# Book Distribution and Travelling SKP Instructions from Śrīla Prabhupāda's letters about book distribution, travelling sankirtana parties, and related topics. --- ## Travelling Sankirtana Party ![[letters/1969/690617_hansadutta|Regarding the tour of North Dakota, this is a nice proposal. So if it is practical it will be very nice for you and your wife. Only thing you have to do is rent a station wagon so you can travel, sleep and cook there]] —Hamsaduta, 17 June, 1969 --- ![[letters/1970/700329_rupanuga|Regarding moving with sankirtana party as Kirtanananda Maharaja is doing now, it will be another impetus for pushing forward our mission]] —Rupanuga, 29 March, 1970 --- ![[letters/1970/700427_rupanuga|The moving sankirtana party was programmed long, long ago even when I was in India]] —Rupanuga, 27 April, 1970 --- ![[letters/1970/700427_rupanuga|So try to recruit more members for our Society because we have to open many centers and from each center we shall organize this moving sankirtana party.]] —Rupanuga, 27 April, 1970 --- ![[letters/1971/710305_abhirama|So your idea of having a large boat travelling from city to city is very encouraging. So if you have got means, then go ahead and do it. Krsna conscious men aboard ship and chanting Hare Krsna is very nice program and the coastal people may take advantage of this transcendental vibration and be benefited.]] —Abhirama dasa, 5 March, 1971 ![[letters/1971/710831_vamanadeva|Your program of travelling in a van from town to town and distributing our books and literatures and having street sankirtana sounds very encouraging]] —Vamanadeva, 31 August, 1971 ![[letters/1971/711106_kirtanananda_vrindaban_candra_silavati_vrindaban_candra_silavati|If there were three or four such travelling parties, it would be a grand scale propaganda. So do it with great enthusiasm and surely you will have the blessings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And wherever you go, if there is good response you can try and open a center there.]] —Kirtanananda Maharaja, 6 November, 1971 --- ![[letters/1971/711130_krsna_dasa|You may organize your travelling party on the lines of a festival which moves from city to city, and if there is good field, a camp may be set up and you may carry on with our Hare Krsna Festival as long as there is good response.]] —Krsna dasa, 30 November, 1971 ![[letters/1971/711212_uddhava|I am especially pleased that your travelling sankirtana party is being organized nicely under your supervision, and that it is meeting with good success. This travelling SKP and buses carrying tents is very encouraging. It should be continued all over the country.]] —Kirtanananda Maharaja, 12 December, 1971 --- ![[letters/1972/720110_kulasekhara|I very much approve of such travelling SKP program. And if you are able to infiltrate into schools and colleges for introducing Krsna consciousness and selling our books, that is also very nice.]] —Kulasekhara, 10 January, 1972 ![[letters/1972/720205_jagadisa|The travelling SKP and teaching in the schools and colleges which you are organizing is excellent proposal, and I think that this is the best program for pushing on this Lord Caitanya's movement: simply travelling and preaching, and infiltrating the schools where young boys and girls are interested to learn something which will satisfy them.]] —Jagadisa, 5 February, 1972 ![[letters/1972/720402_hansadutta|Also, your ideas for travelling SKP are very much liked by me. Here in Australia they have got one double-decker bus, like you have seen in London streets]] —Hamsaduta, 2 April, 1972 ![[letters/1973/730210_satsvarupa|As far as staying in some boy's apartment, this is permissable if everyone in the house agrees to follow the principles while you are there]] —Satsvarupa, 10 February, 1973 --- ![[letters/1973/730216_sudama|When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring all over India He did not bring the Deities with Him. So in our travelling and preaching, Deity worship is not essential but if it is done nicely it can be a very attractive aspect of our preaching work.]] —Sudama, 16 February, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730510_hrdayananda|Your plan to get a large vehicle for travelling with built-in shower, kitchen, etc. is approved by me. But you should try to get new, because the old ones always need repair.]] —Hrdayananda, 10 May, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730723_jagadisa|You are setting a very