Sastra Dana Newsletter – January 2008

January 2008: Volume 10, Issue 1

“Once you get one rack out, you want to put another one, and another one, and another one. It becomes an addiction.”

Lori: Book distribution is very important to me. I am going to make time for it even if I work 20 hours a day, I will find the time to put books out.

Sastra Dana: How do you find a potential book-rack location?

L: If a place already has one or two racks, another will make no difference. I usually don’t go to places without racks.

Lori, her rack, and a local worker at 4.0 Deli in La Mesa, San Diego.

SD: Do you usually get “yes” for an answer?

L: Yes. I don’t recall anyone ever saying no.

SD: OK let’s go step by step. First you choose a location with racks; what comes next?

L: First I make sure the location is a one where the rack will be safe. Then I go into the store, restaurant or wherever, I approach the person at the counter and say “Hey I noticed that you have racks here.” When they respond I continue “I have a book-rack with free publications.” They ask “What is it?”
“Its yoga, spiritual books about meditation.”
“No problem, bring it in.”

SD: That simple?

L: That simple! It’s so easy.

SD: So in other words one just needs to get out there and ask.

“La Mesita – Mexican food”
Between the fellow and the wending machines is a Sastra Dana book-rack.

L: There’s an auto store that I take my truck to. They don’t have any racks. I was reading there and waiting for my car to be fixed. The mechanic asked about the book and I told him about Srila Prabhupada. He became interested and I gave him a book. “Hey, I really like this book” he said, and I suggested that he put a book rack in his shop. He agreed.

“I think about him every day – about how he looked when I went into the store, all lost, confused, and miserable, and how happy he was when I came out.”

SD: How many racks do you manage?

L: Eight. Once you get one rack out, you want to put another one, and another one, and another one. It becomes an addiction. The racks become like your babies. You have to take care of them, fill them up with books. It becomes a thing between you, the book-rack, and the people reading the books.

It is convenient and rewarding to check the book racks before and after work. I put racks in three locations by my daughter’s school and since I drive her everyday I just stop by the rack locations and check on them. It’s a service that requires little energy.

“I was reading there and waiting for my car to be fixed. The mechanic asked about the book and I told him about Srila Prabhupada.”

SD: Are there any obstacles or challenges trying to manage all eight places?

L: No, not at all. How could there be any? I pick locations close to home, my daughter’s school or the temple. The idea is to distribute as many books and spread Krishna consciousness.

@ Manny’s Coctails.
The fellow holds Bhakti, our publication, in one hand, and in the other a beer.

SD: Do you have any stories to tell about your racks?

L: I once set a rack in a store and then went in to shop. There was a guy looking at the books and when I came back he was reading and he hugged me and (sobbing) said this book would change his life – that it already did by just a few pages he read. This really sticks in my mind more then any incident I remember because he was smiling when I came out. He was sitting on the curb, smiling and laughing, happy to be reading. (Sobbing) I think about him every day- about how he looked when I went into the store, all lost, confused, and miserable, and how happy he was when I came out. I hope he’s doing well and the message reaches him the way it should and that he can also share that with others.

SD: When you walk around it seems that everyone is so happy, especially here in San Diego. It’s nice and sunny. The beach is there and everyone seems so relaxed and smiling. Men and women look so beautiful and attractive…

L: It’s all temporary. People look happy. San Diego is a great place, great weather, we have the mountains, desert, Mexico, Palm Springs- so much, but all temporary. The real question is internal; are they happy inside? Or do they constantly need some type of sense gratification to make them happy? So these books will actually get them beyond temporary gratification. They will learn ultimate happiness- love of God, love for each other. This is the number one message in these books: to love and serve God, Krishna. If everyone can get Srila Prabhupada’s books this whole world would become a better place.

“La Mesita – Mexican food”
Lori & the owner.