Malawi Africa discovers Prabhupada's books-Part 2




One of the most amazing encounters was this family of five who came and started looking at all the books. They looked intelligent and aristocratic. Father, mother and three kids in their early teens. I was just meditating that if a family like this took interest it would be really good for our movement here as they seemed highly placed in society. Then while I was explaining to them about the books I saw all members of the family picking up and reading a book from the table and they looked quite absorbed. The father looked really surprised at the titles of the books and was showing his wife (Beyond birth and death, Life comes from Life, Easy journey to other Planets etc..). The father then held up "Life comes from life" and said that they will take that book. The children and his wife each protested to the father as they wanted to take their books also.

 

 

They started arguing in Chichewa (local language) and his wife listened to him and put her book down but not the kids. And so I made a suggestion; "Why not take all the books?" And so it was settled they took 4 books [LCFL, Coming back, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Beyond birth and Death]. It didn't end there though. I gave them my contact card and today morning (a day after the end of the fair) I got a call from him; He wanted to know if I had the book called Bhagavad-gita as it is and if he could have it "today if possible". I was surprised since I didn't tell him anything about the Bhagavad-gita when we met at the fair.

So we met today in the afternoon in town and I asked him what prompted him to ask for a BG. He said that the whole family went home and the first thing they did was give his elderly father all the books to read and go through
and explained to him about what they heard from me. His father just read half of the book "Beyond birth and Death", and was really impressed with what he read and also saw references to a book called Bhagavad-gita. And so
he told his son to immediately get this book called Bhagavad-gita. 

 

At home they said they had books on "Kabala (Jewish mysticism), Islam, Bahai and of course Bibles. But he said he told me his father said he "never read anything like this before". Apparently (maybe because of my devotional dress, tilak etc) they thought that I wasn't from Malawi and might be leaving after the trade fair so they rushed to contact me to get the book. I assured them that I am here to stay and I told him to read the books and we can meet after a week or two to discuss if he wants.I took his contact and he looked really happy and thanked me and left.

After giving him the BG I went to do some errands and a person approached me on the street. He said I sold him a book once in his shop and he wants more books and he has been looking for me for a long time now. He saw me from his shop so ran out to meet me. So I gave him one of my newly printed mantra cards (H.H.Jayadvaita  Maharaja) on his visit here recommended I handout these cards widely with my contact as well as the Mahamanta and he said he would call me as soon as he got some money.

 

 



There is generally widespread poverty. But, due to the mercy and blessings of the Gurus, the Vaishnavas and Sri Gauranga and potency of Srila Prabhupadas words in his books, somehow or other the books are really starting to move  including BG's, although sometimes I have to collect the money in installments.  I recall a quote of Srila Prabhupada and a similar one by H.H. Tamal Krishna Maharaja in which it is said that the more books go out in a place, the more the possibility is for even  more books to be distributed there (in reference to Siksastaka; 'anandambudhi vardhanam'). So I guess this is proof of the universality of this quote, that is, it is applicable in all places, in all times and to all people.

 

Your servant,

Murari das

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