English
Speaker: HG Navin Nirada Prabhu
Topic: Successful Book Distribution
Hare Krishna
I feel honoured, blessed and happy to be in your association.
Krishna, because of His causeless mercy, has given you the best place in the world to distribute Prabhupada’s books. I distributed 700 books in a day just a few months back. But now I'm distributing much less in comparison. These scores are always changing, but what must be steady is our dedication, our focus and our meditation.
I distributed books mostly in Rishikesh and Jagannath Puri and I can honestly tell you that you have the best audience. Practically everybody wants these books in India. It's just a matter of making them available. I have a friend Chakadola Prabhu. He’s in Noida and an IT. Every day he is distributing around 150 books via the internet and if you do the math, that's 5,000 books a month and 60,000 books a year.
Here in Mayapur HH Jayapataka Swami is distributing over a thousand books a day. There's so many others who have book tables. Go from one person to another or distribute books at the Harinama. Mayapur is distributing between three and five thousand books daily. There are some people, who are going to industrialists and other big people and requesting them to buy hundreds and thousands of books at one time. Even if you think you are just an ordinary layman, like myself, you can just take a few books in your bag and wherever you go, wherever you walk, you just smile at people and you can introduce the message of Krishna Consciousness to them.
I guarantee you that each one of you will distribute at least five or ten books every single day, without even working hard, without even making big plans. You just go out and smile at people and say, “Hare Krishna” and then they say, “Hare Krishna! Do you have something for me?”
And we say, “Yes.”
When they look at you like, “You have something for me? You have something good.”
“Yes, we have the best thing.”
Of course, you can give them your business card and it's got your contact details and your social media. But how much will people get from that? If they touch these books, read just one word or one shloka, their life can change. When you have a nice interaction and you give them a book, at the end you can also give them your contact details. Just don't only give them your contact details, without giving them the books. It looks like people are doing fine. It looks like people are happy, but if you could talk to them, you will realise that everybody's struggling.
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi -
duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (B.G. 13.9)
Suffering is everywhere and if you add daily traffic and smoke then you got a very volatile combination.
Just a few days ago I met a student in Puri. His mom had died, and he was struggling with his studies. I took some time to listen to him and give him some consoling words. He was really touched that I took time to hear his story and to show him some empathy. He walked with me to the bank and he gave me 500 rupees for a small book, because a small book was all I had left. You see we're not book sellers. Amazon sells books, Flipkart sells products, but we are not moving products. We are moving hearts. Often, people need to be convinced by our own personal example. The vast majority, have heard of Bhagavad-gita. They've heard of the Vedas. They just need to see a practical example of what happens when a person applies himself to this practice. They look at the book and they look at you and if the two don’t match, it’s not good and they don’t take a book. So, before we go out we have to chant good rounds like all of you were doing just now, a minute ago and I jumped in and disturbed your Bhajan.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Then people look at you and they go, “Hey, I want what you have. Can I have that?”
Yes! We give him the book.
But if we're thinking, “Oh, I have job problem, family problem, money problem, this problem, that problem, then people look at you and they will say, “ If I read this book I will become like him. I don't want that.” And they just run away.
I was distributing books at the University of California, in Berkeley and I approached one student and he told me, ‘You already asked me yesterday. Why are you asking me again?”
I said, “You're wearing a mask. I can't see, so I can't tell. You look like anybody else, so I'm sorry.” He took off his mask and he had a beard. He said, “I'm a Muslim. But you're glowing, you're effulgent, I want what you have.” And he took the book. Everyone is looking for happiness.
I met another person in San Francisco and he also was a little hesitant, probably because he had seen me before. He thought that I knew him and so he was a little surprised. We were just passing each other, and he was like, “I know you” and he thought I knew him too. I didn’t know what I should, I tell him. And I said, “Abdullah, right? And he said, “Yes.” And he took a book.
Now the point I'm making here is that if we're not sama-darsinah (see with equal vision). If we don’t see people with equal vision, we're not even Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī (neophytes). We're not even beginners on the path of bhakti. We’re not pushing Hindu tattva or nationalism or this or that. We're propagating bhakti, pure loving devotional service to the Supreme personality of Godhead and that's common to all the religions. That's the only thing that makes the world go on.
