Sastra Dana Newsletter April 2008: Volume 10, Issue 7

April 2008: Volume 10, Issue 7

LOOK EVERYWHERE YOU GO, INSTEAD OF GOING EVERYWHERE TO LOOK
By Shyama Priya Devi Dasi

Shyama Priya

I was
in the hospital for three days last week for jaundice. I am better now. I had a blocked bile duct and distributed a few books while I was there. One of my nurses saw my bead bag which is embroidered with the Hare Krishna mantra and she asked me about it. I showed her my beads and how to chant on them. Then she told me she had met a Hare Krishna girl on the plane who was flying to Gainesville to join the group there. She was very inquisitive and I gave her the last book I had Bhakti, the Art of Eternal Love. She kept coming back to me and asking questions all through the day and wanted to know about my diet of vegetarianism.

I also go to a student dental program at another hospital, Shands hospital, which is at the university of Florida. My student dentist, a nice boy named Patrick, has taken prasadam at the devotee lunch served out every day on campus. I leave books, Spanish and English, in the waiting areas when I go to see the dentist and I have seen people pick them up and read them while waiting.

A typical madical office waiting room

“foot bath machine”

After leaving the hospital I met a woman who has a foot bath machine that pulls the toxins out of your feet. When she came to my house to give me the treatment, she had never known about devotees, but I guaranty she will now, because every devotee I told about her treatment is interested in it. I had found out about the treatment from Chandrasekhara Prabhu in Denver when he called me excitedly and told me the wonderful results he received from the foot bath, called Aqua Chi. He urged me to try it right away and gave me a number to call in my area. So I looked up this lady Jami who is a very caring person, who said her goal in life is to help people. Any ways, I ended up giving Jami a copy of the Higher Taste. We were talking about how now people like to take whey powder for their health. I commented that it is cheaper to make it than buying it and gave her the cookbook for a recipe for curd and whey. She saw the ghee recipe and got so excited about it. She wanted to know how to make ghee so she could use it as a base for her cosmetics.

A medical waiting room. Srila Prabhupada’s books are under the TV.

That is why I said preach as you go, instead of go to preach. Preaching opportunities are everywhere, as I am sure you are aware of. We used to belong to Amway and they had a saying that was something like that. They were looking for people to join Amway and said to look everywhere you go, instead of just going out at specific times to look. Also, Srila Prabhupada said, “Whoever you meet, wherever you meet, simply try to teach him this Krishna consciousness.”

Krishna consciousness is so blissful and wonderful, and we are so fortunate.