Dear Friends
Marathon Message from His Holiness Giriraj Swami
I am pleased to encourage you to participate in the Prabhupada book-distribution marathon. Srila Prabhupada explains, “Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami had no fixed residence. They stayed beneath a tree for one day only and wrote huge volumes of transcendental literature. . . . It is certainly not good to write literature for money or reputation, but to write books and publish them for the enlightenment of the general populace is real service to the Lord. That was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s opinion, and he specifically told his disciples to write books.” (Cc Madhya 19.132 purport)
This is parampara. Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami and all the Gosvamis wrote books for the enlightenment of the general populace, and that instruction and practice came down through parampara to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who wrote many books and instructed his disciples to write books. And Srila Prabhupada faithfully followed those instructions and also wrote many books. In fact, it is inconceivable that anyone could write so many books in such a short time.
Srila Prabhupada came to America in 1965, and from the very beginning in New York City he was selling his books. Years later, when devotees were doing research about Prabhupada’s life, they went to some bookstores where he had sold his books, and the shopkeepers remembered, “Oh yes, a very nice Indian gentleman came, and he would always give us samosas.” He would give them samosas when he went to sell them his books.
Prabhupada said that from the very beginning the basis of his movement was book distribution—the publication and distribution of books—and he showed that example.
In the same purport, Prabhupada explains further, “[T]he business of advanced and empowered devotees is to write books, publish them, and distribute them widely.”
Prabhupada wrote books, the BBT has published them, and now it is for us to distribute them. This is “the business of advanced and empowered devotees.” We are all already connected to Srila Prabhupada, and we all will benefit when we distribute his books. And if you persevere with sincerity and intelligence, you will also be advanced and empowered devotees.
Prabhupada states further, “According to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, distributing literature is like playing on a great mrdanga.” He called the printing press the brhat-mrdanga, the great mrdanga, because an ordinary mrdanga can be heard for a few blocks whereas the brhat-mrdanga, the printing press, the books, can be heard all over the world.
I was the first ISKCON devotee to go to West Africa, Nigeria. I did hari-nama on the streets, and large crowds of people would gather round. Some well-dressed Africans started speaking about the Bhagavad-gita and the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, and I asked, “How do you know all these things? Did you ever meet devotees?” They replied, “No. But we have a friend who met devotees on the street in London, bought some books from them, and then shared them with us.” Even before any devotees had gone to West Africa, Prabhupada’s books had reached there and people were learning about Krishna consciousness.
Sometimes a whole yatra can begin just from books. Once, a tourist from Venezuela visited Israel, met devotees, and got some books from them. Back in Venezuela, he shared the books with his friends. They all started reading, became convinced of the philosophy, began to chant, and started practicing Krishna consciousness without having met any devotees. Eventually they developed a community of devotees and invited Srila Prabhupada, and he went—and it all began with the books.
The brhat-mrdanga can be heard all over the world.
Srila Prabhupada concludes his purport with a request to all of us: “Consequently we always request members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami, one can become a rupanuga devotee.”
Rupa Gosvami is described as sri-caitanya-mano-’bhistam, sthapitam yena bhu-tale: he established on earth the mission to fulfill the desire of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And that is done primarily through writing, publishing, and distributing books.
Srila Prabhupada said, “It’s like a train.” In a train, one car pushes—or pulls—the other, the other pushes another, and the other pushes still another. He said, “My guru maharaja is pushing me, and I am pushing all of you.”
Hare Krishna.
Your servant,
Giriraj Swami
Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple Telephone Disruption
Kindly Note: The switchboard is damaged and has been taken in for repairs. Only one line is operational at the moment: 031 403 3384.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
Your Week Ahead
Thursday 7 December
Disappearance Anniversary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
Fast until noon.
7:45am Class by His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami
11:30am Bhoga Offering
12:15pm Pushpanjali & Guru-puja
12:30pm Raj Bhoga Arati & Kirtan
1:00pm Prasad
Saturday 9 December
Marathon Sankirtan Festival
Festival Lineup:
4:30 am Morning Programme Begins
8:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am Orientation
9:30 am Book Distribution at pre-arranged spots (Devotees will be going out in groups)
12:00 pm Pack up and return to Temple
1:00 pm Sharing of experiences followed by a feast
Sunday 10 December
Love Feast @3pm
with His Grace Smita Krishna Das
Wednesday 13 December
Ekadasi – Fast from all grains, beans, and legumes.
Thursday 14 December
Ekadasi Break Fast 06:22 – 09:30
Govinda’s Pizzeria
(Take Away & Sit Down)
8 December Friday 5-8pm
9 December Saturday CLOSED
10 December Sunday 11am – 3pm
Save The Date
Bhakti Theatre’s New Year’s Eve Extravaganza
Sunday 31 December
Bring in 2018 under the shelter of Sri Sri Radha Radhanath!
Expect poetry, hip-hop, dance, drama, good food, great vibes, and countdown to the new year with the chanting of the holy names.
SSRRT Community Picnic
Saturday 20 January 2018
North Beach
1pm – 5pm
