Navina Nirada Dasa
HERE ARE SOME experiences and realizations of devotees who give people Krsna consciousness through books by Srila Prabhupada and his followers.
Srila Prabhupada's Blessings
I was distributing books in a factory and had just signed up one hundred workers to each take a set of books (fifteen books in each set). When I went to see the director for payment, he sent me to the chief accountant, but she refused to give me the money, saying she had nothing in the treasury.
A few days later was the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada passing, so we had a big festival at the temple. I thought that to really get the mercy of Srila Prabhupada I should go to the factory and see the chief accountant to get the payment so that the workers could get Srila Prabhupada's books.
When I got to the factory, the chief accountant told me there was no chance of my getting the money that day because it was Friday; I should come back on Monday. But I knew that day was special, and I really wanted to please Srila Prabhupada. So I sat down in her office, pulled out a picture of Srila Prabhupada, placed it on the table, and began to pray intensely to Srila Prabhupada.
After a while all attention turned to me. The chief accountant was quite concerned and asked me what was wrong.
"Today is the anniversary of the departure of my grandfather," I told her. "I'm praying to him to help me."
She left her office and came back with a paper in her hand a release for the money for the books.
"You'll get the money today," she said. "I promise."
By now it was late in the afternoon, and the bank was closing in twenty minutes. We ran to her car and sped off to the bank. When we returned to the factory, she was concerned that the workers hadn't gotten their books. It was already too late for me to pick up the books from the temple and make it back before the workers went home. So she made an announcement over the intercom:
"All workers who were to receive books must go to the Hare Krsna temple tonight and collect them."
When I returned to the temple later, I was amazed to see a long line of people entering and walking out with boxes of books. The temple was full of workers from the factory. They all received the mercy of Srila Prabhupada.
Jagadisa Dasa, CIS
Transformed Boss
In Lithuania, Nityananda Rama Dasa went to sell sets of books at a factory where the director was feared by all the employees. The director was like a gangster and would beat people and throw them out of the company. When Nityananda Rama came in with the books, the workers told him not to go anywhere near the director. But Nityananda Rama wasn't deterred. He went in, showed the director the books, and fearlessly preached to him with determination.
The man looked at the books and read a little. He appreciated that Nityananda Rama was taking time to explain the books and talk to him. As the saying goes, "It's lonely at the top." No one would ever talk with him, so he was lonely.
The director called all the department heads to his office and told them, "Everyone is going to buy a set of these books."
No one dared say no. The director let Nityananda Rama go through the company selling books, with his recommendation.
Nityananda Rama collected many signatures authorizing payment, and a few days later he returned to deliver the books. The director had assembled all the workers and department heads in a large hall. He then gave a speech.
"Today is a very important day, because you all have the chance to get these wonderful books. You may ask yourself why I'm doing this, since you all know I've been an atheist all my life. But since I've met this interesting person and read these books, I'm convinced there's something more than just material life. And I want God up there to know that I, Valdimier Zuchenkof, have given His books to the workers of my factory."
Everyone applauded, and he started handing out the books.
Navina Nirada Dasa
Navina Nirada Dasa heads ISKCON's book-distribution ministry and travels worldwide to train and inspire book distributors.