The time capsules – plus, making devotees even now
On a trip to Hawkes Bay, NZ, as part of our Every Town and Village project (ETV), I was at a book table at the Hastings Warehouse. A mature lady walked straight over and began looking at the books. She then spontaneously grabbed japa beads and asked the price. She wanted four strings of beads.
She said that she used to do a lot of meditation and wanted to get back into it. I encouraged her to also take books, as they will help her deepen the quality of her meditation and learn more about the culture and knowledge behind mediation and yoga. She picked up each different book on the table, flicked through them, and asked me to explain what each book was about.
Then she asked specific questions. “What book is good for those who don’t know much about meditation? Which is a good book for those having difficulty with the mind? What is a good book with spiritual guidance?” I loaded her up with stacks of books, showing the relevance of each one to her inquiries.
I asked whether she was thinking of getting some books for someone else and she explained that she has two granddaughters (five and six years old). She wants to make them a time capsule: a box that you fill with meaningful things and special items that you would like to pass on to someone. The idea is that she will make these boxes for her grandchildren and keep them hidden and then when the girls turn twenty-one, they get to open their time capsule boxes. She wanted to fill their boxes with spiritual books and tools for meditation. She may not even be around when they open their time capsules, but she felt happy knowing she could pass on something valuable to them.
She said that she has always appreciated meditation and spiritual culture and now wants to dive back into it, so she happily got one of each book for herself. She then added a Gita and japa beads for her friend, who is having a hard time with her mind. On top of this she got one of every book and japa beads (and a mantra card) for each of her granddaughters. I thought it was amazing because we often hear that these books are like transcendental time bombs waiting to go off and transform someone’s life. I felt thrilled to know that in about fifteen years these girls will receive amazing timeless gifts.
At the same table, later in the day, I met the guy on the right in the attached photo: Trent, a seventeen-year-old building apprentice. He was buying a giant puppy toy for his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. I called him and his mate over, and he took great interest in the books. As we discussed the Krsna conscious philosophy he was elated and said, “Aw, I thought that no one else thought like me and that there are no deep thinkers in this town. Everyone is just bored, distracting themselves and partying.” He said he was currently trying to learn meditation by reading a few books about Buddhism. They both gave nice donations, took stacks of books and we exchanged contact details after I taught them the maha-mantra.
I stayed in touch with Trent, and in March he messaged and said he is loving the books. He said that every night he comes home from work and reads his books. He had already finished “Hiding in Unnatural Happiness,” “Chant and Be Happy,” and was now reading “Science of Self Realisation.” After reading about chanting, he wanted to try it, so I arranged for him to meet an Indian devotee there and get some japa beads. They also gave him prasada and a Bhagavad Gita. Since then he started chanting.
When I invited him to Wellington, he messaged, “My Krsna consciousness is definitely starting to show itself, and I’m very appreciative of the study I’ve been taking part in. Would love to meet some like-minded people away from the material world.”
He was finally able to visit Bhakti Lounge this weekend and had a really nice experience. He also connected with the another seventeen-year-old, Jordan, whom we met in March on an ETV trip in Wanganui and has since been chanting and reading the Gita. It is amazing to see these two young men becoming devotees by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.
Your servant,
Saumya-mayi devi dasi
