Some time back I was sitting behind a book table in Sydney. Not so many people were checking out the table, but by Krsna's grace I was stopping a few and some books were going out. Then a derelict stopped and started looking at the books. He asked how much the hardback Bhagavad-gita was. When I told him, he walked away, and I didn't think I'd see him again. But he soon returned, and after perusing the books he miraculously pulled out a fifty-dollar bill for the Gita and told me to keep the change! So I gave him an Ever Well-Wisher, a Krsna book, and an SSR as well.
Later that day I moved to the next suburb and set up. I usually try to have some prasadam to give out -- either bliss balls, nuts and raisins, or halava. This time I had a pot of halava. Another derelict came by (a bit intoxicated) and asked me to give him a free book since he had no money. He told me how previously I had given him an Ever Well-Wisher
for a small donation and he was in the middle of reading it -- but he had lost it. So he just grabbed an Ever Well-Wisher off the table and started walking away. I told him he couldn't take it for free but if he came back with some change I would give it to him.
After some time he came back stating he still had no money and took the same book off the table. I said, "Listen, I can't give you the book, but take some halava." He loved the halava, consuming about six cups! Just then an Indian gentleman stopped and showed a lot of interest. He ended up buying some books and Krsna posters for a big donation. I told him this other guy really wanted a book but had no money. I asked him if he could throw in some extra change for the other guy. He was glad to do that, he said, and he pulled out a handful of coins and dropped them into the donation bucket. Then the derelict happily walked away with the Ever Well-Wisher, intoxicated on Krsna prasadam!
Your servant
Rupa Raghunatha das
Australia
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