Kārtika month has just ended, and it was an extraordinary month filled with blessings, spiritual experiences, and wonderful associations with devotees.
What began as a small offering to Śrīla Prabhupāda – to read the Kṛṣṇa Book daily for his pleasure during Kārtika – transformed into a beautiful saṅga of over 30 devotees. Many of these devotees came daily to join us in reading the Kṛṣṇa Book together in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s rooms at Bhaktivedānta Manor. Word of mouth spread about our readings, and each day our group grew.
We would begin each reading session by offering prayers to Śrīla Prabhupāda and our teachers. Although we didn’t make a rule against gadgets, it was understood that this was a time to switch off materially and tune in spiritually. For that one hour, everyone was completely absorbed, drinking the nectar from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s writing.
Besides our regular congregation devotees, occasionally first-time visitors to the temple would join us too. One evening, two boys in their late twenties sat with us for reading. After the session, they decided to regularly volunteer at the temple. Simply by hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathā, they developed a desire to perform devotional service.
Not only did their hearts change, but so did the hearts of our congregation devotees who read with us. Due to work and other responsibilities, many don’t have much time to regularly read scriptures, and reading on their own can be challenging. Coming together, in person, in the very rooms where Śrīla Prabhupāda performed his sādhana (spiritual activities) and wrote many of his books, inspires and strengthens us to read more than we would normally do on our own.
As we approached the final five days of Kārtika month, devotees expressed a desire to double our reading time so we could finish the entire book before the month ended. During these last five days, we often read two and a half hours together, completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. We relished the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in the company of Vaiṣṇavas.
On the final day, senior disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda joined us in reading and were very pleased with our efforts. They showered us with their blessings.
After one month, we had read 90 chapters, 916 pages, and spent 40 hours reading the Kṛṣṇa Book. We concluded our Kārtika-vrata by chanting Śrī-guru-vandanā prayers to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Letter to Damodara written from Honolulu May 09, 1972: You can thin milk by adding water and you can make it thick by boiling. Now is the time for us to begin the boiling process. Now you know everything how to be a Vaisnava brahmana, now you must practice these thing or the whole thing will be a show only. Better to develop the small number of devotees we have, make them truly Krishna conscious boys and girls than to go on getting many followers who do not understand and practice the real principles. Better one moon that many stars.
Ananta Gopal Das