Synergistic Preaching with HG Vaisesika Prabhu
I had a most uplifting time at the Toronto temple this past weekend because I had the exhilirating association of His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu. I was standing outside the temple, waiting to drive the devotees to Kensington Market to do book distribution and Harinama. An older Indian gentleman I had met in the washroom introduced himself as Davinder, and now he came up to me and started to glorify Srila Prabhupada.
He said, "Srila Prabhupada performed miracles, making the entire world Krsna conscious in such a short time. I read about him in the biography 'Your Ever Well Wisher' and could not put that book down. I immediately became a vegetarian upon finishing it."
I told Devinder, "If you think that summary of Srila Prabhupada was amazing, wait till you read the entire seven volumes! That book is only an appetizer, it is like a zip file, and is designed to whet your appetite to read about Srila Prabhupada's life in much greater depth. You should get the seven-volume set. You will also not be able to put them down!"
Immediately he said, "Where can I get them? I want them right now."
At that point Radha Mohan Prabhu, who is in charge of the book room, passed by, and I asked him to please get Devinder the seven-volume set. So he took Devinder with him to purchase them. I was amazed how I helped to sell seven volumes by just having a casual conversation, when devotees have to work so hard and run all over the streets to get people to take a few books.
Devinder returned with his new set of the SP Lilamrita in a nicely designed BBT box, when Vaisesika appeared. I immediately brought Devinder to meet Vaisesika, telling him that Vaisesika had dedicated his life to distributing and printing these books. Devinder felt honored to meet him. Vaisesika started to converse with him and asked him if he had the Srimad Bhagavatam. Devinder said he did, the First Canto. Vaisesika told him he should get all twelve cantos, and Devinder agreed. Then Vaisesika told him he should also get the entire C.C. and Devinder agreed again. I couldn't believe my ears or eyes. All these books were getting sold within a couple of minutes! I was in ecstasy.
Vaisesika told Radha Mohan to take down Davinder's info, because Davinder was travelling on the bus and was unable to take all three sets with him. Then Vaisesika noticed that Devinder had some schematics rolled up on the ground, and he asked hm what he did. Devinder said he was an archtiect and engineer and had helped with the temple over the years.
The huge, granite-stone Toronto temple building had been started in 1894 and completed in 1896, Devinder said, and the Canadian government was giving out millions in grants to restore old buildings. He was going to work on getting some grants to restore some of the crumbling stone, huge windows, and a myriad of structural concerns.
It is auspicious and wonderful to be in the presence of one of Srila Prabhupada's front-line preachng generals. Krsna makes amazing things happen because of the intense and pure desires of his sincere followers like Vaisesika. I was already totally blissed out, and we had not even gotten into the sankirtan vehicles yet. May Lord Krsna always grant me the great fortune to assist and be in the presence of Vaisesika, and others like him, who have no time or taste for fault-finding and who never complain. They fan the spark of bhakti within the hearts of everyone they meet and bring out the natural Krsna consciousness within every living entity's heart.
Once we got out on the street, and people were saying that they were already into yoga, he was telling people that bhakti is the "yoga of gratitude," and everyone loved to hear that.
Gaura Dasa
