Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.
The results of MSF are as follows:
- 28 devotees participated in book distribution
- 3870 books were totally distributed and
- $2502 in Laxmi points were collected (including donations*)
On behalf of Team ISV, we thank all participants and contributors.
MSF of Loving Exchanges ki Jaya!
Yours in service,
Raxit
GNABS
I had brought a little sign that said, "Bhakti Yoga, Free Meditation Lesson" and some little japa malas.
The first lady I talked to, before other distributors arrived, took a Krishna book. Her name was Michelle. She had done TM and Namyeho Ringekyo chanting. She considered herself a Buddhist but actually believes there is a soul and a Supreme God (these statements were coming from her, not from me). It was clear that Krishna had sent her to me at this difficult time in her life, and she wanted a relationship with a personal God and was tired of impersonalism and voidism. She seemed smart and simple and good hearted.
She had recently lost her job in Napa County and had moved to Santa Cruz because she always wanted to live here, but she was in anxiety about economics. She is in her early 60s and is afraid about finding decent employment at her age. She said she wanted to become "fearless" and she was thrilled when I told her the "A.C." in Srila Prabhupada's name referred to Krishna (abhaya caranaravinda), whose lotus feet deliver one from all fears.
She sat and chanted a round with me, said it made her feel "lighter", and was very happy with the experience. I forgot to get her contact information, but maybe she gave it to Vaisesika, who arrived before we finished chanting. She asked us about contacting us, and Vaish was talking about how we were setting up a "meet group" on the internet. (I want to talk to her again. I wish I had at least given her my card. I noticed she was chanting with her left hand and was holding the beads between thumb and index finger. I hope she learns to do it right. I think she will love her Krishna book. I also gave her a paperback Gita and a little mala.)
Anyway, for me the whole day was like that. I had a brief to write and I could only stay out a few hours. During that whole time I was giving one japa lesson after another to people who were eager to experience bhakti. I ran out of malas and some people had to chant without malas. One person donated $5 for a little mala. I did not have time to distribute books (but our group distributed 15 Gitas and about 30 books altogether).
At least three of the chanters, including Michelle, might easily have moved into a temple asram (if we had a well-organized local temple asram for them to move into) for further training. This "free bhakti yoga lesson" idea is a keeper.
Ys
Akruranath Das
