Returning to my roots, follow up on book distribution
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Continuing on the theme of returning to my roots of door to door ministery and knowing that for some any thought outside of a percieved norm is seen as anti-iskcon I’m going to add fuel to their fire.
Listening in and also noteing questions during classes on book distribution their is a running theme follow up, so many books but when it comes to what happens after that it’s more hit or miss.
During one of my discussions about my time as a Jehovah’s Witness on the door to door ministery I make one notation emphasis, for iskcon it’s book scores and laxmi points all well and good. As a JW I had to put in my book score but also one other piece of information how many home bible studies an follow up calls, laxmi points never is asked.
Indeed a whole evening class is dedicated to developing and studying for the door to door ministery, covering public speaking and how to present the books. The main emphasis always remained follow up and gaining and holding a home bible study.
A philisophical shift which can be achieved from door to door ministery service making follow up easier as you know were the person lives, something that is more difficult to do when in book distribution on streets.
I’m encouraged that some are moving to this more personal form of book distribution but in the back of my mind alarm bells ring, mindset is still book score laxmi focused and so a great opportunity for me is lost, so my mind is focused on this: door to door ministery with the sole aim to gain a home Gita study.
But then what?
phase two
Krishna West, yep I’ve just said them impersonal non-iskcon words krishna west
I’m again basing it on over 20 years house to house ministery work as a JW and here is the rational.
Home bible study develops the person makes steady progress but not committed enough to go to the Kingdom Hall but their is a need to increase the persons exposure and association with others within the movement.
Bible study groups for an hour one evening a week same format as the home bible study so it’s a slow progress with a long term aim, getting the individual more involved whilst keeping a distance, as friendship and trust grows eventually the person makes the leap to the kingdom hall and eventually onto book distribution.
My aim is simple from a home bible study to a small sanga group with the aim of full integration to a temple enviroment.
In this results driven society in general I’m sure many will want a fully fledged congregation by the end of the year and for me tha would be awesome but realistically it will take lots of time and hours.
After all at one stage I held 15 home bible studies of which only 2 became baptised so is that succesful or not?
But for me I want to see a change of emphasis from books and laxmi points to follow up.
But as always I end with this queston, what’s your thoughts?

Devotees Discover Prabhupada’s Belongings at Delhi Residence after they unlocked it for the first time in 25 years!
→ Dandavats.com

Devotees overseeing the restoration of the Delhi temple where Srila Prabhupada stayed in the early 1960s before leaving for the US have discovered a treasure of his personal belongings. Breaking open the locks on a door that had not been opened for 25 years, they were amazed to find the items still in his room at the Chippiwada Sri Sri Radha-Vallabha Mandir in Delhi’s busiest market, Chandni Chowk, after so long. The items included Srila Prabhupada’s harmonium and the original covers of the first canto of his Srimad-Bhagavatam translation and commentary, which he later brought with him to the US. On the photo: Srila Prabhupada's room just after devotees unlocked it for the first time in 25 years. The pyramid in the center is a sacred dome indicating that the Deities' altar is directly below. Read more ›

Festival of Colors Explodes Across North America
→ ISKCON News

Festival of Colors, traditionally known in India as Holi, is a spring festival inspired by Lord Krishna’s pastimes 5,000 years ago, when He and the cowherd girls and boys of Vrindavana playfully celebrated with colored dyes. While the festival has not historically been a part of ISKCON’s large repertoire of spiritual festivals, it has gradually become more and more of a staple especially in North America

The Southernmost Ratha Yatra in the World
→ ISKCON News

Pucón is a city in the south of Chile nestled in the middle of majestic landscapes of volcanoes, lakes and forests. Its population of 22 thousand people icreases to 60 thousand in the summer due to its strong tourism, which fills the streets with foreigners and locals captivated by the native environment. This year, for the third consecutive year, was held the Festival of India Ratha Yatra through the main streets of the city.

Devotees Discover Prabhupada’s Belongings at Delhi Residence
→ ISKCON News

Devotees overseeing the restoration of the Delhi temple where Srila Prabhupada stayed in the early 1960s before leaving for the US have discovered a treasure of his personal belongings. Breaking open the locks on a door that had not been opened for 25 years, they were amazed to find the items still in his room at the Chippiwada Sri Sri Radha-Vallabha Mandir in Delhi’s busiest market, Chandni Chowk, after so long.

64 amazing results of chanting Hare Krishna!
→ Dandavats.com

What will happen to you if you chant Hare Krishna? You become a lover of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? You will automatically you develop all the godly qualities? You will certainly reach one of the spiritual planets? You will be elevated to the transcendental platform? Everything becomes very easy in this life? This is a collection of statements from Srila Prabhupada's books. Read more ›

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

Birds and Time

I arrived at the Toronto Airport, anticipating warmer weather than what the prairies offered.  Such was the case, but we are still looking at below zero degrees, and what appears to be the most stubborn winter I can remember.  It’s interesting, one place that I visited in Winnipeg, Fort Whyte Alive Park, recently saw about 200 of those iconic birds, Canada geese, land on its grounds.  After a few hours, the birds got up in flight and headed back to where they came from, directions south.  People at the sight who had been working in the park for thirty years, never saw anything like this before.  It  just wasn’t the time yet for the feathered friends to settle in the north.

The chill, a mere ten degrees Celsius below zero, did not deter me from a daily walk.  I’ll always bundle up and brave any condition if equipped.  I just had a few precious hours at home, at the ashram, to reconnect with the other monks there, as well as with visitors.  That was more of a priority.  I did also manage to slip in a drama practice with some keen volunteers for our next take on “Little Big Ramayan”.  Stephen has come forward to play the role of evil Ravana.  He’s an opera singer.  And Corrado is a professional dancer and plays the deceptive Marichi in the form of a deer.  Somehow the talent is coming my way and I’m grateful. 

Monk-bonding and a scheduled rehearsal consumed some beautiful time before preparing for an early leave for Ohio the next morning.  I guess I stopped at home for as long as the geese stayed at the park.  This loss of time for a trek I’ll make up the next day, even if I have to fight for it.  The warrior in me will arise, watch out, time! 

May the Source be with you!

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