Book distribution 2008

I was out of town for the better part of last week to a conference in Denver. I got the opportunity to visit ISKCON Denver and meet the deities and Srila Prabhupada. I was happy to have visited the temple.

This weekend was Narasimha Chaturdasi and was a special day for Vaishnavas around the world. It was this day (Sunday) that the Lord appeared as Half-man – Half-Lion incarnation to protect His beloved devotee Prahlad. We can learn so much from just this incarnation. Anyways, I thought as an offering to the Lord, I do some service. So I decided to go out on book distribution (on saturday). It has been some months since I went on book distribution knocking on doors.

The original plan was that my wife accompanies me and we both knock on doors and share the mercy of Srila Prabhupada. But due to some service to our deities, she stayed back and I went alone to knock on doors.

I live in a college town and since this is summer time, there were not that many people in their homes. However, I did manage to talk to a few and distribute the books. My last house was an Indian student (a married householder).

Initially, the person totally rejected the books and did not want to do anything with “religion” and another “belief” system. I sensed a deep sense of prejudice in his voice towards any religion. But I insisted, and soon I found out I was talking to another Richard Dawkins. He was arrogant, impudent and very proud of his scientific background and everything to do with science. If this is not enough, his wife (another scientist) joined the debate and it was two against one battle.

During the whole debate, he was insulting my beliefs, the concept of religion, and at one point openly derided Srila Prabhupada’s books. I still insisted. I did not take anything personal as my only goal was to somehow give him a book. Although, he insulted my intelligence and my abilities of discrimination, by God’s grace, I did not get angry at him.

We argued for more than an hour. I was standing at his doorstep for more than an hour and trying to convince him to take a book. This person barely allowed me to express my views and he kept banging in his theories very strongly. We touched so many points from definition of science, methods of scientific enquiry, theory of evolution, quantum physics, cellular functions, dinosaurs etc etc

I used all of Srila Prabhupada’s arguments (that I know) and he could not answer them…his constant reply was that science is “working on it” and we may find answers in 100 years. Although, he could not answer all the questions, he nevertheless was “pounding” me to the ground. My only goal was to give him the book but unfortunately after so much time I did not convince him.

I openly accepted defeat to pacify his ego and humbly requested to take the book for more insights into spiritual subject matter. He was too proud to take the book.

At one point, he challenged me saying “you convince me why the soul is eternal. If you convince me, I will take all your books”. I thought about the question and I replied “the soul is eternal just as why the salt is salty, sugar is sweet and fire has light and heat. Eternality is the property of the soul”. His response was sugar is sweet and the salt salty because of the atoms contained within the sugar and salt. I asked him why is it created like that?...of course, he thought that was not even a correct question?

Anyways…I finally decided to leave. At the end, he gave a victory speech basically undermining the process of religion and glorifying his “scientific” community and deriding all those who are “less informed” of true scientific knowledge (including myself). At the end, he wanted to throw me a bone and so he asked “ok…are you doing this (book distribution) for a sales account or for your resume account or for other purposes”…I thought may be I can give him the book if I showed I am interested in money. I said “I am doing this for my sales account”. So he asked me how much the books cost. I said anywhere from $1 to $5. He said the books are not worth that much money. I asked him (one last time), can you not even spare $1, he said no and finally I shook hands and left.

Over the two days, I was reflecting on this debate and pondering what I should learn from this conversation. I am happy that I learnt many things on how to answer more categorically and more objectively. I learnt that while presenting spiritual knowledge, we make many assumptions. But if I just made the conversation very clear and simple without too many details, then my message would have been easier to understand. I realize, looking back, I could have given different replies to the challenges he made.

At the end of the day, I am happy to have learnt something in the art of debate and argument and how it is very important to actually repeat the instructions of the Sampradaya and not our own mundane intelligence. The key I believe is to deliver this message as is and at the same time confidently and boldly (which I did not exhibit) and not worry too much about how the audience will receive it.

Our mission Srila Prabhupada says is to give the opportunity of Krishna Consciousness to as many people as possible and not be attached to success or failure, honor or dishonor, pleasure or pain. We surrender to our Guru, Parampara and the Lord and deliver the message as a postman without attaching ourselves to the results and without messing with the message. In other words, have faith in the words of Guru and not rely on our own mundane intelligence. Krishna sees our efforts and sincerity for at the end of the day, Krishna is the cause and the doer and not “I”. So the lessons i learnt are

• surrender to Guru parampara (I mean i have to have faith in the strength of the parampara and its message and not on my own mundane intelligence and not worry too much about what people think about me)
• Humility of heart as the servant of the servant
• compassion to all living entities and
• desire for no honor/prestige for oneself

These are the main things required for us to fulfill the order of guru and ultimately please Krishna. I pray to that Almighty Govinda to give me those attributes to engage in His service.

I also wish and pray that the householder and his wife understand the science of Krishna Consciousness and thank them for giving me an opportunity to serve my Guru maharaj, Srila Prabhupada and Krishna.

Hare Krishna