Poised for a Sankirtan Explosion!
From a book distribution seminar organized by Bhaktivedanta Manor devotees at the Krishna Avanti school.
Vaisesika Prabhu: We are poised for a sankirtana explosion with harinama-sankirtana, book distribution, and prasadam distribution, with personal contact.
Everything is in place by the grace of Srila Prabhupada.
Lord Caitanya is the greatest capitalist and is willing to back anyone ready to put his life on the line for His sankirtana movement.
Some people think books will be replaced by electronics. But industry experts predict the books will hold their place in human society.
I say tata-stha [usually referring to our position between the spiritual and material energies] means “open to suggestion.”
The first book printed on the printing press was the Bible. The early printing was on parchment made of animals skins. It would take the slaughter of forty goats to make one Bible.
The book Origin of Species made evolution popular in human society.
“Common Sense” by Thomas Paine was the all time best-selling book, and it inspired people to start the American Revolution.
Sampradaya literally means the complete gift.
Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu says the Gaudiya sampradaya is famous as the sampradaya of the book.
An institution is the means through which we transmit culture through time and geography. Culture is what is real, right and valuable.
Books outlast people and stay in human society.
Because our books are connected to the Absolute Truth, they are the greatest gift.
Although the same knowledge may be there in the electronic media, people are still appreciating the form of the book.
Sherwin Williams paint company had a ad entitled “Cover the Earth.” Srila Prabhupada saw that ad and said that should be our motto.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses make their own paper and their own ink.
Srila Prabhupada says in Adi-lila that we should expand the preaching unlimitedly, so if you are feeling bored in the Krishna consciousness movement, you know what you can do.
Srila Prabhupada knew that Lord Caitanya was backing him.
Book distribution is easy to evaluate and thus easy to increase.
Book distribution is high sadhana.
Principles helpful:
Team-based model.
Goal driven.
Individual, spontaneous and voluntary.
Every time you make a reasonable goal to increase, you grow. Once you make it, you have to make a new goal to keep growing. You see how Lord Caitanya is supplying what you need to meet the goal.
When you become a Jehovah’s Witness you go out, when you become a Mormon you go out, and similarly when you become a Hare Krishna, you go out.
The Monthly Sankirtana Festival (MSF) is a fun way to do book distribution that gets everyone involved.
We had one devotee who had a dog named Yogi and who displayed books on yoga on the back of the dog.
When the everyone is involved, it brings the community to a higher level.
Srila Prabhupada advised: Everyone should go out, one person should stay back and take care of the temple.
If you make it fun and attractive, people will participate.
If their GBC, temple president, and temple board are into it, then we can do Monthly Sankirtana Festival. The first time we go out, we tell them they do not have to do anything more than touch the pavement. “Everything else you do is extra.” We do not tell people they have to go out. They can partcipate in other ways. They can do back up work. They can make prasadam to distribute. They can give financial support. If they cannot do any of those, they can just be an advocate and say good things about it. Afterward we have prasadam and talk about our realizations, and there are always some very amazing realizations.
Causes for Success:
Having goals.
What gets measured gets improved.
Where attention goes, energy flows.
Work as a team.
During our Puri yatra we sold 5,000 books and collected over 100,000 rupees. How were Japanese and Chinese devotees able to sell so many books? Using the language cards. By giving people the cards and the books, and holding the mountain pose of yoga while waiting for them to give the laksmi and take the books.
“If on the full moon day of the month of Bhadra one places Srimad-Bhagavatam on a golden throne and gives it as a gift, he will attain the supreme transcendental destination.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.13.13)
Last year in Toronto we did 136 sets during the week in Bhadra before the full moon.
Eleven years ago I took some five-year-olds on sankirtana. When kids go out, the parents want to go out too.
If there is sufficient training, people are eager to go out. Otherwise people could be traumatized.
Nehru had an idea of making India the IT capital of the world, and he set up so many IT colleges.
I have one disciple in prison for life. He will never get out. He has been chanting regularly for ten years. I initiated him. He was a skin head. The chaplain who accompanied me during my fire sacrifice said, “You are going have to send some Bhagavad-gitas. Your man has been telling everyone to read them.”
“How many?” I asked.
“About 200,” he replied.
I built houses in Govardhan for people who give a certain donation for book distribution.
Last year we raised $200,000 from corporations for book distribution.
We have an event called Kirtan Oasis of mini festivals.
I got into the management more and more because I found out it helps to have inspiration from the top.
How to sell Bhagavad-gita on its own merit:
Pick the ripe fruits.
80% Core (things you do and know work) and 20% (try new places and stategies)
We have to leave everyone with a good impression.
Hand power:
Raise your hand and say “Hi”!
Let the unripe fruits go. Do not try to pick them.
Qualify:
Announce where you are from, and ask, “Where are you from?” Say you are qualified.
Trust the hand:
If they accept the book in their hand, even if their mind is not yet convinced, they will likely take it.
Mantra:
These are books on yoga and meditation that show you how to get free from stress.
Say the mantra as you are handing the book and end with the book in their hand on “stress.”
“You have heard of stress before, right?” Have an answer for either way.
“You do not look stressed, you look spiritual.”
“What is your secret?” [By saying this, you put them in a superior position, like a guru.]
[If you say to a person, “You look spiritual,” they begin to feel spiritual because they are spiritual.]
I take the book back and say, “Let me show you!”
Show them a quote on the back. Tell them of the famous people who read it. Say it is used in the colleges. Show the quotes by college professors.
Ask them if they can read the Sanskrit. Say you were just testing them.
Become a master of questions.
Infallible donation line: We don’t sell it like in the bookstores. We only ask for a donation. We do not need the money. It is part of an ancient tradition. By giving a donation, it helps connect you to the line of previous teachers and helps you enter more deeply into the meaning of the teachings.
We refuse to sell it. It’s too valuable. We just take a donation.
Srila Prabhupada authorized us to offer lollipops directly to the deities.
These notes are from the latest entry from the Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk by Krishna-kripa das.
To read the complete Travel Journal please click here: https://goo.gl/tCGWuk