good example in that you yourself are going with the travelling party. The Vedic concept of the commander is that he must be in front in the fight, not that he sits back behind the lines.]] —Jagadisa, 23 July, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730723_jagadisa|Regarding your contemplating opening new centers, I have felt the pulse of your country and that is, that wherever we open a small branch it will develop. So now you have to train our men so that the possibility for such opening centers will be good.]] —Jagadisa, 23 July, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730815_jagadisa|To install Deities in a moving vehicle is not very good. There is always danger of falling and breaking. Sudama already has experience of this. Why is Deity worship being introduced? It should not be introduced because it is very difficult to maintain the standard under such circumstances.]] —Jagadisa, 15 August, 1973 --- ![[letters/1973/730828_sudama|my Guru Maharaja also travelled, similarly I am also travelling. One thing is that I do not know how practical it is to carry Deities in the truck]] —Sudama, 28 August, 1973 --- ![[letters/1973/730831_jagadisa|Regarding the Regina temple, if it is already opened then maintain it, otherwise we should not open more centers at this time, especially in the smaller cities, it is better to go there with travelling sankirtana parties, that was my point. And the Deities in a moving vehicle is all right provided they are cared for properly, so do the needful.]] —Jagadisa, 31 August, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730904_trai|My sanction for the Deities in the touring van is still there. But I have heard that sometimes the Deity falls down, so these things are objectionable. Touring and book distribution, side by side, this is the main business.]] —Sudama Maharaja, 4 September, 1973 --- ![[letters/1973/731012_ramesvara|To be stagnant is not good. Just like I am an old man, but I am always travelling.]] —Hamsaduta, 12 October, 1973 --- ![[letters/1974/740427_pusta_krsna|As for the Deities of Gaura-Nitai, yes you may take them on travelling sankirtana and worship them. Please keep me informed of your activities.]] —Pusta Krsna Maharaja, 27 April, 1974 --- ![[letters/1974/741228_tamala_krsna|I was extremely pleased to hear your report from your travelling buses. It sounds as if your program is very, very wonderful and I am very encouraged to hear that such a program is coming along so nicely.]] —Tamala Krsna Goswami, 28 December, 1974 ![[letters/1975/750204_giriraja|Regarding the bus, now I am serious to purchase one bus at least and I have secured money. So, arrange for this immediately with the help of Sridhara. We do not want the seats—it should be vacant.]] —Giriraja dasa, 4 February, 1975 ![[letters/1975/750623_svarupa_damodara|Your proposal for travelling and distributing books all over India is very good. Krsna will bless you with His mercy. Take books and sell and spend for your expenses.]] —Abhinanda and Gopesvara dasa, 23 June, 1975 --- ![[letters/1975/750705_bhagavata|Tripurari Swami is starting his bus preaching program, and you are required for this purpose. You are a good preacher. I very much like these bus programs. They are greatly increasing the scope of our book distribution and many new men are being attracted.]] —Bhagavata dasa, 5 July, 1975 --- ![[letters/1975/751022_tulsi|Concerning your idea to go port to port by ship, why waste time and energy? Don't spoil money purchasing boat. Port to port we can go by airplane.]] —Tulasi dasa, 22 October, 1975 --- ![[letters/1975/751110_bahudak|I am glad to note that you are taking out the travelling party. I hope that you have good success. Just do everything very soberly.]] —Bahudaka dasa, 10 November, 1975 ![[letters/1976/760129_hamsadutta|Yes, begin the bus program village to village, distributing kirtana, prasadam, and books. That will make our foundation strong.]] —Hamsaduta, 29 January, 1976 ![[letters/1976/760226_bhaja_hari_mukunda|The bus program is a good idea.]] —Bhaja Hari dasa and Mukunda dasa, 26 February, 1976 --- ## Street Chanting ![[letters/1969/690130_brahmananda|Our propaganda should be focused on spreading kirtana and distributing literature, books and magazines. The process experienced now is that after holding kirtana, they are selling magazines and books successfully.]] —Brahmananda, 30 January, 1969 ![[letters/1969/690716_brahmananda|This sankirtana