Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really
nice gentleman named Andy. He fled communist Poland in the 1980’s and
immigrated to America. He’s currently an iron worker in Long Island just
to earn a living so he can travel all over the world. He learned Hebrew
in Israel and Arabic in Egypt just so
he could study sacred texts in their original language. He’s been an
underground activist for the environment and he’s also a Sanskrit
scholar. He told us that he learnt Sanskrit mainly from reading and
studying Srila Prabhupada’s books. He recited the invocation from the
“Sri Isopanishad” by heart in perfect meter with the English translation
modified so it rhymes like a poem!
He was friends with
a popular devotee named Kapindra from the lower east side of Manhattan
who had a preaching center on St Marks place back in the 1980’s.
He
was so happy to see “the new generation of devotees” as he put it and
said it was a blessing to run into us. He was crying when he got the
set!
He started crying when he got the set!
Mahotsaha prabhu and Bhakta Euron distribute a Super ”Mahat-Tattva”
stack! {14 Maha big books in one shot} “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada
Lilamrita” set together!
Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Very nice lady from Ethiopia.
She
was watching the Harinam in a very attentive way and looked very
blissful. She told me that she really likes this “Hare Krishna” mantra!
She’s been learning about mantras and spiritual energy
and she told me she felt connected to the chanting right away when she
heard the kirtan. She really likes to read especially spiritual books so
I showed her our set. She told me she really wants the books but she
didn’t have any cash on her so I told her no problem we take credit
cards and she smiled! She said: “Wow that’s great, you don’t know how
much I need these books!” She kept telling me how grateful she was to
receive the set.
She’s from Ethiopia!
Smiling all the way back to Godhead!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Really nice person named Marcus.
He
told me that he was seriously studying the Koran and that he’s very
open minded about all religions and cultures. He wants to understand
other traditions so that he can increase his devotion to God.
He’s a Muslim!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Scarlett
and Santana with their dad Bhakta Shaun distributing “On chanting Hare
Krishna” pamphlets today in Times Square! Never too young to do some
sankirtan!
Scarlet distributing her first “Saptarishi” set!
Santana
and Scarlet distribute a “Saptarishi” set with a little help from Gopal
Champu prabhu! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Bhakta Euron recalls:
Really
nice young gentleman named Anthony who’s an internet entrepreneur. He
started his own education based online business to teach people about
advertising and how to expand their business. He’s quite successful and
he works with various companies based
all over the USA. He likes the freedom it gives him to pursue other
interests like spirituality. He was telling me that his philosophy is to
fix the inside internal part of oneself first so that the outside part
can feel satisfied and attract monetary gain on their own terms. It
sounded very logical. He was very interested in the books and wants to
come to our Sunday feast program and help us with promotion ideas. When I
first approached him I told him that he has a really cool style. I
explained to him that these books are about the essence of all spiritual
truths, they will liberate us from the dualities of the material world
such as happiness and distress. Also I mentioned that they teach us how
to attain the ultimate supreme truth. He really liked what I was saying
and listened very attentively. He appreciated that we are helping
people make a change in their spiritual life by giving out this
knowledge. He also wants to make a meaningful difference in people’s
life.
Anthony from Brooklyn!
Bhakta Euron distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Really nice young lady named Teamy.
She
walked by the Harinam when we first started and stopped to talk to me.
She was on her way to class at the Brooklyn NYU campus. She told me that
she’s really into this kind of spiritual
knowledge so I showed her our set but she was in a hurry for class and
asked me if she can come by later on and I said sure. She texted me
around 6:30pm and told me she will be there at 7:15pm to pick up the
set. She was telling me how grateful she is to get these books and how
her family and friends think she’s a little weird because she’s into
spiritual things. I quoted her verse 7.3 from the Gita “Manusyanam
sahasresu” Out of many thousands of people very few actually achieve
spiritual perfection. I explained to her that she’s a very rare soul.
She asked me how she can make advancement and I told her the best thing
is through association with devotees and I gave her the contact info of
some lady devotees at the Brooklyn Radha Govinda temple.
