Satsang in the Sauna

[Vijaya Baladeva das]

I was advised by a health specialist to go to a sauna and sweat, so I
went to a pool near the Los Angeles temple, where I reside. I was
sitting in the sauna with a friend; it was full.

All of a sudden an African-American man in his late 40's addressed me:
"Excuse me. Can I ask you a question? Do you know Sanskrit?"

"I don't speak it," I replied, "but I'm learning." I asked him his
name
and he told me it was Matt, and then I asked him why he cares about
Sanskrit.

"I'm reading the Bhagavad-gita," he repleid, "and there are many words
I
can't pronounce, so I'm asking any Indian I come across if they can
help
me with my pronunciation "

I said, "I teach the Bhagavad-gita at the Hare Krishna temple, and I
can
surely help you with your pronunciation." Matt was sooo happy to hear
that. I couldn't believe I had met him and he couldn't believe he'd
met
me. We were both in ecstasy.

Then Matt started saying names from the Gita -- Kuruksetra, Sanjaya,
Madhusudana, etc. "Your pronunciation is great," I told him. "You're a
natural. Must be from your past lives." We both laughed.

When I asked him whose Gita he was reading, he told me Paramahamsa
Yogananda's. So I explained to him who Srila Prabhupada was and how
his
amazing commentary on the Gita explains that we are individual souls,
that Krishna is also an individual, and that Krishna is after our
love,
nothing else.

By now everyone in the sauna was listening to our conversation. All of
a
sudden a man asked, "What's the main religion in India?" I told him it
was the Hindu religion, and then he asked, "What's the name of God in
India?" I told him "Krishna." Another guy said, "I just became
vegetarian and I love Indian food." So I told him about our Govinda's
Buffet at the temple. Another guy asked me if I teach yoga. I told him
I
teach bhakti-yoga and that others in our community teach hatha-yoga
and
I could introduce him to them.

In this way everyone was so enthusiastic to find out about Krishna! It
was amazing. I was feeling dehydrated and exhausted from the heat, but
the questions were so good that I prayed to Krishna for more energy.

Matt asked me if I could introduce him to a guru, so I told how my
gurudev would be visiting LA in a few weeks and I could arrange a
meeting with him. Matt was so happy to hear that.

Finally, with great enthusiasm Matt asked me where he could find Srila
Prabhupada's books. I told him I had some in my car that I could give
him right away.

So I ran to my car and got him a "Science of Self-Realization" and we
exchanged emails and phone numbers. Matt was so happy that he gave me
a
big bear hug and said, "My friend, you have no idea how much our
meeting
and this book ["The Science of Self-realization"] mean to me at this
point in my life. I'm so grateful, so grateful." He was speaking so
loud
that the whole section of the gym was looking at me.

Jai!!

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

After wandering throughout the universe, by the mercy of both Krsna
and
the spiritual master a fortunate person receives the seed of the
creeper
of devotional service.

Shastra-krit das
Los Angeles