party and our book department are very, very important; they are our right and left hands, so everything should be done very carefully and in remembrance that this is Krsna's business that we are executing.]] —Brahmananda, 16 July, 1969 --- ![[letters/1970/700626_dinesh|It is very encouraging that you have received written permission from the police to chant and take collections. This permission is very important.]] —Dinesh, 26 June, 1970 --- ![[letters/1971/710621_satsvarupa|Yes, my order still stands. Please organize Back to Godhead distribution and do it nicely. The sankirtana party and distribution of our magazines and books is our real program. Other things are secondary.]] —Satsvarupa, 21 June, 1971 ![[letters/1972/721125_sudama|Sell books, hold the kirtana in public places like schools and colleges, preach—if you practice these things, and try to improve them more and more, simply by your practicing sincerely, that simple program will please Krsna the most and you will see that very soon.]] —Sudama, 25 November, 1972 --- ![[letters/1974/741019_rupanuga|Regarding sankirtana and book distribution, book distribution is also chanting. Anyone who reads the books that is also chanting and hearing]] —Rupanuga dasa, 19 October, 1974 --- ![[letters/1974/741023_tamala_krsna|Regarding sankirtana and book distribution, both should go on, but book distribution is more important. It is brhad kirtana.]] —Tamala Krsna Goswami, 23 October, 1974 --- ![[letters/1974/741025_ramesvara|Srila Prabhupada has said that book distribution is more important than street chanting. Book distribution is brhad kirtana.]] —Ramesvara Prabhu, 25 October, 1974 ![[letters/1974/741121_haihaya|If you just spread this chanting in Europe, then it becomes Vaikuntha. Side by side push on the literature distribution as far as possible]] —Haihaya dasa, 21 November, 1974 --- ![[letters/1974/741125_ramesvara|This is another example how the book distribution is better than the street sankirtana alone. Now the books are in the president's house, but by your chanting you could never approach the president's house.]] —Ramesvara dasa, 25 November, 1974 --- ## And the Sankirtana Newsletter ![[letters/1974/740421_hansadutta|Your chart for reporting book and record distribution is approved by me, as from this chart I can quickly see how the centers are doing.]] —Hamsaduta, 21 April, 1974 ![[letters/1974/740509_ramesvara|This regular reporting is very encouraging for everyone of our devotees and I have faith in your words that next year the figures will be far beyond what they were last year. It is the nature of the spiritual energy, it is always increasing if we just apply our energy.]] —Ramesvara, 9 May, 1974 --- ![[letters/1974/740908_srutadeva|You can continue sending me these newsletters as you publish them weekly. It is this sankirtana which is the life and soul of our movement.]] —Srutadeva dasa, 8 September, 1974 --- ![[letters/1975/750519_srutadeva|I am in due receipt of your weekly sankirtana newsletters. I am always happy to hear of increasing book sales. These reports are very encouraging to me.]] —Srutadeva dasa, 19 May, 1975 ![[letters/1975/750811_srutadeva|I have read this week's newsletter and I like it very much. You are doing very nice service. I have got all blessings upon you, and I am ordering all temples to send you regular news.]] —Srutadeva dasa, 11 August, 1975 ![[letters/1975/751109_rupanuga|Regarding the sankirtana newsletter, then stop it. If the BBT does not pay for it, then stop it. The temple cannot afford to publish it, and if the BBT does not pay for it, then stop it. But it is a good attempt.]] —Rupanuga dasa, 9 November, 1975 --- ## And Dress ![[letters/1969/690803_robert_hendry|So far as your dress is concerned, that is immaterial. But as a soldier you know that every soldier has got a uniform dress according to the army etiquette of regulation]] —Robert Hendry, 3 August, 1969 ![[letters/1972/721231_bali-mardana-mardana-mardana|Yes, if it is enhancing our distribution of books to wear warm clothes like coat-pants in winter, I have no objection, you may wear them]] —Bali Mardan, 31 December, 1972 ![[letters/1973/730214_rupanuga|Regarding our sankirtana party members dressing up as hippies in order to increase book distribution, this is not a very good plan]] —Rupanuga, 14 February, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730723_jagadisa|There is no objection to going in Western clothes in order