In Forlì, Italy, as I was entering a big office building, I was suddenly stopped by a security guard who inquired boldly:
“Who are you? Where are you going?”
She was a young lady, and she seemed quite severe and determined to not let me enter. When I presented myself and explained in a few words about our mission she changed positively and asked:
“Don’t you need a security guard for your community? I’m tired of working for these people.”
I replied, “There is an ancient proverb, rakhe krsna mare khe mare krsna rakhe khe.” “If Lord Krishna protects a person, who can kill him? And if Krishna desires to kill someone, who can protect him?”
After that she smiled and became even more enlightened. Then, when I asked permission to go to the director, she became serious again and said, “You cannot go if you don’t show me those books you are carrying.”
Amazingly she bought all of the different types of books I had, and she expressed the desire to visit the temple and stay for a few days.
Of course she allowed me to go to the director, who gave me permission to distribute in all the offices.
The story is not finished yet, the lady whom I first spoke to, to my great wonder, asked me for a string of japa beads with the desire to chant some mantras. I took the opportunity to explain the Maha Mantra and how to chant on beads. I said that I would send her a set of beads.
After these inspiring meetings I was very ecstatic and I emptied my trolley of books in a couple of hours in those offices.
I think a time will come when a lot of people will run to us looking for Srila Prabhupada’s books and Japa malas.
Sankirtan Yajna Ki Jay. Srila Prabhupada Ki Jay.
Raghunath Das