University of Houston

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Raghava 1 Comment

by Swami BV Avadhoot

Today we set up our usual table with hot kitcheree on campus at UH that’s Univ. of Houston. They also have a downtown branch or DUH. Most people who think they are their physical body ‘en toto’ probably graduated from DUH. Or if they didn’t but still think in terms of the body, then we would still classify them as DUH.

Anyway, jokes aside, we left UH after distributing all the kitcheree to the students and a Gita to one sincere boy. The Gita is really the best seller. As far as flyers for those one or two second handouts I prefer our harinam printout from the Mahamantra book with the mahamantra in white-on-black and the other side of the flyer a picture of Nitai-Gouranga on harinam with a little write-up about the power of the holy name. You will see that almost immediately as the kirtan is going on, people who get the flyer start chanting!

Anyway, to get on with our plot here, we left campus by unplugging our amplifier cord who powers up the harmonium and tambura which have jacks that raise the volume. The amp also has a mic so that our vocals get more audible. Putting everything back in the van we head out back to the ashram. Not having sufficient gas we stop at a nearby pump. Prangovinda goes into to pay for a few gallons and is suprised to hear the teller say, ‘Jaya Srila Gurudeva’. I am too until I realize Prangovinda has a T-shirt that says, ‘Jaya Srila Gurudeva’. Just see the power of the printed word! Anyway, I pulled out a CD of Srila Gurudeva’s Nectar of Govinda Lila being recited in English by BV Tridandi Maharaj and ask the teller to buy it. He claims to have no money, so I am frustrated that my intentions are not met. I really wanted to give it to someone.Then I notice a lady next to me which money clipped to her T-shirt which strikes me as rather odd.

I exchanged a remark with her and then as she proceeded out of the store to the pump area I decide to show her the CD. She says she will take it if we drop her off at another gas-station. So after taking 8 dollars for the CD we get into the car after she gives another devotee five dollars. We reach the other station in five minutes and then she asks for ten dollars. I was a little worried until I see she has a twenty she wishes to exchange for the ten. So immediately we give her the ten and she adds another twenty to the deal.

Not bad if you can get it and if you can get it won’t you tell me how.
Hari bol.