I was walking with a friend as we approached the temple’s back gate. I noticed a grey car parked nearby. The roof was down, and a man in his late fifties sat inside, listening to music on headphones. I had spoken to him before when I saw him in the village.
While he rolled a cigarette, he moved his head up and down in the rhythm of the music.
“Let’s speak to him,” I suggested to my friend as I walked towards the car.
“Hi, how are you?” I began the conversation.
He immediately shifted the topic to philosophy.
“This world is a place of misery, and the only way to escape it is through chanting,” he said whilst resting his hands on the steering wheel.
He chanted the entire maha mantra before continuing to speak. “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
“I wish there was another way, but I know that chanting is the only path to escaping suffering.”
He pulled the Easy Journey to Other Planets book from the seat beside him.
“I’m reading this book,” he proudly said.
As I looked at the book in his hand, I understood where he had gained his understanding of the philosophy he shared.
While we spoke, I noticed a CD box on his lap, with a cigarette and a lighter.
“I’m still trying to enjoy this material world,” he added.
I was inspired by his honesty and sincerity and asked him to pose with the book for a picture, which he kindly agreed to.
After the short exchange, we returned to the temple.
Srila Prabhupada often said, “It is said that a fool is undiscovered as long as he does not speak.”
This philosophy also works in reverse—when someone with a profound grasp of Krishna consciousness speaks, it becomes evident.
This man may not have applied everything he read in the book yet, but he has certainly begun the process.
A natural question arose in my mind: “Do I apply myself to what I read in scriptures, or do I prefer to remain a novice, satisfied with my current situation in life?”
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 8.28 purport: Study of the Vedas is not meant for the recreation of armchair speculators, but for the formation of character.
Ananta Gopal Das
17.04.2025
Bhakti Wisdom 