She’s a student at NYU Brooklyn campus!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really
nice lady named Nicole from Puerto Rico. She’s one of the MTA station
managers at the Atlantic Avenue Barclays center subway station for the
last two years. She’s been seeing us on Harinam whenever we’re at this
station and she always says hello to me
and I give her prasadam cookies. One time she asked me about the books
and told me that her and her husband are really interested in eastern
spiritual literature. About a month ago I showed her our set and told
her what people usually give as a donation and she asked me if she could
pay for it in installments every time she sees me at the station and I
said sure it’s no problem. Every week she’s been giving me $10 towards
the books and this week it was enough for her to get the set. She likes
the chanting and she would always come over and ask me about Krishna
consciousness philosophy.
Nicole, MTA station manager!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Super
sweet gentleman named Aarol from Harlem! He was walking by and I said:
“hey bro how you doing?” He stopped and smiled at me then reached into
his pocket and gave me a donation right away. He was telling me how he
recently went to India for tourism and
visited the Iskcon Delhi temple where he bought the DVD series of
“following Srila Prabhupada”. He told me that watching the DVD changed
his life, he was especially touched watching ‘the swami leaving the
planet’ as he put it. When he was younger he also watched some programs
on TV with Srila Prabhupada and he really liked what he heard about
Krishna and the philosophy. I showed him the Prabhupada Lilamrita and
told him: “it’s the swami’s biography with many nice paintings and
pictures inside you’re gonna love it!”
In the end he agreed to get both sets and said: “I’m not working a job right now but I’m still going to give you a donation!”
It was clear that he was already convinced by Srila Prabhupada and Krishna sent him to me to get the books. It’s a good feeling.
Aarol from Harlem!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a Super ”Mahat-Tattva” stack! {14 Maha big
books in one shot} “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set
together!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Pushpani
mataji lives in New Jersey, she came to the Harinam today to see her
Gurumaharaja Janananda swami while he was visiting us. Maharaja led an
ecstatic kirtan for an hour and she was dancing and singing along. She’s
very humble when I asked her if she
would like to take a set she gave a very generous donation so I gave her
a full Mahat tattva set. Then before leaving she offered another
donation and I gave her another Sapta set to give to her friends as
gifts.
Pushpani devi dasi, she’s a disciple of Janananda swami from the Philippines!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a Super ”Mahat-Tattva” stack! {14 Maha big
books in one shot} “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set
together!
Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
I
was talking to a gentleman and showing him some books but he was saying
that he wasn’t interested and right when he said that this nice mother
stopped next to me and said: “I’m interested” She first told me that
she’s looking for peace and if I could
give her some guidance. She was telling me that her ex-husband’s name is
Krishna and she’s always been interested in eastern spirituality.
She
asked me how I got into meditation and I told her that when I was a car
salesman I used to read this book about meditation called “Eat Pray
Love” on my breaks and then later I got a Bhagavad Gita. She told me
that it’s unbelievable because she’s been watching the “Eat Pray
Love” movie all week
long and she mentioned how it talks about the Gita as well. I showed her
our set and told her this is the way to get the peace of mind she’s
been looking for. She took the set and before leaving she smiled and
said: “I’m going to start reading the Gita tonight, I hope it gives me
some peace otherwise I’m going to come back and look for you.” I told
her that I knew it was a special encounter because I haven’t seen a
unicorn all day, her little daughter was wearing a unicorn hat. She
laughed and I gave them both prasadam cookies.
Mother and daughter going back to Godhead!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
After
the Harinam I was waiting for the elevator to take the book cart down
to the subway and I was saying “Hare Krishna” to some people walking by.
This nice gentleman named Dominic stopped and looked at me with a big
smile and said: “Hey I know you guys
from back in the 1970’s! It’s great to see you guys out in the city
again! I live close to your bed and breakfast hotel on 34th street!”
(Some nice devotees own this B&B on the west side) He’s actually a
Deacon and a Chaplin with a very open mind towards all faiths.
I
told him that’s so nice to hear and showed him our set and said that he
has to read these books. He gave me a great answer: “you know if you
guys are still around since the 70’s then your books must have real
substance!” He didn’t want the books for himself since he told me that
he doesn’t read very much so I suggested that he gives them as
Thanksgiving gifts to his friends and family and he agreed!