to distribute my books. It is not necessary that we always wear the robes, but we should always keep sikha and tilaka.]] —Jagadisa, 23 July, 1973 ![[letters/1973/731006_karandhara|Yes you can go on with your book distribution as you were doing before, there is not any harm. I thought that our men were becoming like hippies, but now I understand from you that this is not the case. So I have no objection.]] —Karandhara, 6 October, 1973 ![[letters/1973/731012_ramesvara|I am glad to hear of the book distribution success of Tripurari in Chicago. It is reported that he did it dressed in dhoti, but Karandhara says that dhoti is an impediment.]] —Ramesvara, 12 October, 1973 ![[letters/1974/740625_jagadisa|Regarding the techniques for book distribution, it is all right if the devotees dress like the young people they are selling the books to. The main thing is that the innocent are given the books and the chance to become Krsna conscious by reading them.]] —Jagadisa, 25 June, 1974 ![[letters/1976/760216_satadhanya|It is nice that you are continuing to distribute Back to Godhead. If karmi dress is favorable, then go on with karmi dress. We have to execute missionary activities; dress is not fundamental.]] —Satadhanya dasa, 16 February, 1976 ![[letters/1976/761214_gurukrpa|Now with Bhagavad-gita translated in Japanese our standing will be there. Let us sell Bhagavad-gita only in plain dress.]] —Gurukrpa Maharaja, 14 December, 1976 --- ![[letters/1976/761223_trivikrama|Your description of how you are distributing Bhagavad-gita is very nice. Follow that principle. There is no need of sannyasa dress. Organize this system all over Southeast Asia and distribute as many books as possible.]] —Trivikrama Maharaja, 23 December, 1976 --- ## And Temple Worship ![[letters/1968/680201_madhusudana|who worships the Deity with great devotion but doesn't show any devotion to the devotees of the Lord, or doesn't preach Krsna consciousness for the benefit of the general public, he is in the lower stage of devotional service.]] —Madhusudana, 1 February, 1968 --- ![[letters/1969/690812_yamuna|Actually, temple worship is for the neophyte devotee, and the preacher is in a higher position than the neophyte. That is the definition given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The advanced devotee should be very much enthusiastic in preaching the transcendental message of Lord Caitanya, and temple worship should be entrusted to the newcomers or neophytes.]] —Yamuna dasi, 12 August, 1969 ![[letters/1969/690905_hamsadutta|In this age, chanting of Hare Krsna mantra is the prime business of the devotee, and preaching of this Hare Krsna mantra by outdoor sankirtana and propagation of literature is our more important business. Side by side, Deity worship is recommended, but when there is a question of accepting one of them, we shall prefer to accept chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra first.]] —Hamsaduta, 5 September, 1969 --- ![[letters/1969/691215_cidananda|Sankirtana and distributing Back to Godhead and our other literatures is the fieldwork of this movement. Temple worship is secondary]] —Cidananda, 15 December, 1969 ![[letters/1970/700108_sudama|Sankirtana, love feast and selling Back to Godhead they are our primary engagements and next temple worship. Temple worship is needed for the inner section.]] —Sudama, 8 January, 1970 ![[letters/1970/700312_hansadutta|Although chanting is quite sufficient to cover all the vidhis still to keep ourselves pure and sanctified we must observe the rules and regulations of pancaratriki-vidhi]] —Hamsaduta, 12 March, 1970 ![[letters/1970/700315_gurudasa|The temple worship will keep us sanctified and when we shall preach in sanctified pure heart the preaching will be immediately effective.]] —Gurudasa, 15 March, 1970 ![[letters/1970/700418_hansadutta|all the wives of our students should be trained up for Deity worship and cooking, and when possible they should go outside on sankirtana party with their husbands and others.]] —Hamsaduta, 18 April, 1970 ![[letters/1970/700528_satsvarupa|So the temple worship is necessary for the beginners so that by following the regulative principles such devotees become more and more purified and thus gradually come on the platform to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam.]] —Satsvarupa, 28 May, 1970 ![[letters/1970/700701_damodaraab|If there is a scarcity of such qualified pujaris, each center should be satisfied only