My husband often quotes Srila Prabhupada as saying, "The mind becomes peaceful by thinking of the welfare of others." I find that when I pray for someone , I automatically feel soft-hearted because praying for someone puts my mind in a compassionate mood. The December book distribution marathon has already started in many temples around the world. Everyone gets into the act, so to speak, of approaching strangers and offering them a chance to take one of Srila Prabhupada's books. Today I had a tiny realization. When we distribute Srila Prabhupada's books, we are thinking of the welfare of others in a deeply significant way. We are giving them an opportunity to make the decision to leave this material world, to escape the endless cycle of repeated births and deaths, and return home, back to the spiritual world where they came from and where they belong. I thought, If I want to give someone a book, and I simultaneously pray for the person to have an open mind, if I pray for that person to want to take the book, then before I offer them the book, maybe if I pray to Krsna, Krsna will hear my prayer, and maybe He'll help this soul feel attracted to taking the book. Maybe Krsna will help this person desire to take the book. I am guessing that this praying-before-approaching-a-person is probably a normal procedure for sincere, seasoned, successful book distributors, but for me. this realization is like an "Ah-HAH" moment.
