It is with a happy and joyous mood we present this report to our sanga. This is the second time we have have been out and about in Liverpool doing book distribution and we had yet another sucessful 3 day’s in Liverpool City Centre.
There where three of us going out Radha Raman Das Vanacari, Anada Mohan Das and my self Ananga Manjari Devi Dasi. We went out From 11.30 am until usually about 6 pm we decided this time to do 3 full day’s of book distribution which was great, we met many fantastic fellow ‘scouser’s’ some old faces we knew from year’s ago who recognised Radha Raman and myself and where interested to see what we where doing and what books we had, they asked if we where still in Liverpool and would be doing anything like, programmes, meetings etc, we gave them all the information they needed and they where amazed that Radha Raman at his ripe old age of 65 is still out and about doing book distribution. We made some lovely new friends and contacts, as well as having a laugh and joke along the way, scouse humour is warranted up here and the people of Liverpool love a good banter and are more receptive to hear what you have to say, and they linger longer with you. And as we where not taking any money nor donations for the books then that was a big added plus.
We always start the day with a small programme of chanting, song and a small arati offering to the deities and Gurudeve to help strengthen us in our endevours to distribute his message in a pleasing and friendly manner to the people of Liverpool. Then we sort what books we have and load up the car and off we go into the City Centre, book bags bulging and eagerness and excitement to get started.
As soon as we arrive in the City Centre we start right away as we are walking to our different designated spots and at around 11.30 is a good time as people are out on a coffee break from work and many where only too happy to stop and chat, listen to us, take a book, some would remark they where grateful for a brief break from work.
The Council Officials & the Police of the City of Liverpool know Radha and myself very well and so do some of the Big Issue vendors, whom every 2 hours we would stop have a warming cuppa of Strawberry herbal tea and chat with the vendors and Council Officials and we all congregated to chat and take a breather, discuss any problems or hastle we may have then we are off again back to the book distribution.
Radha Raman Das Vanacari has been doing this service for over 20+ year’s now he was the third top book distributor in ISKCON and he is fantastic with people, he has such a candor and approach and they warm to him immediately and are only too happy to stop and chat. I always take a camera out with us so if anyone was interested we could snap them and post the pictures to our Facebook Page to enhance our profile and spread the word. We are well known & connected in the city anyhow, and that helps tremendously.
Many people took books from us and we distributed 300 books completely FREE in three day’s. Many people whom took a book would turn around half way down the street and come back over to us and ask “Don’t you want a donation for the book?” No it’s free we would tell them it’s a gift, and they are completely amazed, in this day of gross materialism then people are so used to being hit-up on the streets that they are wary and as the saying goes ‘You don’t get something for nothing.’ So they really respond and interact with us more when they find they don’t have to give us any money, not even donations do we ask for. And this is a big talking point. One lady took a book and approached me twice “Are you sure you don’t want any money?” She aksed, no, I told her all we want is a sincere and open heart and a promise that you will read or pass the book onto somone whom you trust will treasure it.” Whith that she asked what else we had and took a selection of what we had. Sweet!
All we want is to present and introuduce my fellow scouser’s to our Gurudeve and enable them to acess his teachings and those of our illustrious Guru Varga via the correct and authorised channels.. One quote Gurude gave during an interview we read recently really touched us and we feel Gurudeve is so much inspiring and guiding us in our humbe endevours…. But not just us, everyone who endevours to do this book distribution. Even now Gurudeve is present in his books and is still reaching out and touching peoples lives, how wonderful and blessed we are to be able to be Das anu Das [Servant of the servant] in this humbling service of book distribution. We are not the dooer’s Gurudeve is!
Everywhere I go, so many persons develop love for me. They also worship me, but I see them as my friends, and I think, “I must help them”. I am concerned about their happiness, and I want to help them so that they will not become old at any time.”
—HDG Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
And this is how we view our service of book distribution, that we are not the dooer’s, but Gurudeve is and the reasons why we do book distribution is exactly what our beloved Gurudeve say’s in the above quote and we want to introduce people to him and his teachings and help them break free from the clutches and bondage of materialism and the pain and suffering that we are surrounded by in our daily lives. There is something better and higher. And through Gurudeve and his books the right path to freedom is revealed it is the panacea, the nectar we all crave for and it is here for the taking if you have a sincer heart and open mind. Referring back to the interview with Gurudeve by one reporter then he continues to inspire and push us forward in our endevour’s His words are close to our hearts each time we go out to distribute the books…
The day will come when you will not be able to walk without the help of a cane. And one day, although you will not want to do so, you will have to give up this body.
