1. Effects of mass book distribution – people eager for SP’s books

    Tamala Krsna: It's amazing to think, Srila Prabhupada, that ten years ago you were living in Radha-Damodara temple and just conceiving all of this. Now Krsna has arranged everything. You were sitting alone, having to draw your own water, doing your own typing. Everything you had to do yourself. And now, gradually, the whole world is coming to assist you in serving Krsna. It is most wonderful.

    Devotee (1): Everyone is knowing of your glories, Srila Prabhupada. I was coming in a truck from the airport in San Francisco, and one policeman pulled me over, and he ran an investigation and then he came back and said, "I know this isn't right, but do you have any books by Prabhupada?" So he pulled me over just to get one of your books. And later on I saw him, and he and his friend… He was a sergeant, and they were reading your book at a liquor store.

    Tamala Krsna: [chuckling] The policeman pulled him over. He was in a car, Srila Prabhupada. He thought he was going to be arrested, but the policeman said, "I'm pulling you over to ask for one of Prabhupada's books."

    Devotee (1): He said that he used to go through the airports all the time and get your books, but he hadn't been through the airport in so long, he was feeling the separation. So he had to pull us over, because he saw we were devotees, so that he could ask for some of your books.

    Citsukhananda: In Los Angeles, at the Spiritual Sky Incense company, there are so many karmi workers also assisting in Spiritual Sky business. So actually, they are just coming to work every day without any change of heart. But we started… The receptionist started giving Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers to the people who work there. And this one man who's a theologian who works there in the bookkeeping department read your book, and he said, "This man speaks perfectly. He has no fault. Everything he says is completely right, perfect." So now they're coming to the temple, now, because they've read your book. Otherwise they didn't want to associate. But now they read this book, Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, and they're coming to the temple. They take prasadam. They've become very submissive, all the workers.

    Jayapataka: Now that your books are being printed in Hindi, in Calcutta, one of our Life Members, Mr. Tulsan, he got your Hindi Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta, and he's begun reading, and now he said his whole life is transformed. He said that never he found anywhere that the knowledge was presented so simply and so clearly. All the panditas he could never understand. So now he's become so enthusiastic he's purchasing four rooms in Mayapur — two for himself, and he's making two relatives purchase. And every month he comes out with his family, with the whole family. "Instead of going to other recreation," he said, "we'll go to the temple." And he brings big basket of fruit, and he comes out, and they stay for the weekend and they all attend mangala-arati.

    Devotee (1): At one big fair, Prabhupada, we were distributing your books, and after the fair was over so many people were coming up. So we surrounded the truck with stacks of books and passing them out. And pretty soon after all the books were gone the people started rocking the truck. They were surrounding it, asking for one of your books. They were demanding that they have one of your books.

    Conversation — November 8, 1977, Vrndavana