Dominic, a Deacon and a Chaplin!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Kalki prabhu recalls
Nice
young lady originally from Jamaica and now studying in New York as a
college student. She walked by looking at the Harinam so I waved to her
to come to the book table. She told me that she already got a small
“Spiritual yoga” book from us here in
Brooklyn a few weeks ago. She told me that she reads a lot so I showed
her our set but she said wow that’s a lot of reading and I don’t know if
I can get it right now. So I explained to her that today there’s a
special alignment in the stars and if a person invests in spiritual
knowledge there’s great benefit for them. I also told her that it’s a
once in a lifetime purchase. She had a lot of questions like “Do you see
people’s auras? Do you see Buddhas?” I told her we don’t need to see
these kinds of things because for example when we distribute books to
people Krishna gives us the intelligence from within the heart for what
to say and how to present the philosophy so it’s a perfect process. By
the end she was convinced and took the set.
She’s from Jamaica!
Kalki prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really
nice young lady named Robin from Brooklyn. She was just on her way to
see her family Rabbi at the synagogue, he’s going to give her some
advice about her relationship with her mother because she was having
some problems. When she told me that I
told her that Lord Chaitanya also had some difficulty with his mother
when he wanted to take sannyas and become a renunciate but through
spiritual knowledge it was all resolved. I showed her our set and asked
her how many Chakras we have and she answered 7 then I asked her to
count the books in the set and she said 7. Then I explained that these
books will help her open up her chakras and get spiritual clarity. She
told me that she went to yoga class this morning and it really helped
her be less stressed out for the rest of the day. She likes to read and I
told her that these are yoga scriptures and they will give her
knowledge about the philosophy of yoga.
She’s on her way to meet her Rabbi at the synagogue!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Real nice young lady named Lakshmi Priya. Her parents are initiated devotees in Argentina 🇦🇷.
She moved to NYC a few years ago and because of her busy working life
and not getting enough devotee association she went away from
her daily spiritual practice. She was very happy and joyful to see us
and she promised she would visit our Sunday feast program because she
misses the association of devotees. She said she also wants to get back
on track with her sadhana so she can feel more Krishna conscious.
Lakshmi Priya from Argentina!
Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
She
was walking by with her daughter and I told her that I love her energy
and she thanked me. I told her that she looks like a yoga master and she
said that she’s actually a yoga teacher who’s been practicing yoga for
the last 20 years. She was telling me
that she meditates on opening her third eye or as she referred to it the
Pineal gland. I just told her how great that she’s a spiritual person
then I showed her our set. When she saw the books she told me that a
friend of hers got the same set from us last week and gave her one of
the books as a gift because they knew that she was into yoga and
spiritual teachings from India. So she said: “I guess it’s my turn now
to get these books!”
Mother and daughter going back to Godhead!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really nice young lady named Imani from Brooklyn!
I
asked her if she’s into meditation and spirituality and she said that
she considers herself to be a spiritual person. I showed her our set and
asked her to please take them for the
upcoming holidays and how these books would also make great gifts for
her friends and family. She said ok let me give you a donation and gave
me her credit card. Before she left I asked her if she’s a student and
she answered that she’s not a believer in modern day college education
and didn’t want to spend the next 20 years paying for student loans! I
told her that she’s right and that Srila Prabhupada taught that college
education is nothing but slaughterhouse education.
Imani from Brooklyn!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
HH Janananda swami and HH Kavichandra swami visiting the NYC Harinam today!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
We
were on the way to Times Square for our Sunday walking Harinam and we
started chanting down the street. This nice lady was really into the
kirtan so we chanted in front of her car for a little bit. Bhakta Matt
was carrying a Sapta set in his hands so
I just went up to her and showed her the books. I asked her how many
chakras we have and she said 7 then I asked her to count how many books
in the set and she said 7! She had a crystal on her ring so I asked her
if she likes to meditate and she told me that she regularly does
meditation and really likes Indian spirituality and culture.
After
leaving I realized that I had distributed an “Easy journey to other
planets” to her at a Comic con event when I was 19 years old!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Ananda prabhu recalls:
Really cool young lady named Lakshmi originally from Mississippi but now living in New York.
Apparently
she’s a pretty famous musician in the New York local music scene. She
told me that she already has a “Bhagavad Gita as it is” and she’s met some devotees before.
She
was married to an Indian gentleman and has traveled to India several
times. I told her how amazing it is to meet a spiritual person like her
and I showed her our set. I told her it would be my great fortune if she
would take these wonderful books of spiritual knowledge and she did.
Her name is Lakshmi!