Yesterday, I was walking around with the elephant procession of Radha Madhava when I met two students. They're not students anymore, but they still looked like students. They were IT professionals from Uzbekistan and they were going on a boat tour in India. They rented a car to come from Kolkata to Mayapur for a one day trip and they were just appreciating Mayapur. I explained a few things to them and they were very happy, I asked them if they had books? One of them very proudly took out the English Bhagavad Gita from his bag and showed me with enthusiasm. “We have the book.” Uzbekistan, is again a different culture, different mindset, but the people are looking for happiness. They’re looking for bhakti. All I'm saying is that don't limit yourself to one demographic. If you want to be a Swami Narayan you have to be a Gujju. If you want to be this, you have to be from that district; if you want to be that, you have to be part of that group. You want to be a bhakta. It can be anybody.
Of course, in Marathon times, we go to places where we can do the most amount of distribution, which means where there's a lot of people - like train stations, bus stops, in the market, in malls. But we should put some effort to go to places like Jawaharlal Nehru University, and BHU Varanasi. We must go to these places, where people study law, language, arts, philosophy, psychology, history. Yes, we have a few engineers in our movement. We also need the arts and the humanities. Now, how do we reach 1.4 billion people? We have a thousand people here. If each one of you teaches a few or let's say 12 people. You know, Jesus only had 12 disciples. Not a hundred! Not a thousand !Nor a million! Only 12! So, your mission is to find 12 people to train in Krishna Consciousness and to empower them to become an agent of change. That means engaging them in sankirtana. Sankirtana is the only thing that works in Kali-yuga. You go out with them and you show them, how to distribute books. This is the only hope. If they don't feel that special mercy, that dependence, that same helplessness, that Prabhupada felt when he stepped off the Jaladutta, not knowing where to turn, then, they will never really taste that special secret of bhakti. If we don't give people the chance, the opportunity to engage in sankirtana, in book distribution, we are cheating them. We're cheating ourselves. We're not looking for members. We’re not looking for followers. We're not looking for money.
na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
Translation
“ ‘O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.’(CC Antya 20.29)
That is what we're praying every day, Mahaprabhu's prayer.
Okay, you want a few tips how to distribute a lot of books.
1. Inspiration, sadhana, very attentive rounds.
2. You have to get books, you have to carry books wherever you go.
3. You have to show those books. You have to make them visible. You have to put them in people's hands.
And for that, you have to be a little bit organised. In some places you can just stand there and show the books and people will come forward. But in most places that may not be the case. You have to have a personal connection.
I was just walking around all over India and I just asked people, “English wala, Hindi wala or what kind of a wala are you?” And then they would say, “I speak this or I speak that or I speak everything.” I say, “Wonderful! That's great. You’re qualified. Here, this is for you.” Boom! You put the book in their hands.
You can tell them for this month of Gita Jayanti, we're giving everybody a Bhagavad Gita. I was on the beach in Puri. I just walked by the 5 star Mayfair Hotel. It's one of the most exclusive places. There was an Indian couple. They were middle-aged like myself, and they were a little curious as to why a white guy is wearing the Brahman thread? We talked a little bit and then I gave them a book and then the man asked, “So, you're selling these? I said, “No! This is a gift for you and you give whatever you like.” So the lady, very happily, gave 500 rupees for a small book.
Very few people wake up in the morning and think I need to buy a Bhagavad Gita today. But if you're at the right place with the right consciousness, the people will buy books like anything.
A few years ago, I was in Bangkok on Khaosan Road which is the tourist spot and I met a young couple from Britain. I gave them the book and the lady said, “You wouldn't believe it, but this morning I woke up in the hotel room and I was thinking I need to read Bhagavad Gita. Now you give me a Bhagavad Gita.” She couldn't believe it. This is just magical.
You can learn how to have short dialogues. Mostly people are looking for inspiration. They're looking for a personal example of an individual who is practicing. You can also open the book and read one shloka or just one sentence and you'll see what impact it will have. I was walking past a house. I saw a lady talking to some workers in the driveway. I saw that she had seen me, so I turned around. I came back because Krishna told me, “Hey, why don't you talk to her.” I went to the entrance, took off my shoes and my hat and I handed her a book. I said, “Upanishad, Sri-Upanishad.” And she said, “Yeah-yeah! I have heard of this.” She happily went and fetched the donation. Yes, you can argue. You can debate. You can try to convince people and it will work for some, but in doing so you will lose a lot of energy and a lot of time.
kali-kālera dharma — kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana
kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana
Translation
“The fundamental religious system in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Unless empowered by Kṛṣṇa, one cannot propagate the saṅkīrtana movement.(CC Antya 7.11)
These books are distributed by Krishna’s potency, by the enthusiasm of the devotees. Srila Prabhupad said,”Don't teach them techniques. Just teach them how to be sincere devotees, then the master in the heart will teach them everything.”
