The Power of the Holy Names and Prabhupada’s Books
Another day of sankirtan in Lisbon, Portugal's capital:
I was talking to a lady who was somewhat undecided about the books; she told me that she was already practicing yoga and didn't need the books because she already knew everything.
In the middle of the conversation, another lady came closer to us and exclaimed "Hare Krishna!!" with so much enthusiasm that she shocked both me and the lady I was talking to.
Looking at me with big eyes and a huge smile, she looked at the books and asked, "Are these books for sale?"
I still hadn't mentioned to the first lady that we ask for a contribution in exchange for each bookÑshe was undecided and had three book in her hands. I didn't want to miss any opportunities, so I told the fired-up lady, "Look, as I said to this lady, we're students of yoga . . . "
The enthusiastic lady interrupted me and said with her wallet in her hand: "I know that. Can I give you something?"
"Yes," I said, "everyone gives a donation."
"Great!" she exclaimed, and then she took two books, gave me a nice donation, and left (I thought).
When I turned back to the first lady, the yoga practitioner, she was waiting for me with lakshmi to take the three books she had in her hands. I think she was inspired by the enthusiastic lady. Enthusiasm rubs off.
When I finished with the yoga lady, I saw the enthusiastic lady's brother waiting for me, eager to take some books. Then I heard the enthusiastic lady chanting the maha-mantra to her brother and explaining it to him. She had been chanting for some months, it seems.
I went toward her and started talking, but she interrupted me again and began telling me the sad story of her daughter. "My daughter likes hard core music and is involved in witchcraft and many other bad things. I've tried to get her to chant Hare Krishna, because a long time ago I visited a Hare Krishna temple and since then the mantra has stayed with me. I constantly chant the mantra, and I wanted my daughter to chant to take away the bad things in her life and feel the happiness that I feel. But she says that the chanting is an invention and that I'm crazy to be singing it all the time."
A week later I ran into the daughter in downtown Lisbon. I offered her a book, but she had no money and said that she would therefore not be able to take the book. So I gave her an invitation to the temple, on which was printed the maha-mantra. When she read the mantra, she couldn't believe her eyes. She returned home and showed the invitation to her mother, who was very happy to hear what had happened. Later when the enthusiastic lady came to the temple, she said that she was grateful to me and that that day was the happiest day of her life because her daughter had found the maha-mantra.
She then asked me to tell her brother the story of Ganesha, because he was very interested in that story. I told a quick version, and in the end she said, looking over the books, "Give more books to my brother and for me also, because now that my daughter has found you, I'm sure she will read them and chant the maha-mantra. When she saw you a few days ago, she had an immense desire to have your books, but she had no money. So I'll get some for her also."
This was an amazing experience to see that woman, even without contact with the devotees, develop such faith in the holy names of Krishna and Prabhupada's books. Her enthusiasm encouraged the yoga lady, who was not interested, to take books, as well as her brother and daughter.
We must have strong faith in the holy name. Everything is contained in the names of Krishna, and when we sing His names, we can always be happy and achieve everything we need. Krishna reveals Himself to those who sing His names and distribute knowledge about Him.( Means Book Distribution).
Your servant,
Kripalu Ramananda Das (JPS)
