After participating in a regional call for Bhadra campaign with leaders and managers from across South India, Radhanath Maharaj commented on how gratifying it was to see everyone along and working together towards a common goal, especially since they are usually at loggerheads. This Bhadra campaign is doing more than distributing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; it is bringing devotees together in a shared mission. You have always found ways to share your love of reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books with the devotees. By taking time to read for five or six hours a day while staying at Govardhana during Kārtika, and holding group reading sessions whenever we can on our travels or online reading sessions before festival days, you have not only fulfilled your desire to spend more time studying Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, but you have planted the seeds of that same desire in others. We have lemon and lime trees in our yard, and in the past, even when fruit seemed perfectly ripe, I always had to give a firm tug to get it to come loose from the branch. I recently discovered that if I simply gently twist the fruit a few times, it comes off easily into my hand. It made me think of the analogy you sometimes use when training devotees in the art of book distribution: pick the ripe fruit. If someone is unripe, not ready to take a book, let them go rather than try to force the interaction. But another thought occurred to me: over the years, through your experience and the expertise you've developed, you've learned how to give the fruit just the right twist. Sometimes you can gently coax someone who may not appear quite ripe into taking a book, giving a donation, and walking away with a good impression. Perhaps the fruit was riper than it first appeared; it just needed to be approached in the right way. But this analogy doesn't just apply out on book distribution. The way in which you give your attention, energy, and guidance—encouraging and empowering, coaxing out the best in everyone—is one of your trademark qualities. In the purport of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.51, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "If a disciple is very serious to execute the mission of the spiritual master, he immediately associates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by vāṇī or vapuḥ. This is the only secret of success in seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of being eager to see the Lord in some bush in Vṛndāvana, while at the same time engaging in sense gratification, if one instead sticks to the principle of following the words of the spiritual master, he will see the Supreme Lord without difficulty." When I read those words, they immediately made me think of you. They seem to capture so perfectly the mood in which you approach your service. You make every minute of your day count. Even in your dreams, you are processing ways to perform your sevā in ever-increasing ways. Your workouts, your yoga sessions, neighborhood walks, and eating are all done with the goal of staying in the best possible health—because you're on a mission. A mission to... (04:26) ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://vaisesikadasayatra.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://thefourquestionsbook.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 ------------------------------------------------------------
