Waves of Sankirtana - Volume 1, Issue 8

Hare Krishna!

Welcome to the eighth issue of "Waves of Sankirtana", the monthly newsletter of the India Sankirtana Leaders Team! In this issue, we cover the following highlights:

1. Srila Prabhupada Speaks: "Even 1%"

2. India Sankirtana Report Card - December 2014

3. Sankirtana Training - How to read these books? 

4. Sankirtana Stories: The Mercy of Srila Prabhupada

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Srila Prabhupada Speaks 

"My ambition is to spread these books far and wide all over the world so that everyone shall read at least one of our books and that will change his life. If only 1% become devotees, that will change the world." 

(SPL to Karandhara, 2nd May, 1972)

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India Sankirtana Report Card - December 2014

The graph and chart below show the Indian temples that made it to the Top 50 list (or close) as per the World Sankirtana Newsletter for December Marathon 2014.

The scores reported here are sourced from the World Sankirtana Newsletter, December 2014.

All glories to the wonderful service by devotees across India! The table below lists individual book distributors for December 2014 with world rank, name, book points, and temple affiliation. 

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Sankirtana Training: How to read these books?

We devotees are eager to distribute books and as seen from our monthly results, we all do this service well. Sometimes, we get asked if we have read the books we distribute, and what is in the book. Sometimes, we find it difficult to get the inspiration to study these books systematically. Sometimes, a person to whom we just handed over a Bhagavad Gita might ask us - How to read this book? Sometimes, we are faced with questions like "How to keep focused and maintain a dedicated need to read?" 

How to read Srila Prabhupada's books?

HG Vishnumurti Prabhu has compiled 60 ways to read Srila Prabhupada's books, a resource that quotes various instances where Srila Prabhupada gave specific instructions on reading his books. Please visit the hyperlinked site 60 ways to read Srila Prabhupada's books to find out more.

HG Vaisesika Prabhu and his team have developed a very useful tool to help read Srila Prabhupada's books in a systematic way. This tool provides a table that shows how many pages of a book to read each day to complete reading the book in a given time. For example, if we read 3 pages of the Bhagavad Gita As It is, we can complete reading the books in 9 months. This way, we can set a small goal and keep checking our progress. This resource is useful to all devotees, and to all people who receive Srila Prabhupada's books. 

India Sankirtana Leaders Team has recently acquired permission to redesign the card and is eager to share it with you here. Please feel free to use it. For printable HiDef versions, please contact indiasankirtana@gmail.com.  

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Sankirtana Stories: The Mercy of Srila Prabhupada

An anonymous devotee who is a veteran book distributor from Secundrabad shares a book distribution story...

I used to distribute books at Railway Stations in India. Sometimes, I used to get caught by Railway Police and been question or tortured by their typical words giving me the warning that I shall never enter Railway station for selling books. Somehow or other, I used to observe that whenever they used to catch and put me in their station for few hours, I was still happy because by that time I would have sold my minimum quota of books. 

But one fine day, early in the morning, when I entered railway station, immediately I was caught by the Railway police and put me in their station. I was feeling so bad not because I was put in the station but thinking that these people will waste all my good time keeping me in the station and by the time they release me, all the trains including the last one would have passed away and I shall end up not selling even the minimum number of books to be distributed as decided for that day.

Hence, I was seriously feeling depressed and morose, I was whole heartedly praying to Srila Prabhupada that what kind of testimony I’m undergoing this time. I was begging to Srila Prabhupada that what if I cannot even sell a minimum of books, what I should do now. I prayed to him intensely that “Ohh my grand Spiritual Master, O the ocean of mercy, I being in this situation, unable to understand what would be your plan, what is your plan that you are making me to sit idle in this police station and how can I do my book distribution? But I have strong faith that you would be having some business in this police station otherwise why would you allowed the police to keep me in the station? And above that I was cursing myself and thinking that there could be some problem in my sadhana or chanting. So I prayed to him that it is now your mercy on how these books get distributed?”

As soon as I started praying this way, I sat at one of the corner as usual as I used to and simply chanting, suddenly few Police Constables saw me and could recognize me that I was the same old Pandit who was put in the station to stop this book distribution. They laughed upon me again and taunted me that “hey you are really a shameless fellow and has no self-respect and continuing the same offense and got punished again”. Saying these words, suddenly one among them asked me “Hey what books do you carry this time extending his hand towards Bhagavad Gita”. 

I was simply ignoring his words as they keep commenting and ridiculing me. I never bother to hear their words, but because they extended their hands to see the books, I opened all the books and put before them. Suddenly after this few more constables gathered looking into the books both small and big. After few minutes few more police constables gathered and appeared as if all the police constables surrounded around me and books. Everyone was focusing on all types of books, and then I was seeing Srila Prabhupada’s hand in all this instance and thought within the mind that probably he has heard my prayers. 

And suddenly one constable asked the price of Bhagavad Gita and he purchased it, and later one more constable took Hindi Bhagavad Gita and in this way almost 9-books were distributed and tears were flowing from my eyes seeing this miracle. Above to this two constables gave advance order for 2-more bhagavad gitas (Tamil & Marathi), for which next day I did gave them. This could only be termed as Srila Prabhupada’s magic and nothing beyond it. This way, I realized that with a sincere efforts and prayers with wholeheartedness when one does the prayers to Srila Prabhupada having strong faith, he reciprocates and shows all wonders.

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Tell us what you think!

We are eager to learn how to serve you better! Please write to us at indiasankirtana@gmail.com:

• Report your book distribution scores,

• Share your experiences, realizations, and stories,

• Ask (or answer) a question (FAQ) on book distribution,

• Suggest a book distributor who could share valuable insights,

• Give ideas for how to make this newsletter better and sweeter,

• Get involved with ISLT strategy and help develop this newsletter,

• Extend your support and encouragement with comments or letters.

For your convenience, we have also included a contact form on the right hand side bar of this page. Thank you very much for reading this month's newsletter!

Param Vijayate Sri Krishna Sankirtanam!

Your servants,

Sri Rama Dasa

Krishna Mitra Nitai Dasa

Vamsuli Dasa 

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