Yadavendra Das: On my last visit to Brisbane Metropolitan Market, too many tomatoes were for sale at most stands. I asked one trader: ”Is it tomato season?” His immediate reply was:” We have just passed the full moon”, thus confirming the version of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is 15.13, wherein Lord Krishna says:” I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables.”
Lismore NSW, Australia 6.30 AM.
One gentleman with his two typical (what is the specific name again?) South African dogs came by the place where I spent the night and we engaged a conversation:
…………..
“Where do U sleep in your van, as I see that you did not remove the seats.”
“I just sleep on the floor, Sir. I am a book distributor for the Hare Krishna Movement. Are U interested in any of our literature?”
“No thanks, but I had a very good Hare Krishna friend who spent thirty years in the Hare Krishna Movement at New Govardhana farm in Murwillumbah NSW, Australia, before passing away from renal failure. His name was Terry.
BTW we don’t see the Hare Krishna’s so much around any more.”
“No you are correct. But things are going on, albeit in a more subdued fashion. We are gathering strength and our ambition is still to conquer the world.”
“ O that’s good news, I would rather have the Hare Krishnas running things than Mr. Tony Abbott.” (Mr. Abbott is the current Prime Minister of Australia.)
“Thank u very much for your kind words of appreciation, Sir.
So will you vote for us ten? BTW what is your name please?”
“Yes, certainly I shall vote Hare Krishna and my name is Harry ”
Hare Krishna.
Ballina NSW. Australia
When we try to give people a Krishna book, we are ultimately testing their attachment to Krishna and the Krishna consciousness movement. We are testing how much they like Krishna and the Krishna consciousness movement. That makes it exciting because Krishna is the centre of the whole exercise and Krishna consciousness is the essential component of pure consciousness. It is much more exciting than prospecting for pure gold, as is often the case, especially in Western Australia.
At restaurants, I naturally and always ask manager’s permission to go around the tables. This was a favourable chain of restaurant that most often grants permission. As I was going around, I came to a table where an older couple of seniors where taking breakfast. My guess is they were over seventy years of age and looked as the established, well dressed, respectable type. To my very great amazement, after making my presentation and mentioning that we distribute free meals, the lady, while eating, immediately started hurling abuse at me and insulting me without any provocation whatsoever. I just left the table immediately without saying a word, thanking Krishna for this insight into the grim material world, where envy is one of the major pulling forces.
Today Sri Krishna manifested His total control of the situation at the tire shop. I wanted to fit two second hand tires to my Sankirtan van. The owner said that because he was bound by certain rules and regulations, he couldn’t do it although perhaps another business would. He otherwise suggested another excellent idea, which I asked him to please implement. He agreed to that and asked me to come back in fifteen minutes or so after completion. So I went on book distribution Sankirtan. When I came back I noticed that my two tires were missing from the place I had left them. Due to some miscommunication between management and staff, the job had been done exactly as per my original expectations. Not only that, but when the owner heard my story about the tricky and unfair behaviour of the tire manufacturer in regard to replacing the defective tire (separating tire), siding with me, he shouted his indignation so loudly that the other staff came running to the spot. They thought there was a fight in progress. He vowed to do his best to get the company to be responsible and replace the defective tire. To be cont’d.
Where there is a will and Krishna’s sanction there is a way.
Krishna books deals stretching thousands of kilometres!
Michael, a handsome young man from Brazil, was sitting on the kerb at Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Australia. Because he was wearing his chef uniform, I asked him whether he was interested to buy a Hare Krishna cookbook. His reply was immediate, clear and precise: “I am looking for vegan sweets recipes” I showed him the new “With Love” by Raje, which I happened to just deliver to another customer. He agreed to buy. But at the moment he was waiting for his friend to go surfing at Coolangatta, some 21 km further south. Besides that he was carrying no wallet.
I asked him to ring me and gave him my phone number.
He rang me once while I was still in Broadbeach and he had left for Coolangatta. “Please ring me again.” was my reply.
Since the morning, I had decided to finish my day in Coolangatta. So I completed Broadbeach and left for Coolangatta. He rang me again when I was driving just a few kilometres north of Coolangatta and we agreed on a landmark to meet. We met and he then asked another intelligent and proactive question: “Do you have any other vegan cookbooks?” I showed him Egg Free Cakes by Cintia Stammers, which he agreed to buy. All cookbooks come with a complimentary Srila Prabhupada production, in this case a copy of “Krishna, the Reservoir of Pleasure.” All glories to Lord Caitanya’s worldwide Sankirtan mission!