![](\"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads6\/tumblr_oft27uExIZ1sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Once, this Azerbaijan devotee, Garuda Vahana Das and I were at the University of Utah, where practically everyone is fixed up in Mormonism, and we approached a student reading outside on a bench.
\nGaruda: (Russian accent) Excuse me, I have book for you, about Yoga, you know, meditation.
\nStudent: That sounds great, but I think I\u2019m okay.
\n(Garuda always wears common cloth, and I always go in dhoti, so at this time the kid starts seeing me and begins to understand what\u2019s up)
\nGaruda: No this is a spiritual yoga. It talks about karma, you heard of karma?
\nStudent: Oh I see, which religion are you? I\u2019m Mormon and (holding Easy Journey) I think that this stuff is against my religion.
\nMe: But you are a student here right? Surely you have studied Darwinism, and Big Bang Theory right?
\nStudent: Yeah\u2026..well\u2026
\nMe: Well that\u2019s against your religion, we are for creationism also, this book scientifically proves the soul and God.
\nStudent: (Feeling a bit embarrassed, but amused) well, I guess you are right, okay I\u2019ll take it..
\nAnother time at Utah Valley State, I was approaching people outside. I learned this really corny but funny line when I used to hippie around to all the Phil Lesh Grateful Dead shows back in the day. We would go around the parking lot and try to make everyone smile especially people who looked morose. So I decided to use it as a cold approach.
\nMe: (Seeing a morose-faced girl coming) Hey excuse me you dropped your\u2026.(pointing to the ground) \u2026\u2026your smile.
\n(People by reaction immediately smile to this cheesy one)
\nMe: Here I have a book for you\u2026.have you heard of stress
\nHer: Have I ever!
\n(Seeing that she also had bulging belly, being serious now, I asked)
\nMe: So How many months pregnant are you?
\nHer: That\u2019s what I\u2019m so stressed out about, I\u2019m not pregnant! I have this beer belly from hell, I\u2019m poor, I have no money\u2026.I\u2019m always depressed.
\n(I could tell she was serious, but still she was kind of smiling, so I was confused a little because I swear she was pregnant, she looked like it! but she seemed serious).
\nMe: Oh\u2026.. I\u2019m so sorry. I\u2019ll tell you what, in this book here it talks about how we are not the body, but spirit soul and how we can end all misery in life by mantra meditation. Just give a small donation for the printing.
\nHer: Okay (she said firmly) I only have 5 dollars. It\u2019s all I have to my name. It better be good. Is it?
\nMe: I swear it!
\nALL GLORIES TO SRILA PRABHUPADA, WHO BY HIS MERCY ALLOWS US TO ENGAGE IN SUCH A SERVICE. ALL GLORIES TO THE AMAZING SPIRITUAL MASTER WHO PICKS UP FALLEN CRIMINALS AND OUTLAWS OF DHARMA AND ENGAGES THEM AS IF THEY WERE ALREADY ON THE DEVOTIONAL PLATFORM!
\nYour Servent, Bk John
\nSpanish Fork, Utah<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![](\"http:\/\/66.media.tumblr.com\/4c0ecb1a63427c9043e649a7e561fee4\/tumblr_oft27uExIZ1sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Once, this Azerbaijan devotee, Garuda Vahana Das and I were at the University of Utah, where practically everyone is fixed up in Mormonism, and we approached a student reading outside on a bench.
\nGaruda: (Russian accent) Excuse me, I have book for you, about Yoga, you know, meditation.
\nStudent: That sounds great, but I think I’m okay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10650,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10650"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32829"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65176,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32829\/revisions\/65176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}