by worshiping Panca Tattva of Lord Caitanya by performance of sankirtana.]] —Damodara, 1 July, 1970 ![[letters/1971/710924_makhanlal_tilaka|Your proposal for a grhastha travelling sankirtana party is a very good one but the temple work should not be neglected. Both things should go on simultaneously. Our process is to work on bhagavata and pancaratriki systems simultaneously.]] —Makhanlal and Tilaka devi, 24 September, 1971 ![[letters/1971/711212_kirtanananda|When our routine work, like chanting, reading books, nice arati, Deity worship, etc., is very nice, then our preaching will have effect. That is the secret.]] —Kirtanananda Maharaja, 12 December, 1971 ![[letters/1973/730126_sudama|You have my sanction to take with you Gaura-Nitai Deities. Carefully worship Them, attending to Them with regular aratis and bhoga offerings.]] —Sudama, 26 January, 1973 --- ![[letters/1973/730214_rupanuga|Regarding your question about taking Gaura-Nitai Deities with you on travelling kirtana, this is not so important. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring India He did not bring His Deity with Him.]] —Rupanuga, 14 February, 1973 --- ![[letters/1973/730323_sudama|you should not take Radha-Krsna travelling, better you take Gaura-Nitai. For serving Gaura-Nitai there is no offense, but if Radha-Krsna is there and there is some discrepancy, then there is great offense]] —Sudama, 23 March, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730815_jagadisa|To install Deities in a moving vehicle is not very good. There is always danger of falling and breaking. Sudama already has experience of this. Why is Deity worship being introduced?]] —Jagadisa, 15 August, 1973 --- ![[letters/1973/730828_sudama|I do not know how practical it is to carry Deities in the truck, by the jarring of the vehicle there may be some damage and also I think that it is not possible to keep the top standard of worship, cleanliness, punctual offerings, etc.]] —Sudama, 28 August, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730904_trai|My sanction for the Deities in the touring van is still there. But I have heard that sometimes the Deity falls down, so these things are objectionable.]] —Sudama Maharaja, 4 September, 1973 ![[letters/1974/740907_batu_gopala|Regarding taking the Deities out on sankirtana as advised by Tamala Krsna Goswami, occasionally the Deities may come and go, however you can let Tamala Krsna Goswami guide you in this connection.]] —Batu Gopala dasa, 7 September, 1974 ![[letters/1974/741202_trivikrama|I received today also the Chinese literature On the Way to Krsna. One Chinese literature is 1,000 times better preaching than worshiping in the temple.]] —Trivikrama Swami, 2 December, 1974 ![[letters/1975/750116_jyotiganesvara|Because I am stressing one thing (book distribution) especially, does that mean that everything else is not important? No. Everything must go on. Please consult with your temple president or your GBC for direction as to what is your best engagement there in San Diego.]] —Jyotiganesvara dasa, 16 January, 1975 --- ![[letters/1976/761228_kurusrestha|Another temple opened, another book published that is the success of this movement. Without book distribution the temple worship standard will also diminish. Therefore both of them should go side by side.]] —Kurusrestha dasa, 28 December, 1976 --- ## Book Distributors Should Read My Books ![[letters/1970/701116_bansidhari|I am very glad that your distribution to the libraries is well received. Please get our books at least one full set in every city and college library in your neighboring areas. And if you read these literatures carefully you will realize the topmost science of Krsna consciousness and be more inspired to spread the same to all persons as their real welfare benefit.]] —Bansidhari, 16 November, 1970 ![[letters/1972/720505_trai|continue this book distribution program very nicely, and at the same time take advantage of these books yourselves. Not that you just distribute but neglect reading them yourself.]] —Trai dasa, 5 May, 1972 ![[letters/1973/730109_ramesvara|that is our real mission, to deliver the world by preaching Krsna's message to others, but even higher realization, the highest realization, is to save oneself.]] —Ramesvara dasa, 9 January, 1973 ![[letters/1973/730723_kurusrestha|Regarding book distribution, everyone, including book distributors, must follow the standard regulations. Book distribution is preaching, it