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"To
show them special mercy, I, dwelling in
their hearts, destroy |
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"To
show them special mercy, I, dwelling in
their hearts, destroy |
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U.S.A. Lord Nityananda Delivers the Mrgari of Southern Idaho By Sri Hari Dasa, Boise, Idaho Posted April 1, 2004 Recently, I had a wonderful experience, the kind that book distributors talk about all the time. It had never happened to me, and I had always wondered how these devotees preach so that people feel inspired to take so many books. It was a nice, sunny, and beautiful springlike day. People were busy in their own fun plans. Some people were with their groups getting ready to enter restaurant for lunch, and others were waiting outside for their mates to arrive. Some were enjoying the sunny lounges of bars and restaurants. The whole area was filled with the smell of roasted meat, garlic, etc. After struggling for about an hour in the downtown area of Boise, Idaho, with not much success, we decided to visit the parking lot of a store. After parking our car, we started looking for opportunities. My son Aja Govinda, being active and enthusiastic, immediately started asking people without caring about the results. He would meet one after the other, showing Bhagavad Gita, making a presentation using the photo plates in the middle. He talked to dozens of people with mixed results. On the other hand, I was watching him doing his book distribution. A long time back, Hrdyananda Maharaj had visited Boise with his secretary, Daruka Prabhu. I told Daruka Prabhu that we generally visit the homes of members of the Indian community and offer them maha-prasada and books. Daruka Prabhu said that this was good but that we should also go out and distribute books on the streets because this is the only way one can learn to become humble and quickly learn to surrender to Krishna. At that time I was very much afraid of confronting contaminated, inimical, and demoniac people on sankirtana. After taking a deep breath and thus gathering all my remaining energy and enthusiasm, I decided to become an instrument in the sankirtana movement of Srila Prabhupada. "O Lord Nityananda," I prayed, "it appears outwardly that I am distributing these books, but actually You are the One who has already decided who is going to get Your causeless mercy. I am very happy and fortunate that You have allowed me to become a tool in Your plans." As I entered the parking lot, I saw a shopping cart full of wines and meat products. Behind the cart, was a tall, handsome, and strong-looking cowboy. He was getting close to his expensive BMW to put the stuff into the trunk.
I looked at him. "What's up?" he said. "I have some books to share with you on living a natural life based on the land and the cow," I answered. Thanks a lot for saying that," he said. "I live a life that is fully based on the land and the cow. I grow grain on the land and feed it to the cows to make money by selling beef. This is how I earn my livelihood." "We are a vegetarian animal like the cow," I said. "When we feed non-veg to the cows they get mad cow disease, and when we feed ourselves with non-veg, we get Alzheimer's disease, like mad cow disease. We lose our memory because our brains become like sponges. We should drink milk. Milk is brain food, as it develops the finer brain tissues, and we should avoid meat. The cow is already transforming her blood into milk and giving all the nutrition to the brain and the body. Why kill her?" "But I see no difference in killing a plant or an animal for food," he said. "Yes," I said, "it is true, but we do not kill plants. They give us their produce willingly as per nature's arrangement, as the cow gives us milk, like our mother." I showed him The Higher Taste and read the page on the hidden cost of meat. He was unfazed. "But I live on beef farming," he said. "I understand all your arguments about environmental degradation, erosion, health, protein, pollution, mad cow disease, the hidden cost of meat, and everything else. But what will I do if I give it up? How can I earn my livelihood?" "Sell vegetables, grains, and milk," I said. "Don't spend money on wine and tobacco. You will not die if you don't have these things. Rather, you will die early if you consume all this unnecessary stuff. Look at the other side of coin. Consider this way of natural living. Please take one of these books." I gave up and fell silent. I felt that all my energy had been used up on just one person during the last half hour. "But," I thought, "at least he listened to the message of Lord Nityananda and chanted the Mahamantra once on my request." He opened his car door and sat down on the driver's seat, his legs hanging out. "Just take this Higher Taste book and give me even fifty cents," I said, "or take it free if you do not want to pay, but please read this book. It will change your life." I began to pray silently: "O Lord Nityananda, I am here doing my best and asking this person. Now you decide whether this man will receive your causeless mercy or not. You are famous for delivering Jagai and Madhai. Give Your mercy to this Mrgrari and show him the path that leads to You. Please change his heart." The man looked up and tried to see into my eyes but could not because of the huge cowboy hat. Then he took off the hat. "I do not know what to say to you as you have defeated all my arguments," he said. "I will not take just a single book but I want a copy of all the books you have." It took me about twenty seconds to recover from the ecstasy, which I could not hide from him. Then he asked me many more questions as we exchanged cards. I told him that I have a PhD in hydrology and environmental engineering and I deal with the degradation of the air and water quality due to feedlots and slaughterhouses, all causing many incurable diseases. He left me with a promise to invite me to his ranch to speak to his fellow farmers. After this, I got new enthusiasm and energy, and I felt like I had become a 16-year-old boy like my son Aja Govinda. O Lord Nityananda, now I know why these book-distributors roam on the streets of the whole world, and how they maintain their energy and enthusiasm. Sri Hari Dasa, © dipika.org April 1, 2004 |
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