One time I was in Mumbai in one of the train stations, and it was rush hour traffic - five o’clock or six o'clock in the evening. People are coming home from work. Everybody was dull, tired, non-responsive and just walking like zombies. I know some devotees like to use microphones, and they are screaming the 50 percent discount that they’re offering. That works for them. It doesn't work for me. Everybody has their own style. I tried to talk to people, but they were not responsive. It was like a big flow of fish or like a big flow of animals, all doing the same thing.
So I just started:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Few people started looking at me and I'm like, “You, you and you, come here. I got something for you.” And I gave them the books. Then I continued chanting till a few more people paid attention. If you can go out with a small group, some can chant and others will distribute. If there is chanting, it becomes much easier to distribute books. People naturally take books because they understand that these books explain the chanting. This goes together and these people look happy. I also want to sing and dance in my life. If I read these books I will learn how to sing and dance. So yes, I want this.
If you can't do anything, you can sponsor books distributors You can cook food for the harinama book distributors. You can make hats and shawls, and other things to give as gifts.There was one lady in Srivas Thakur's house. Her name was Dukhi. Every day all she did was get water from the Ganga and prepare different rows of pots for Srivas Thakur and also for Lord Caitanya to use the water from these pots for bathing. Caitanya Mahaprabhu appreciated her service and said, “ From today your name is not Dukhi. Your name is Sukhi.”
hā hā prabhu nityānanda, premānanda sukhī
kṛpābalokana koro āmi boro duḥkhī
I am very miserable. I'm very fallen. I'm very unqualified, but by the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda we can also become sukhi.
You're very fortunate because you have spiritual guidance and senior association. You're very blessed. To the degree we surrender to the mission of Guru Gauranga, to that degree we will become empowered. To the degree you help others, Krishna will help you.
Thank you for allowing me to address you. This is a very special time. People go out to buy gifts, to spend money. People are looking for hope, They're looking for an alternative for something that's positive in this negative world. Get together with your friends and if you don't have any friends, make some new friends and go out and do sankirtana and I give you a “money back guarantee” that from this seminar your life will change. It will never be the same again.
When you engage in the sacred presence you will realize Krishna’s presence. You will realize Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's special mercy wherever you are. At the Ratha-yatra they had seven kirtan parties, with kirtan leaders, and dancers and chanters and people playing the cymbals and mrdangas. However many of the devotees could see Lord Caitanya personally dancing in each and every one of those groups. I guarantee you the same will happen to you. You will see Lord Caitanya's presence and Srila Prabhupad’s potency everywhere. Use whatever talent Krishna has given you. It might be your humility. It might be your sincerity. It might be your wit, humour, boldness. Whoever you are, just use those talents in Krishna’s service. In this way, they will become perfected.
We have a thousand devotees here. If you all meet with 10 or 20 or 50 of your friends and you go out and distribute a few books then that will be lakhs and lakhs and lakhs of books just from this group. This is a very critical time in the history of humanity. People are being bombarded by so much propaganda. There is so much negativity, aggression, exploitation, corruption and hypocrisy. These books will create a cultural, a spiritual revolution in the hearts of misguided humanity. We may be very unqualified, but we have the greatest gift.
Whenever, people get together and they hear about Krishna, at that moment there will be no fear, no anxiety, no material hankering and people become happy and peaceful through the performance of devotional service.
I wish you a happy marathon and please remember - the more you help others the more Krishna takes care of your life. What is your benefit? My commission is only one percent. I only want one percent of your mercy. I would rather have one percent of each and every one, than a hundred percent from one person.
A few moons ago I was 15 years old. I received one of Prabhupada’s books and it changed my life. We have a very powerful, a very potent substance here, Use it or lose it. If we don't appreciate what we have, we will lose our appreciation. Don't just be a superficial devotee. Don't just float on the outskirts. Dive deep into the nectar of Harinama sankirtana.
Say a little prayer for this fool, so that I can also make some spiritual advancement. Thank you for your kind attention for tolerating me, giving me your precious time and I wish you a wonderful sankirtana experience.
It's already been declared that this movement has been declared to be a victory. The only question is, “Will I be part of that success or am I just going to be another loser like the whole rest of them.” If you want to be part of the winning team join the sankirtana movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Every day is a victory! Every book is a victory and every effort, every step you take, is a victory.
