*breaks brahman thread*

Obtaining books from a second-hand bookstore is an entirely more agreeable experience than being accosted in a public place by an over-zealous devotee keen to make his or her quota, and then suffering the indignation of having the change-up performed on you. The mood in which Prabhupada’s books were distributed for many years was grossly insensitive.

Moreover, I can only believe that if your time had truly come, you would have come across Prabhupada’s teachings via another means even if those two books you mention hadn’t been distributed in the way that they probably were. Books can make their way to people who need them without devotees resorting to methods that result in alienating such large numbers of people. When representing such a dignified spiritual tradition, utmost sensitivity should be employed when interacting with the public – they have a long memory.

Seriously, I really wonder why we let crap like this go. I’, pretty sure that if someone had commented on a picture of a Black man with the phrase “watermelon muncher” the majority of us (BhG included) would find it repulsive.

(And for the record, I *know* that this is a humour site and I actually find this article — and the recent post on the Samskara blowout sale — quite funny. I just think it is sad and embarassing that some devotees think its okay to be so insensitive and tasteless especially towards Indian people. Sorry for the rant, I just felt that it needed to be said.)

I think we should have suicide book distribution on the streets. That’ll force the karmis to read the books….

I thought this was a site for a bit of light relief…not a forum to publicly vent your personal gripes (no matter how valid they may be).

1. All glories to book distribution! It alienates the karmis, it extinguishes respect for the Vaisnavas, it spreads the belief that Vaisnavaism is a personality cult, it the financial life blood of the organisation, it increases the bank balance of temple, it increases the ocean of doubts and at every moment gives full taste of karma, and bewilders the devotee selling books.

2. O Acarya, you have written many many books, and have explained the highest philosophical truths within your books. Alas! Devotees don’t read your books and the karmis have no way of understanding the Sanskrit phrases, what to speak of the average devotee. O Acarya! Such is the personality cult around you; I have not developed an attraction for selling your books on the streets or at airports.

3. One who is lower than the GBC, or the management committee, who is tolerant of gurukuli abuse, who has no desire to question the “senior” devotees but ready to give them respect at all times, can be deluded into spending hours selling books on the streets thinking it to be the highest seva.

4. I ask not to study sastra, or develop a taste for Harinama, nor develop myself. O Lord of the Universe, all I ask is to be the best book distributor in my area and have the best Laksmi points, birth after birth.

5. O Krishna, son of Nanda, I am your eternal servant, but I have fallen into the dreadful ocean of organisational personality cult. Please be merciful and allow me to be further deluded.

6. When will my eyes be filled with tears, my throat block with a faltering voice and heart break as I realise that book distribution will not give me prema.

7. A blink of the eyes become equal to a yuga, my eyes have become like monsoon clouds, and the entire universe has become void to me in the absence of streets on which to sell books.

8. The unfaithful Krishna may tightly embrace me, who am devoted to selling books on the streets or he may break my heart by making my third guru fall down. Whatever he decides to do with me, I will never give up book distribution.