should not be thought of as done for money. It is executed as a preaching purpose.]] —Kurusrestha, 23 July, 1973 ![[letters/1974/740625_jagadisa|Regarding the techniques for book distribution it is all right if the devotees dress like the young people they are selling the books to. The main thing is that the innocent are given the books and the chance to become Krsna conscious by reading them. You have to see that our book distributors are also reading my books and following all the regulative principles then it is all right selling in public in that way.]] —Jagadisa, 25 June, 1974 ![[letters/1975/750522_ganesa|By reading my books carefully, you will become enthused to distribute them more and more in greater quantities.]] —Ganesa dasa, 22 May, 1975 --- ## Miscellaneous Instructions ![[letters/1968/680915_brahmananda|We shall not sell a single copy to the store. Our principle should be to sell books retail in the kirtana, in our temple, or selling by going door to door, or, individual persons. Not a single book should be sold to the stores.]] —Brahmananda, 15 September, 1968 ![[letters/1969/690214_jayapataka|For your final question, you are correct in your idea that leaflets which are destined to be thrown upon the ground should not contain pictures of Krsna, Jagannatha etc. Such leaflets may only be hung up for people to see.]] —Jayapataka, 14 February, 1969 --- ![[letters/1971/710707_bhagavan|Householders can sell books and get fifteen percent commission on the net income.]] —Bhagavan dasa, 7 July, 1971 ![[letters/1972/720111_bhagavan|I am especially pleased by your proposal of producing many small leaflets and pamphlets to distribute widely to the public.]] —Bhagavan, 11 January, 1972 ![[letters/1974/740508_govinda|this rumor that within a few years there will be police repression and people will have no more money to buy books and sankirtana will stop is completely bogus.]] —Govinda dasa, 8 May, 1974 ![[letters/1974/740509_ramesvara|I received one rumor that the sankirtana parties in the US would soon be stopped by political repression and lack of money by the people. Some so-called devotee was thinking like that but you can assure all your men that I have great hope for Krsna consciousness in America, more than any other place.]] —Ramesvara, 9 May, 1974 ![[letters/1974/740510_jagadisa|Sankirtana is also a part of Vaisnavism. All our activities are a part of Vaisnavism. So sankirtana should also be developed at Dallas.]] —Jagadisa, 10 May, 1974 ![[letters/1974/740808_tripurari|Your program of adding six more men to your party is approved by me. Yes, the advanced men can distribute the big books, and the new men the smaller ones.]] —Tripurari dasa, 8 August, 1974 ![[letters/1974/740914_ramesvara|I very much appreciate your report of Sarvabhauma Prabhu who distributed 138 hardbound books simply because of hearing about my letter. That is very, very nice. They are all very nice, Krsna will bless them.]] —Ramesvara dasa, 14 September, 1974 --- ![[letters/1974/741112_tripurari|So you organize freely. You are incarnation of book distribution. So take the leadership and do the needful.]] —Tripurari dasa, 12 November, 1974 ![[letters/1975/750215_satsvarupa|Thank you very much for sending the book reviews. Send more if you can. These are very, very encouraging. I am keeping a collection of these reviews and I show them to big, big scholars and professors when they come to see me.]] —Satsvarupa Maharaja, 15 February, 1975 --- ![[letters/1975/751113_alalanatha|Where is the CIA message in our books that they are claiming? They are claiming that we are CIA's, but where is the CIA message in our books?]] —Alalanatha dasa, 13 November, 1975 ![[letters/1976/760103_ramesvara_prabhu|The transcendental competition is nice. If Jayatirtha Prabhu defeats Tamala Krsna Maharaja, then Tamala will have heart failure. Go on selling books. My Guru Maharaja was very much anxious about selling books and preaching, so you are pleasing him by this bombastic flood of books all over the world.]] —Ramesvara dasa, 3 January, 1976 ![[letters/1976/760206_ramesvara|Regarding The Nectar of Instruction, why not distribute it to the common men? Every book is meant for everyone, but especially for the devotees.]] —Ramesvara dasa, 6 February, 1976 ![[letters/1976/760423_ramesvara_ranadira|We should not distribute anyone else's book except our own.]] —Ramesvara Maharaja, 23 April, 1976 --- **[← Back to Śikṣāmṛta](wiki/compile/siksamrita)**