Ananda prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Nice
gentleman named Matrix originally from Guyana now lives in New York
City for many years. I asked him if he likes meditation and spirituality
and he told me yes definitely it’s a part of his life to be a
spiritually aware person who believes in
God. I showed him our set and he was telling me that he wants to start
reading a lot more. I told him how these books are giving the highest
knowledge they don’t teach in college. He didn’t have enough to make a
full donation for the set but he offered me his brand new headphones so I
gave it to him.
His name is Matrix!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
This
nice gentleman was taking a video of the Harinam so I went up to him
and told him that he looks like a super spiritual guy. He told me that
he likes to meditate so I showed him our set and asked him to please take the
books and how these are the best books
to learn the real process of meditation. I asked him how many Chakras we
have and he answered 7 then I asked him to count how many books in the
set and he answered 7! So I said: “Amazing, there you go you have to
take this wonderful book collection with you. Albert Einstein used to study
the Vedas like the Bhagavad Gita for spiritual inspiration so you look
like a smart guy you can also read these books!”
He asked me if we’re on Instagram and I told him yes our account name is “Newyorkcityharinam” so he started following us.
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Nice pious lady named Sheila from Guyana.
When
I first ran into her I asked her what part of India she’s from then she
told me that she’s actually from Guyana. Ladies from Guyana usually
love it if you mistake them for Indians because it makes them feel special.
I
told her that she must eat Rothi and dahl every day and she laughed and
said that she eats like that sometimes but not all the time. I wished
her Happy Diwali and told her that I wanted all good fortune for her and
her family and asked her to please take the books home with her. She
only wanted to take the Srimad bhagavatam first canto but I insisted she
take the set so she did!
Sheila from Guyana!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Jessica
a really nice young lady from New Jersey and her parents are Christians
from Kerala. Kavichandra swami stopped her and showed her a few books
like the “Science of self realization” and she was very interested but
when she saw the Gita she really wanted
it. She also asked him if we have the Vedas then Maharaja called me over
to bring over a Sapta. At first she wanted to get the Gita but then I
just told her why not get the entire set, Maharaja explained about the
“Krishna book” and how it’s essence of the Vedic literature and how the
other books are also full of spiritual knowledge. Then a really angry
crazy Christian guy came and started telling her not to take the books
in a loud voice yelling and screaming at us how we are this and that. We
even told him that we were going to call the police and finally he left
but it was unpleasant dealing with him. Jessica was unbelievably very
patient and waited throughout the whole thing. She told us that she
actually grew up as a Christian but she likes to visit Sikh and Hindu
temples with some of her friends because she loves all religions. She’s
currently reading the Koran and her roommate is Hindu. In the end she
took the set, gave a nice donation and was very grateful to meet us on
her way home. It was one of the hardest Saptas to distribute!
HH
Kavichandra swami and Mahotsaha prabhu distribute a “Saptarishi” set
together! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really soft hearted humble lady named Kalpana originally from Bangladesh.
She
and her family owned some land back home in Bangladesh but they were
driven out by the Muslims who invaded many years ago so they ended up
moving to America. Now She owns a store
in the Jackson heights area of Queens which his is run by her entire
family. She was speaking with Maharaja at first and he was showing her
the Srimad bhagavatam 1st canto. She told him how she loves Krishna and
how she takes her family to Vrindavan on holiday whenever they can. She
also regularly visits the Radha Govinda mandir in Brooklyn. I was with
Maharaja at the book table and I asked her why not just take the whole
set and the swami will bless her and her family. Plus I reminded her
that it’s Katyayani Mass and it’s a very auspicious time to serve
Krishna following in the footsteps of the gopis.
Kalpana from Bangladesh!
HH Kavichandra swami and Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Very humble and pious gentleman named Nate from Thailand.
He
was walking by the Harinam with a big smile so I approached him and
said hello. He told me that he very much appreciated monks and that he
would go around to different monasteries in Thailand and donate to the Buddhist monks over there.
I
asked him if he likes to read, he replied: “like? I LOVE to read.” He
told me that he also knew about Lord Shiva. I told him that these books
describe Lord Shiva’s master Krishna!
Nate from Thailand!
