At 8 am the bus gets on its way to the village. The Volunteer crew have had simple nutritious breakfast and are now chanting Hare Krishna while the Hare Krishna Kirtan plays from the Bus speakers. They are ready for the day. The Bus Leader looks for an optimal spot in the village, which typically is a chowk where the village folk gather for small talk before proceeding to their respective farms. Google Maps helps, and the bus stops. The Leader commands: “Announcement!”.

The back of the bus transforms into a book stall, the crew arrange Srila Prabhupada’s unmatched books on it. The Bus speakers play Srila Prabhupada’s magnetic kirtan loudly to draw attention and spiritualize the atmosphere. We announce our presence using the mike. It’s a startling sight for the villagers - the loud kirtan, the book stall glittering with shining books, and young shaven headed monks donning dhoti-kurta and decorated with a beautiful tilak on their foreheads. They are hooked. And now, Srila Prabhupada’s soldiers jump out of their seats with books in their hands. They try to talk to one and all with all humility, praying to Srila Prabhupada all the while. Welcome to the Village Book Distribution Party!

The volunteers witness the wonder of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy. Many villagers are old and poor, many stay in small dimly lit huts, many are jobless, and addicted. But for Srila Prabhupada, how would they receive the mercy of Lord Chaitanya? The loud Kirtans purify one and all, even the animals and trees. And what to speak of those who touch the books or take one home. This is the highest compassion since now they will at least get a human birth in their next life, along with the opportunity to associate with devotees. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (2.40) – even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.

Children open their hearts quickly

They come running out of their homes when they hear the kirtan. They welcome and greet the bus by dancing jubilantly or by offering pranam. Spontaneously. Elders are a bit more circumspect. They hesitate to purchase a book. But when a devotee talks to them, they are more likely to purchase one. Whenever a person buys a book, the volunteer announces his name on the loud speaker, expressing their gratitude on behalf of ISKCON. This inspires more people to buy.

This is not about profit. Logically, this is a loss-making endeavor. The operational cost - fuel cost, cooking, bus maintenance, tolls, bad roads, staff payments, free prasad distribution, discounts on books, and so on – is not covered by the income. The real profit is in pleasing the acharyas, who live in the teachings of Krishna, and have transformed many people all over the world. When they are pleased, Krishna provides all the resources. This is a selfless service to Srila Prabhupada. Service in the form of distributing cloth, food, or money does not release the beneficiaries from the bondage of the material existence. But these books open everyone’s eyes by proclaiming that “I am not the body, nor the mind, but the spirit soul, part and parcel of the loving Lord Krishna”. These books have the blueprint for experiencing the spiritual sky, the Vaikuntha world.

Our motto is Srila Prabhupada’s statements – "Get these books to every city, town, village, and to every nook and corner of the world". In the Bus Party we get to be an instrument in this big revolution. Srila Prabhupada's kirtans, the announcements, and the morning program which enlightens us all, does the magic. We just reach out as instruments of compassion to the humanity out there. Sometimes it can be testing, when no one takes any books, but overall, it is very encouraging.

Online Search

We were distributing books in a basti of very poor homes. It was night. Most homes were dark inside, only dimly lit. There were around 10 small homes in a row. I and my friend tried to give a book in each home. No one took. Somehow both of us skipped the tenth house. Then I thought, “why should they be deprived of Lord Nityananda’s mercy? We just have to show them a book”. I went outside the house and shouted “Hare Krishna! Bhagavad Gita!”. One man went running inside, told something to wife. She opened a container, and took out another container from inside and then yet another, and gave something to the man. He came running to me with a little more than 100 rupees. I was surprised. I asked, “how come you are so eager and ready to receive a Bhagavad Gita? He replied, “Sir, I was trying to order a Bhagavad Gita online yesterday, but it was Rs. 400, and that was too expensive for us.” I then repeated my friend’s words, “But we are giving at just more than Rs. 100, and delivering it free to your home!” He took the book and was very thankful. We had just witnessed yet another heart-warming pastime in the service of Srila Prabhupada on the transcendental journey of our Sankirtan Bus Party.

Enlightened Tutor, Enlightened Kids

In one village, as soon as the Bus kirtan started, children came running. Before we could offer them gita, they showed us their copy, same as ours. The leader asked how they got it. We learnt that one villager, who is a tutor, came in touch with a Pune Brahmachari and is now attending his Bhagavad Gita online regularly. This tutor now takes 1 hour of Bhagavad Gita for some children every week. As a result, these children are so attracted to Krishna’s cause. They followed the bus throughout village streets, loudly chanted Hare Krishna throughout the way, and took books from our bus and persuaded all village residents to purchase. This is the power of these books – they transforms lust laden hearts into service inclined ones for Krishna’s pleasure. We distributed many books in that village. Thanks to online classes! Village preaching indeed has a lot of scope and we will need a lot of volunteers to further the cause.

Simplicity of the Sankirtan Bus Party Lifestyle

Distribution places change daily. Prasad changes daily. The only constant to which we attach ourselves to is the book distribution process and the wonderful volunteers who we are serving with. It's a wonderful opportunity to know each other closely and serve with them. Also, during the break hours we get a lot of opportunity to be close to nature and appreciate its beauty. We sometimes honor lunch under shady trees while our clothes dry on nearby trees in a farm.

Multiplying Joy

On the Bus party, we regularly witness miraculous incidents and get startling realizations of Srila Prabhupada purports. We find new inspirations every now and then. At the end of the day, or during the break hours, devotees share their experiences with each other, and the joy multiplies. We get a practical demonstration of the famous Bhagavad Gita verse - kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca – the devotees find deep satisfaction and ever new pleasure in discussions about Krishna. Austerity, detachment, simplicity, enthusiasm, appreciation for Guru & Krishna, good health are some of the many benefits of being on the Sankirtan Bus Party.

The Crew