Reaching out to the people that come to us.
I would like to write about some recent book distribution to a couple we met at the temple. It seems that almost everyone who visits somewhere on an outing is open to taking home a souvenir. In the case of visitors to our ISKCON temples, what could be a more fitting souvenir than one of Srila Prabhupada's books? Obviously these people are interested, since they have come to the temple. So all we have to do is make the effort to meet them and offer them a book. We have just had a very positive experience of this.
One morning, just after breakfast, a young Indian couple arrived for darshan at the New Govardhana Hare Krsna temple in Murwullumbah, Australia. Anuradha Mataji, one of the senior ladies, made them a plate of prasadam, and I encouraged them to sit and eat comfortably. I asked them where they were from. They asked me about buying a book; they had seen a poster about books concerning Purushottama month, but, they said, no one was in the temple to ask. I didnt have any such book, but I suggested they have a look at the wide range of books we had in our van. The nice lady bought a Krsna book and was very satisfied to take the book home.
She lived in Coffs Harbour, which is on the way to Sydney, where were based, so I took her number, and two weeks later, when we were driving to Sydney, decided to call her. We invited the couple to our motel room and made a nice prasadam feast. When we stopped in the town to purchase the bhoga, we took time out to distribute books and had a lot of success. I did four soft-cover Gitas, two Your Ever Well-wishers, one hard-cover Science of Self-realization, and a few small books, all in one hour. We also invited another couple who we had met on a previous occasion distributing books here. They offered to make rotis, as they were also vegetarian. After cooking, they all arrived, and we played kirtan, spoke from the Bhagavad-gita, and had a great feast. The couple took a Your Ever Well-wisher, and we all had a great night, especially our six-month-old daughter, who is very cute and a great ice-breaker.
I am very inspired by how just meeting someone coming to the temple for darshan can give us great opportunities to distribute Srila Prabhupadas books and spread the movement. I hope all devotees will make sure no one leaves the temple without a book.
Your Servant,
Krsna Rupa Devi Dasi, on the road in Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