Back from his trip to India Gopal Champu prabhu distributes a
“Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
He
told me how he almost got on the 4 train but then at the last minute
decided to take a different train and ended up running into us! He felt
it was destiny. He was telling me that he’s had a spiritual awakening
and I looked at his forehead and said:
“wow, I can feel it man and your third eye is open.” He’s really into
reading spiritual knowledge so I showed him our set and told him how
Mohammad Ali, Tupac Shakur, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi got inspiration
from the Vedas. I told him that the books will show him how to open up his 7
Chakras and focus his third eye! I invited him to our Sunday feast
program at our ashram and got his contact info.
He texted me right after he got the books while he was on the train going home:
“This is T.J. pleasure meeting you please let me know of any spirtitual events I would love to attend.
These books have some strong energy. Thx again Maha!”
T.J. from Brooklyn!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Nice lady originally from Russia but now lives in Coney Island.
It was really going slow for me today and I began singing the last verse of ‘Gurudeva Kripa bindu diya’:
“If
you examine me, you will find no qualities. Your mercy is all that I am
made of. If you are not merciful unto me, I can only weep, and I will
not be able to maintain my life.”
I was praying to my
Gurumaharaja to please send somebody to take a set then this nice lady
came up to me and said “Hare Krishna!” It was really far out! She told
me that she goes to various temples and centers in the New York area
because she loves kirtan and associating with devotees. I asked her how
she met the Hare Krishna devotees and she said that she was led to the
Hare Krishna movement by God Himself somehow. She was very friendly and
when I asked her to take a set she agreed right away and gave a nice
donation. I also gave her an extra Russian book as a gift.
She’s from Russia!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
When
I saw her I told her that her kids are very cute and that they look
like her. She thanked me and smiled. I told her that she must be a
responsible mother because her kids are so well behaved. She was saying
that she’s into spiritual knowledge and
reading different kinds of spiritual books so when I showed her our set I
explained that these are the purest books anywhere. Her son was
pointing to the Krishna book and saying “Krishna!Krishna!” so I told her
to please read this “Krishna book” at night to her kids before they go
to sleep and it will help them become spiritually purified and God
conscious adults.
Back home back to Godhead for this family!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Really
nice gentleman named Bryan originally from Guatemala but he’s been
living in New York for many years now. At first I spoke to him in
Spanish and told him that I love his beard 🧔 with my funny accent and he cracked up. He
was telling me that he’d like to be more spiritual so I showed him some
of the books but he wasn’t very enthusiastic in the beginning. So I
quoted this verse to him from the Bhagavatam:
“After
many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life,
which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the
highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for
the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always
subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense
gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life,
whereas Kṛṣṇa consciousness is possible only for a human being.”-SB
11.9.29
After hearing that he said: “you know what bro,
I’m sold! I’ll get the books now!” I also took his number and invited
him to our Sunday feast program at our ashram.
Bryan from Guatemala!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Lisannya originally from the Dominican Republic but now living in the Bronx with her family.
She
met Gopal Champu prabhu a while back and took a Bhagavad Gita from him
at the time. She stopped by the Harinam today by coincidence
on her way home with her kids. She’s such a sincere and humble mother
that when I showed her our set she wanted to offer a donation right away
from her heart. She was very generous so I also added the Lilamrita as
an extra gift and told her to read it to her kids at night before
bedtime. I invited her family to our Sunday feast program and gave them
all some prasadam cookies too!
Lisannya and her kids get Krishna’s special Kartik mercy!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a Super ”Mahat-Tattva” stack! {14 Maha big
books in one shot} “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set
together!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Some
months ago Anna was walking by in the Times Square subway and met Gopal
Champu prabhu who distributed a “Prabhupada Lilamrita” to her. She had
told him that she regularly chants Hare Krishna on japa beads and has
already read the Gita.
Then
a few weeks after that she ran into the Harinam again in the same Times
Square subway along with her husband who’s from Nepal. This time I
distributed a “Ramayana” and a “Sapta” set to both of them. And today
they both walked by the Harinam again in Times Square and I showed them
the “Srimad Bhagavatam” set we have on display. I explained to them that
it’s a very auspicious day Akshaya Navami and it would perfect for them
to get it. Anna told us that she’s been listening to a devotee giving
Bhagavatam classes online and became interested in getting a set and today she
ran into us and we happened to have a set on display. I also told them
that my Gurumaharaja HH Bhakti Vikas swami told me that if I can
distribute Bhagavatam sets on the streets of New York it would revolutionize book
distribution.
