatriya, you are a warrior?" He nodded and said yes he was. I showed him Srila Prabhupada's books which he looked at with great interest. I told him the books were not about religion, religion tells you what to do. I told him, "These books tell you who you are and how to find out for yourself."
He asked me, "Can you tell me my future, I have always wanted someone to tell me."
I asked him to show me his hand and pointed to the palm of his hand, "You see that, that line tells your future, I will tell you what is your future." I took a book out of my book trolley and put a Teaching's Of Lord Caitanya in front of him on the counter, "This is your future, this book is about Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, do you know who He is?
He nodded his head, Yes.
If you read this book, study it, put it in your heart, follow it's teachings and principles and apply it in your daily life, your future is that you will go back to Vaikuntha and be eternally with Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you will never have to come back to this temporary material world, I pointed outside the door and said, "that is not our real home which is full of miseries". Read these books and your future will be to go back home, back to Godhead".
He opened up the cash drawer and gave me a note, 20,000 Ugandan shillings. I asked him to put up his hands, as he did so I said repeat after me: "Jay Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Gadadhara Srivas adi Gaura Bhakta Vrnda!" He looked at me with wide eyes, I started chanting and dancing and took his hands as he danced with me as we both laughed. I told him that he must have been a devotee in his last life.
"You see, all your life you have been waiting for someone to tell your future, now you know your future, it is in the book I have given you, the seed has been planted in your heart, your material life is over, you are on your way back to the spiritual sky!" I embraced him and chanted in his ears, "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Hare Hare,"
He repeated: "Jay Sri Krsna!"
The future to our eternal existence is in Srila Prabhupada's books, each and every page we read is a step, back home, back to Godhead – Srila Prabhupada savior of the whole world ki jay!
By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, this transcendental journey together with his Holiness Mahavishnu Swami, that glorious spiritual warrior is to distribute Srila Prabhupada's French books to East and Central Africa. This adventure is about to begin – we are asking for your blessings upon us, so that we may please Srila Prabhupada in this pioneering effort in his book distribution mission. This is our offering to Srila Prabhupada's 108th Appearance day this year. We loaded up Srila Prabhupada's books here in Kampala last Saturday where they have been stored in a warehouse, the documentation and transportation of the books has been finalized, and just like Srila Prabhupada, the greatest book distributor, they are ready to travel and to be distributed in every town and village, so that those who take them, may always remember Krsna and never forget Him!
Srila Prabhupada savior of the whole world ki jay!
Yours in the service of Lord Sri Krsna and His devotees,
Hare Krsna,
Madhu Mangala das