There is no birth or death for the soul, so why are we coming here and suffering? It is because we have forgotten our loving father, mother, friend, and most beloved – Krsna, the embodiment of love. We are His parts and parcels, but now we have forgotten Him, and that is why we experience birth, old age, death, and their concomitant sufferings. One day we were little babies, and one day, although we desire that this stage will not come, we will all have to give up these bodies.
We can stop all of these things very easily by chanting and remembering Sri Krsna. Anyone – old, young, Hindu, or Muslim – anyone can chant the name of God. There is no time limit; you can do this in the night or the day. And there is no expense at all. Without any money or any special conditions, we can chant, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.” By this chanting, you will develop love for all. You will not be able to kill any animal, or even a tree. You will not want to give pain even to grass. You will see God and souls everywhere. God is so merciful.
—HDG Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
In Liverpool City Centre there was a group of young men and women from a high profile charity Radha taught them how to say the Mahamantra and we where all dancing and singing over and over again, many people stopped smiled and asked what was going on. Then there was more interest generated yet again and this is how it is every time we go out the people of Liverpool are magnanamous. If you are enlivened by what you have read then come and join us, you will be most welcome indeed. All Glories to Sri Guru & Gauranga All Glories to our illustrious Guru Varga.
Your Servants Das anu das anu das
Radha Raman Das Vanacari
Ananda Mohan Das
Ananga Manjari Devi Dasi
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I do your aratika prabhus and didi. We need devotees like you to inspire us in our own feeble attempts at outreach.
By the way- what is a scouser?
Hare Krsna prabhuji, Don’t do aratik to us, offer it to our beloved Gurudeve you will get more benefit that way! Outreach is easy actually if you are honest and open with people and just basically down-to-earth, people are canny and know if you have a hidden agenda going on….We just primarily want to present our beloved Gurudeve to as many people of our home town as possible.
A ‘Scouser’ lol lol lol is a reference to a native or resident of Liverpool it’s a slang terminology. ‘Scouser’ basiclly refers affectionately to anyone from Liverpool.
Dandavats Das anu das anu das
PS. ‘Scouse’ also refers back into the history of Liverpool as a ‘Scouse or Liverpool Stew’ it’s primarily a Irish dish consiting of meat and potatoes and goes back to the imigration of the Irish into Liverpool which Liverpool is referred to as the ‘Little Ireland’ because so many Irish folk live there. I do a vegetarian ‘Scouse/Stew’ So that’s a wee bit of the history of ‘Scouser’s’ and the Irish connection. And ‘Scouse’ is also our national dish up here in Liverpool.
Brave Ones!!!
Dandavats!
Any chance of posting the recipe your Scouse Stew?
SCOUSE STEW RECIPE
1 lb Cabbage
2 Cloves
2 Cardamon (remove outer husks)
Half Tsp. Cinnamon
4 Tbspn. Sunflower Oil
4 Large potatoes
2 cups TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
1 Tbspn Fresh Gratet Giner (1 level Tbspn ground ginger)
1 Tspn Tumeric
2 Tins plum tomatoes (or over-riped fresh ones)
1 halp Tspn. Salt
Half Tspn Sugar (to combat bitterness/tang of cabbage & tomatoes)
1-2 Cup’s Water.
Method:
Par boil Cabbage & potatoes in large pan or pressure cook them for 2 mns. Until slightly cooked but not hard or mushy.
Grind the sweet spices:- Cloves, Cardamon (husks removed) cinnamon. Set aside
In a large pan heat oil or ghee whichever is your preference lightly heat the oil and fry all the remainder of the spices (Except the Sweet spices).
Add the Cabbage & pots stir well to mix the spices in with the cabbage and pots. Then add the TVP another good stir and put in the 2 cups of water until you get a nice juicy constituency, mind you don’t use so much water your drown the veg!!
Chop your tinned plum tomatoes and add them along with the salt & sugar bring to a fast boil, then simmer, keep a close eye on the pan as it will soak up the water and unless you add a little more to keep the right constituency it will burn dry and spoil the flavour.
Simmer until all your veg & TVP is soft, but not mush! You are now ready to serve and it is at this point you now add in your ‘Sweet spices’ and stir. The dish is generally served alone with no other accompanyments only bread & butter.
This dish is called in Liverpool ‘Blind Scouse’ as it is not made with stewing steak. And this Veggie dish tastes exactly like the Liverpool scouse my mam used to make.
All glories to your service! It’s great that you’re not asking any money for the books (you don’t have to hear the famous scouse cry – “I’m skint!” so often) Back in the 80s
we drove up to Liverpool from the sankirtan house in Manchester every day to do books because the Liverpuddlians are so friendly. Reading your article brought back some happy memories, thanks. It’s great to know that people’s understanding of Prabhupada’s books they might have read previously will be deepened by reading Gurudeva’s now.
Dasanu
Nice work…thanks for the article!