Anna
and her husband receive a “Srimad Bhagavatam” set from Mahotsaha prabhu
right in the middle of the Times Square subway station during rush
hour! Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
Really nice humble gentleman named Mohammed from Tunisia.
He’s
actually a Muslim by faith and he teaches Islamic mysticism at SUNY
purchase college. He’s also studying for a PhD in religion at Columbia
university at the same time. Very well spoken intelligent person who’s interested in Buddhism and Hinduism.
He
told me that he’s actually been looking for some Vedic texts to do some
research for his teaching and also wants to learn about the Upanishads.
I told him that Srila Prabhupada’s “Bhagavad Gita as it is” will be the
best book for him to start reading as it’s also the Gitopanishad! I
showed him our set and explained since he’s so well educated it’s a
complete set that he will definitely appreciate.
Mohammed from Tunisia!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada
Ananda prabhu recalls:
Really
nice young gentleman named Donald who was in Atlantic Avenue subway
station working at a table with the Alpha Gas and Electric company. They
stop people and offer alternative options to Con Edison. We spoke about
mysticism, ancient Egypt, how the Old
Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Ancient Greek.
He believes we’re souls and live forever and that we’re different from
the material body. I explained how many great minds have read this
knowledge that they don’t teach in college. How the books open the
secrets of the universe and give us relief and freedom from the
struggles and different problems we have to face in the world. I offered
him a “Beyond birth and death” and a prasadam cookie as well.
Donald from Alpha Gas & Electric!
Ananda prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
His name is Wu and he’s from Taiwan.
When
I stopped him, I put the books in his hands right away and introduced
myself. I said I’m Mahotsaha Das, a disciple of Bhakti Vikas Swami,
who’s a disciple of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, who’s a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabupada! He
said Swami means master? I said yes! I told him that we glorify
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada by chanting his pranam
mantra (Sri varshabhanavi devi). It means that he’s the deliverer of the
science of Krishna and he establishes our loving relationship with
Krishna who’s a blueish blackish boy who has many friends and
girlfriends! And this eternal loving relationship will make everyone
happy. He immediately bought the books for me and gave a nice donation.
Wu from Taiwan!
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
Really
nice young guy named Itan from Mexico. He moved to America about ten
years ago and learned how to speak and write fluent English. I asked him
if he likes spirituality and he said that he considers himself a
spiritual guy who believes in God. After
I showed him our set he told me that he doesn’t really like reading a
lot but I told him that he looks young and he should just take the
books and read them before he dies. I explained that that this knowledge
will teach him how to become free from birth, death, disease and old
age. I stressed the point to him that everything in this world is
temporary and we all have to die so it’s best to use his time for
spiritual cultivation and these books will help him a lot. He told me
that I’m right and he should be more serious about God so he ended up
taking the set and giving a nice donation.
Itan from Mexico!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books
in one shot} plus “Origins” magazine! Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
It
was cold and no one was interested in taking a set when the Harinam was
outside, everyone was walking pretty quickly to keep warm! I kept on
trying anyway and when we were back in the subway about to take the
train back home to the ashram I ran into
this nice young lady. I told her that she looks very spiritual and
showed her our set! She told me that she just moved from Charlotte North
Carolina where she used to do yoga every day. She was very friendly and
when I explained that these are rare spiritual books from India,
actually yoga scriptures, she was very enthusiastic to take them. I told
her the books speak about the philosophy of yoga then she offered a
nice donation!
On walking Harinam Times Square subway!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
He’s the owner of a popular Vegan restaurant called “The cinnamon snail” located right in Penn plaza!
Krishna
prasad prabhu arranged for Adam (a.k.a Acyutananda das) to come pick up
the Bhagavatam set from Penn station since he takes the train back to New
Jersey from there everyday after his work! Adam was super excited to
take it back to his house and carried it away without a cart even! This
set is actually for a student of his named Christian who's going to be
reading SB for the first time. Adam teaches a free shastra class plus
yoga classes every week, and leads a group of 6 people through their
first time reading the entire Srimad Bhagavatam.
He’s the owner of “The Cinnamon snail”!
Adam gets a “Srimad Bhagavatam” set from Krishna prasad prabhu! Jay Srila Prabhupada!
http://cinnamonsnail.com/
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls: Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
At
first Bhakta Jason stopped him and spoke to him and showed him our set.
