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On the first day of the 2011 sankirtan seminars in Mayapur, Navina Nirada Prabhu related a nice story about a Russian sankirtan devotee. While distributing books he met another devotee distributing, so he asked him, "Which temple are you from?"The other devotee asked, "Temples? There are temples?"

It turned out that the young man had received a book from someone and had become very inspired by reading it. And when he read in the book how important it is that this knowledge be distributed to others, he went to a print shop and had a hundred copies of the book printed so he could distribute them! It was those books he was distributing when the sankirtan devotee met him. The young man had never met a devotee before and didn't know there were devotees and temples, but he became a devotee and a book distributor just by reading one of Prabhupada books.

Navina Nirada then said he had heard that Vaisesika Prabhu recently gave a Sunday Feast lecture at a temple in the USA in which he emphasized the importance of the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta. Vaisesika ended up selling forty sets to the guests and collecting over $6,000.

Anakadundubhi Prabhu from Italy spoke about contact sankirtan, saying we should keep in touch with people who are interested in Krsna consciousness.Once a year he contacts the hundred or so people on his list who he knows are favorable. He calls them, writes them, and visits them. About thirteen years ago he began visiting a family with a young boy about five years old. Every year he would visit this family, so he saw the boy grow into a young man. Last year when Anakadundubhi visited, the young man said that this time he was eagerly waiting for him to visit because he had been reading the books Anakadundubhi would bring and was very interested. He said his parents weren't reading them so much, but that he found them fascinating, and that he was now chanting japa also. All glories to contact sankirtan!

Paramesvara Prabhu from the USA spoke next. He said, "Once I distributed books inside a WalMart because it was too cold outside. Later I learned that one of the young men I had distributed a book to had liked the book so much that when he read in the address list where the nearest temple was he would walk for an hour to the temple while reading the book, and then when he went back home he would do the same thing -- walking and reading. This was when it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside! When the devotees at the temple heard what he was doing, they let him move into the temple. Now he's a full-time devotee."

Paramesvara continued: "I had an interesting dream when I was taking a fifteen-minute nap/break while on book distribution at a concert. I dreamt I was in a temple somewhere, and I saw the murti of Prabhupada on the vyasasana. Out of affection I touched Prabhupada's shoulder, and the murti moved. It came to life! It was of course very moving for me to see this. So I thought the best thing to do was to ask Prabhupada if there was anything I could do for him. All of the sudden in the temple room there were a lot of people moving about, so Prabhupada asked me, 'Could you stop someone and bring him here? I want to preach.' "I tried to stop someone but I couldn't, so I said to Prabhupada: 'Prabhupada, I'm not able to stop anyone. Maybe we could find someone who is standing still.'
"So he got up from the vyasasana, and we were walking together to find someone for him to preach to. One fellow saw me and said, 'Oh, you're the book guy. I want that "Science of Self Realization."'

"So I said 'OK' and gave him the SSR, and he gave three dollars for it. Then I told him, 'There's this amazing spiritual master who wants to speak to you. He's the author of the book.' Prabhupada was right there. Then the fellow opened the book, and Prabhupada was gone in an instant, and the dream broke and I woke up.

"I learned from this dream the truth of Prabhupada's statement that 'I am in my books.' I really realized it after this dream. Prabhupada and I were looking for someone for him to preach to, but as soon as the guy opened the book, Prabhupada disappeared, indicating that he is preaching to people through his books."

 Another story from Paramesvara: "Recently I was distributing in Texas when I approached a group of young people, and as soon as I showed the SSR one guysaid excitedly, 'Get that book! Oh my God!' He was totally lit up. He said, 'I got that book yesterday and started reading it in class. I was up all night long talking to my friend about it.' He said to me, 'Dude, I was an atheist before I read that book; I hated people. Now I know there's a God and I love people. And now I know there is a way to fix the world.' He was glowing. His hair was even standing on end. Then sure enough, all his  friends around him took books. Then he pulled out his wallet and gave me fifty dollars and didn't ask for anything in return. Of course I gave him more books. It was so amazing. I started crying right on the spot, he inspired me so much. It was unbelievable. This is the power of Prabhupada's books."

your servant,

Vijaya das