Last month, I had gone to the
Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, accompanied by my co-complainant in
connection with my pending complaint with him against the Office bearers of our
housing society. After completing our formal discussion, I presented him a copy
of “The Hare Krishna Revolution” newspaper. It was a gesture of soothing the
strained ties between us that had reached a nadir because he was not taking any
concrete steps to resolve my complaint. As a result I approached the State
Government’s Principal Secretary of the Cooperative Department. He was a little
miffed off at me because I had complained about his misconduct right up to the
Chief Minister. But since he was under pressure from the higher governmental
authorities, he was now expediently acting on my complaint. He started browsing
the newspaper and as it usually happens, the photographs of Krishna brought a
smile to his face and he remarked that the photos were indeed very attractive.
“No doubt about it”, I thought, “After all Krishna means ‘the all-attractive
one’”. He further said that he reads a śloka of Bhagavad Gita every day, which he receives
via SMS on his cellphone.
After a short discussion on Hare
Krishna with him, we took leave of the Registrar and came out of his chamber to
collect a letter from the clerk. We were requested to take a seat in the
visitors’ lounge because the letter that was not yet ready. When we were
sitting there, my co-complainant became curious about the newspaper and desired
to have a look at it. I gave her a copy. I knew that she was not spiritually
inclined and therefore, when she was putting the newspaper in her bag, I
remarked that I sell them for Rs.3.oo INR a copy. She immediately gave me back
the copy. I could make out that she felt offended on being asked to pay for it.
So I immediately responded, “But for you,
it’s free!” She happily kept it back in her bag and started asking about its
mode of distribution, the aim of publishing it, etc. After all she was a post
graduate in science and a professor of mathematics in an engineering college.
The next time I met her, I
enquired whether she had read the paper. As expected, she nonchalantly replied
in the negative saying that it was not her interest. “But my elder sister read
it and she loved it. She wants the previous issues also.” she added. I was not
convinced and forgot about it. The next time when I went to her home in
connection with the pending complaint, her elder sister reminded me about her
request for the previous issues. Now it was evident that she was very eager to
read them. She had paid the price of Krishna consciousness as enunciated by
Rupa Gosvami. Tatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam:
‘Eagerness’ is the price that one has to pay to achieve Krishna consciousness,
says Srila Rupa Gosvami. Srila Prabhupada therefore has instructed not to
distribute any of his literatures for free because he wants everyone to pay a
price for achieving the highest knowledge. If they pay for it, then they will
value it and read it. So I am particularly strict when it comes to giving away
any of Prabhupada’s books for free.
Yesterday, when I went to deliver the previous issues, I took
along half-a-dozen small books of Srila Prabhupada. After handing over the
newspapers to the elder sister, I showed her the books of Srila Prabhupada and
informed her that the newspaper is based on these books. Therefore, I reasoned
that she should buy one of them because she would really enjoy reading them.
The younger sister casually took “Teachings of Prahlada Maharaja” and remarked,
“Let me try out this small one.” I could understand that she was thinking that
the books were for free. So I quickly reminded her, “It is for Fifteen rupees
only.” She immediately gave back the book. The elder sister, after buying “On
the way to Krishna”, started asking about the activities of the Hare Krishna
movement. She was very excited and inquisitive to know more about the Hare
Krishnas.
The first question was that how come there are more Americans
and Europeans than Indians in your movement. Before I could answer it, she had
another query, “But they are all non-vegetarians, aren’t they? They must be
eating flesh.” I said that they have given up eating meat, fish and eggs. But
she had her reservations, “It is not possible for them to live without eating
flesh.”
“Forget about eating flesh, they do not even eat onions and
garlic,” I responded.
“Well. Why do the Hare Krishna devotees not eat onions and
garlic?”
The answer is that the devotees
eat only the remnants of Krishna. They first offer food to Krishna and then eat
the remnants. Such food that is offered to Krishna is known as prasadam, which
literally means ‘the mercy
of Krishna’. According to the Bhagavad-gita, one who does not offer his food to
Krishna is simply eating sin. Since Krishna does not eat onions and garlic, we
do not offer them to Him. Therefore, the devotees also do not eat onion and
garlic. Nor do they regret not eating them because eating onions and garlic
leads one to the mode of ignorance.
By Niraj Bidawatka
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