Story of Distributing Bhagavad Gita to a Friend
Hare Krsna,
As you all know, I never write stories of distributing as I never have much of stories but wanted to share this with all of you.
Last Wednesday, my only friend in this course of Employment Law asked me what I post everyday at facbook group for the Book Club? I was quiet surprised how she knew about it, later realized that my post would be shown in everyones news feed that "Anjan posted something in the group" since the setting for the group was open to public.
I started explaining a bit and she got really interested. She said, I have heard about Karma, Reincarnation, Different Avatar's and being born in a (Sri Lanka) hindu family I am aware about this. I immediately asked, Have you heard about the Bhagavad Gita? She said, I had tried to find out some information for completing my project last year but want to get one to read. She said, I want to get an original edition as I am aware of people writing their own opinions. She just stole my lines on AS IT IS.
We had this conversation during the break and had to discontinue it since class started and after the class – I had said, I could get the book to you if your willing to read. I mentioned about Krishna Club and if she would be willing to come as we were having a talk on the BG that day along with getting the back. As she had other commitments, she had to leave but asked me to bring the book next week.
Today morning, without forgetting I kept the BG in my bag and went to class. Since I got late I had to sit at the back and during the break, she walked to back of the room and asked if I got the book? I was really thrilled when she asked as I felt she is really looking for this. I handed it over to her and her face was beaming with happiness, she flipped thru pages and started to ask different questions about the book. I had mentioned about donation last week and she said I shall withdraw cash from ATM after class and give you the money. Again we couldn't speak much as class resumed.
We reached the ATM machine – she withdrew $20 and gave them to me. I asked how much she wanted in return, she said nothing – Keep it!
As we were walking around she asked questions on different topics as she had a lot of question on the journey of soul after death, what determines the next birth and what should we do? I tried answering whatever I could.
We were having today at Krishna Club " Practical Applicability of BG in daily Life" – I thought it would be good idea to try again to invite her this time and asked her if she could?
After speaking with her husband, she decided to come for the event today – I said its at 7 and its only 5 pm. She asked what would I be doing? I was going to set up the room for the event but said you can come and do your reading or school work. She said she would start reading the BG and the room was already set up as Sing Lung had done all the preparation. I introduced her to him and she saw the other books in the table.
She later said – I got married last year and lost both my mother and father after loosing my mother earlier. Since then I had completely lost faith on God, as my mother thought me to worship God when I was young. While all this was happening in my life, I just thought God doesn't really care for me but I still wanted to find out as I had heard about puranas, life after death. And wanted to know what is our purpose of life?
I din't know what to say at all, it was just hard to even imagine all this yet shewas still looking for that something!
This is our 3 rd course together and we spoke a bit in the first course as we were in the same group, I dropped the second course and now we were surprised to find ourself in the same class so would speak often mostly just based on the assignments we had to submit every week.
She started asking more questions now, about ISKCON, Bhakti Yoga Lifestyle, Vegetarianism and based on the pictures she saw in the BG. For almost 2 hours were were speaking, glad Sing Lung set the room.
She attended the talk which was facilitated by HG Kamalini mataji and was received well by everyone and my friend also. We had prasad later and mother Kamalini was speaking with all of them very nicely showing lot of care and affection.
She thanked me later and said that glad she had stayed back to attend the talk.
I just couldn't really understand what was happening. We met back in May 2012, and now she took a Bhagavad Gita that too in a class room. I felt sympathetic as she had mentioned last year about departure of her father and only today got to know she had lost both of them. I could feel how she was really looking for something all this while but just couldn't get it. Feel very content with this as I have not been inspired to do any books at all in the recent days, this makes me feel charged!
Makes book distribution and University outreach so blissful..and such a wonderful day!
As HG Vaisesika prabhu would say, the donation is the sukriti for one to understand. Hope krishna gives her the ability to understand more as I felt she was very receptive while answering her question and gave a generous donation too.
Thanks for reading and as much as I said to keep it short, just couldn't Sorry
Your Servent
Anjan Parikkshat, Toronto, Canada
