I’ve seen him walking around the downtown area many times and often in Union square park too! I said hello to him, complimented him on his beads and told him that he looks like a very spiritual guy. He told me that he’s like the Guru of the east village and has been living there since his hippy days. He’s known the devotees for a long time and has read some of Prabhupada’s books in the past. I was inspired to show him a Srimad bhagavatam set because it’s Balarama Purnima. I told him that it’s the encyclopedia of all spiritual knowledge and that my Gurumaharaja, His Holiness Bhakti Vikas swami, told me if I distribute bhagavatam sets in the streets of New York it will revolutionize book distribution. I was also telling him that I’m a monk, he advised me to stay away from getting married and said it’s best to remain celibate!
He also took an Arabic “Bhagavad Gita as it is” for a Lebanese friend of his who likes to read spiritual books.
