Midnapore is situated on the bank of the Kangsabati River, some 130 km to the West of Kolkata.

In the morning, Sripad Sajjan Maharaj and Sripad Sadhu Maharaj (behind the camera), accompanied by one of the local devotees, set out for collection and book distribution.

Walking house to house, devotees come to distribute pamphlets about our Math, to collect some donation, and offer two recently published Bengali booklets The Original Source and Gift of Transcendental Abode to those who seem interested in knowing more.

Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj teaches: "Some of you go for collection before Gaura Purnima, but we do not collect only money—we must also collect people. It is necessary to hijack them. We do not hijack money—we must hijack people. We sing in the kirtan, 'Kore more atmasath. Gurudev, please hijack me!' Gurudev does not come to hijack your money—Gurudev comes to hijack you. Hijack from where? From this illusory world of maya—he hijacks you from this illusory world and sends you to Goloka for the service to Radha Govinda. Always remember this."

Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj teaches: "Everything exists for the service to the Lord. Once, a brahmachari went begging and got ash from somebody—he came to Prabhupad and cried, 'They have given me ash!' but Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, 'Why are you crying? You should be happy that you have got ash. This ash is also useful—it can be used to clean plates. We can use the man who has given you ash for the service of the Lord too.' Prabhupad showed in this way that everything that exists in this world is for the service of the Lord. We must use everything properly. That is the main thing.'

Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj teaches: "If somebody is giving some money to the Math, they may think that they are helping this Math but actually they are helping their own self by their energy. Money comes through the exertion of energy. A man is trying to gain money and in so many ways he may be giving his energy for the collection of money, and when that money is given to the Math then that means that his energy is now coming to serve Guru and Vaisnava."

Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj remembers: "When I was living as a brahmachari, Guru Maharaj would send me out to do collection, but no matter how hard I tried I would not gain very much money, still Guru Maharaj would continue sending me. 'Go door to door and beg for something. If they give one rupee or 100 rupees, that doesn't matter but you must go door to door.' I was very hesitant and every morning I would be very unhappy to go begging and so every day Guru Maharaj would teach me, 'You are not going to beg for yourself, you are going for Guru-seva, for the service of your Guru, and when they give you something, they are not being kind to you, they are being kind to themselves. They are collecting money in so many ways and if they give some of that to you then their money will be used for Guru- Vaisnava-seva. That money comes to Gurudev and he is offering that to the Lord, and those that gave, they are gaining spiritual benefit.' In this way Guru Maharaj would preach to me."

His Divine Grace happily meets Sripad Sajjan Maharaj and hears about the fruitful preaching.

Preparing to leave Midnapore.

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