The nice Indian gentleman asked him if we had the Upanishads for sale
so Jason told him the Gita is also called Gitopanishad and he brought
him to the book table to show him the
“Sri Isopanisad” as well. He only offered a $10 donation in the
beginning but then Jason called me over. I asked the gentleman if he
speaks Hindi and he said yes so I explained to him what it costs us for
printing and shipping. I also told him that the “Sapta” set is great but
if he can he should get the complete full set of 14 books which
includes the Lilamrita it would be the greatest. Then he reached into
his wallet and right away gave us a $100 bill.
Team work at it’s best!
Mahotsaha prabhu and Bhakta Jason distribute a Super ”Mahat-Tattva”
stack! {14 Maha big books in one shot} “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada
Lilamrita” set together!
Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
Real
nice Indian gentleman originally from Hyderabad but now living in New
Jersey with his family. He often visits the temple and attends various
festivals. He told me that he listens to lectures on the Bhagavad Gita
from the Iskcon desire tree YouTube
channel. He chants 1 round of japa every day and his wife is now
chanting 10 rounds daily. But he was really enthusiastic when he told me
that his two sons are chanting 16 rounds everyday. He told me that he
has a Gita at home and a Krishna book but I showed him our set anyway
and explained that it’s the best gift he can get for his family for
Kartik.
He’s from Hyderabad!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Bhakta Jason recalls:
His
name is Wes a very down to earth gentleman originally from Boston but
he’s been living in Jackson heights Queens for many years now. In fact
he told me that he lives right around the corner from where the Harinam
was set up today. He had a suitcase with
him and told me that he just got back from a trip to Delhi. I said wow
and asked him if he meditates and told him that he’s going to need a
bigger a suitcase! Then he asked me why and I put a Sapta set in his
hands and said: “that’s why, so you can take these books home with you!”
He smiled and told me that he’s real serious about meditation and
meditates every day. He was happy to take the set and told me he will
visit the Radha Govinda temple in Brooklyn very soon.
It’s a good feeling!
Bhakta Jason distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Mahotsaha prabhu recalls:
Real
nice lady, she came up to Bhakta Jason and asked him for a copy of the
“Bhagavad Gita” and gave him $10 for it. Then Jason called me over so I
showed her our set and asked her why she doesn’t take the whole set of
Prabhupada’s books, it’s a great deal.
She told me that she visits Radha Govinda mandir in Brooklyn regularly
and loves to read Srila Prabhupada’s books. So I showed her each book in
the “Sapta” and told her she can’t get such a good price anywhere else.
She said ok sure and happily gave the full donation for the set.
Mahotsaha prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Krishna prasad prabhu recalls:
Real
nice Indian devotee couple. At first they offered a few dollars in the
donation box and we gave the wife a small Hindi book. They said that
they regularly attend programs and festivals at the Brooklyn Radha
Govinda mandir and have been living in
New York for many years. I went to speak to the husband to wish him a
happy Diwali and he told me that he recently purchased 10 Bhagavad Gitas
to distribute to his family members on Diwali. I showed him our set and
told him that it’s a great price for all these books and they would
make great Christmas gifts to his family too. He was very sweet and gave
a generous donation. That was the easiest “Sapta” set I ever did!
Krishna prasad prabhu distributes a “Saptarishi” set! {7 maha big books in one shot} Jay Srila Prabhupada!
Kavichandra swami recalls:
Her
name is Blessing, she’s from Alabama and lives part time in Florida as
well. Her sisters name is Joy, due to her Christian upbringing her
parents gave them those names. She’s an artist who’s visiting New York
City for a few days and she’s been
practicing yoga for several years. When I showed her the set of books
she was immediately attracted to the “Srimad Bhagavatam first canto” and
told me she really wants it and how she can’t wait to get to read it.
She didn’t want to carry all the books in the set so at first she only
took a small set of books along with the Bhagavatam 1st canto. Then
Mahotsaha prabhu came over to take her credit card payment and he
explained to her that we can ship the books to her. He told her to
please take the set right now because it’s Gopastami a special holiday
and he reassured her not to worry about carrying anything we’ll ship all
the books to her right away! She said: “ok I’d like to get the set!”
She gave a really generous donation so we added the Lilamrita too!
Her name is Blessing!
Kavichandra swami distributes a Super ”Mahat-Tattva” stack! {14 Maha
big books in one shot} “Saptarishi” set and “Prabhupada Lilamrita” set
together!