I want to thank all the devotees that have sent cookie prasadam to the soldiers-medics here at Ft. Sam Houston Texas. About 2,000 cookies have been distributed. The soldiers in my company here got used to the prasadam cookies sent on a weekly basis. Those boxes of treats were gobbled down in record time. We could take 300 cookies in less than 90 seconds. (I timed the first box with a stop watch)
By Mitravinda dasi
Ratna Bushana dasa from Los Angeles began a year ago sending prasadam cookies to Partha Sarthi dasa in Iraq. Ratna Bushana Prabhu decided to send some to the soldiers in training as well. The cookies are distributed to almost 500 soldiers-medics as they stand in formation; an organized way to distribute mail and packages. When the first box of cookies arrived it was emptied before I could even walk back to my place in formation. As I was throwing the empty box in the garbage I could hear the most beautiful echo of the Maha Mantra. The Hare Krsna mantra was on a label of each individually wrapped cookie. That was the best idea ever!! The Holy Name and prasadam came together.
Mothers Satya, Dhanistha and Vilasa Manjali from New York also sent cookies. One of the boxes contained tulsi leaves that were wrapped seperately. The soldiers tore into the box before I could intercept the tulsi leaves. By the time they were finished there was only one tulsi leaf left on the bottom of the box. The soldiers ate all the tulsi leaves!
Shri Hari dasa and his daughter Shatakshi sent cookies from Idaho. Each individually wrapped cookie not only had the Holy Name but the label also indicated Idaho. We have a lot of soldiers from Idaho. It was with great pleasure I was able to distribute the ISKCON information for Idaho to these soldiers. Another great idea!! Not only is prasadam being distributed with the Holy Name but so are our temple locations. Genius!
Several soldiers asked me why these people are sending us cookies. Many church groups send care packages to soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan. Community organizations are always trying to do something to support our troops deployed to combat zones. The soldiers wondered why because we are just low ranking soldier-medics in training state side, why would any temple or church send us anything? In the Army culture everything is about rank and we are low on the totem pole, worthless privates. I explained,” because the Hare Krsna temples care about us, they care about our souls and do not distinguish who we are, what our rank is. It’s about equal vision.” The most precious words they could have ever responded back that was very dear to me was, “These Hare Krishna’s are so cool”
One boy who is somewhat overweight has been failing his physical fitness test. Private Chubby stuffed as many prasadam cookies as he could in his uniform pockets. He came back a few days later and asked what prasadam was. I explained it meant “Krishna’s mercy”. He concluded that he needed a lot of Krishna’s mercy to pass his next physical fitness test so he needed more cookies so he could get more mercy.
The night before graduation from our medical training, Ratna Bushana called and said he had another box of cookies he already sent. “Oh no, I will be flying out of Texas tomorrow”. I would not be around to get the package. I went and ask one of the sergeants if a package comes from Los Angeles the next week could he go ahead and open the box, they will be the celebrated cookies. He had a big smile on his face assuring me that he would not hesitate to open the cookies and distribute them. Of course, opening others peoples mail is a federal offense. When prasadam cookies arrive for Partha-sarthi dasa in Iraq the soldiers just go ahead and open the boxes and start eating. Who needs devotees to distribute? Prasadam distributes itself, prasadam transcends postal regulations. There is no offense to open the cookies, he has my permission.