10 Nov 2015, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Australia.

Jeanette used to go to the Illawara Festival, Wollongong,  NSW, where she noticed that the Hare Krishna food tent always used to have the longest queue. “As the time of opening approached, people used to line up and the longest queue, composed of even meat eater, could be found at the Hare Krishna food tent….. The food was delicious” she said.

At first she declined to purchase anything. But after I left her premises, she changed her mind and searched me out in the crowd to purchase “With Love” by Raje. She also inquired about asafetida and I was able to supply required information along with two containers of the substance.

NOT ONLY BOOKS. As the post office ladies like them very much, I was on my way to the post office with some mangal aratik sweets, that HG Ramananda Prabhu had thoughtfully preserved for this purpose. I parked my Sankirtan van next to the dentist’s sign listing a number of serious diseases, that may be caused by gum disease. One gentleman was looking at the sign and made some remarks that were seemingly directed at me. I reciprocated and we had a brief conversation. I asked him whether he liked sweets. “Yes, very much” was the answer. I uncovered the aluminum wrapping and offered him to take some. He accepted without hesitation. I asked him the vibrate “Hare Krishna”. He replied indeed “Hare Krishna” and we parted for our respective days’ business. There are always preaching opportunities for the enthusiastic preacher.

On NOV 19 2015, in Lismore, NSW, the second, third and fourth parties I meet in the morning, all purchased a copy of With Love, Raje’s vegan cookbook with gluten free options and accepted the complimentary copy of Krishna, the Reservoir of Pleasure by Srila Prabhupada. I knew from previous experience that the first party would not participate in the Sankirtan Movement. I simply double-checked on them, as businesses sometimes change hands and thus new opportunities arise.

MEMBER OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE FORCE ATTRACTED TO THE CHANTING OF THE HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTRA.

Ballina, NSW, Australia. 20 NOV 2015, about 7.45 AM.

At the round-about, in the main business district, I noticed how the police officer in the oncoming vehicle was looking at me very disapprovingly. Sure enough he turned around, followed me with flashing lights. I stopped. So did the vehicle between us. I felt I had done everything correctly, as per road rules. I was unsure of what was going to follow.

“ I am constable so and so from the New South Wales police force. This conversation is being recorded. You were seen talking on your mobile phone, while driving a motor vehicle……..”

“ I am sorry Sir, but this is totally incorrect, I was chanting

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

instead, which is a form of non-distracting meditation and here is my tally counter. Please have a look”

and further:

“I am going to have to perform a breath test on you. Have you been drinking any alcohol?”

“No Sir, I am a member of the Hare Krishna Movement and as such we never drink any alcohol. We have ZERO tolerance for any kind of intoxication, including tea, coffee and cigarettes!”

The officer spared me the breath test, got me to state my name and address into his microphone, went back to his car with my driver’s license to perform some other routine checks, after which I was free to go, the matter being settled on the spot. Jai Sri Krishna!

To my knowledge, no government of the world has outlawed the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra while driving a motor vehicle. They may have outlawed certain types of handling a mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle, or “being under the influence” while driving a motor vehicle. These are all excellent initiatives for everyone’s protection. And those who brake these laws largely deserve their dues. But should they ever outlaw the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra while driving a motor vehicle, we shall know for certain that we have made some very substantial advancement in the establishment of the Hare Krishna movement!

24 November 2015 Byron Bay, NSW.

I went to the “pub” and talked with the bar lady first. They did not allow me to go around and talk to the patrons, which more than often pubs do. She indicated however that the owner was sitting just behind me, having his lunch.

As I approached him, he immediately started blaspheming real religion and made two very improper statements, which I shall not repeat.

Although I would have liked to riposte, to keep the peace, I repeated twice “No comments, Sir” and left the premises. I was a little shaken inside. I had to wait for a few minutes to regain my normal Sankirtan mood and balance of mind.

One remembers Srila Prabhupada’s words to the effect that religion is a function of human society only, not a function of animal society.

“Civilization without God consciousness scientifically is animal society.” 690216Let.Vamanadeva

and

“Leaving aside the too grossly materialistic persons, who are without any moral principles or social conventions, if we take the right type of civilized man, then we find that he is engaged in some type of religious principle. It doesn’t matter if he is Christian, Moslem or Jew, the symptom of a civilized man is that he must have the recognition of religious principles; that is required for civilized man. But generally men take to religious principles for economic development. Just like in the Christian religiosity the prayers for solving the economic problem or bread problem. Similarly, in the Vedic rituals also different methods of sacrifices are recommended for pleasing the demigods so that they will supply quantity of rain and there will be enough grain for eating. In this way, religious principles are generally practiced by men for some economic development.” 690302Let.Janardan

The next stop was another restaurant and the supervisor immediately agreed to purchase “With love” and accepted her complimentary copy of “Krishna, the Reservoir of Pleasure” by Srila Prabhupada. They also allowed me to talk with the patrons.

In this way, the execution of book distribution Sankirtan may lead one from one extreme to the other, in just a few moments and quick succession. Best if one keeps one’s equilibrium of mind under all circumstances. Bhagavad-Gita As It Is 2.48 states:

yoga-sthah kuru karmani
sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva
samatvam yoga ucyate

SYNONYMS
yoga-sthah—equipoised; kuru—perform; karmani—your duties; sangam—attachment; tyaktva—giving up; dhananjaya—O Arjuna; siddhi-asiddhyoh—in success and failure; samah—equipoised; bhutva—becoming; samatvam—equanimity; yogah-yoga; ucyate—is called.

TRANSLATION
Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.