Today was the second day dedicated to selling books on the road. After the experience of central park I wanted to find a place closer to the Ananda Marga Center where I live.
In the morning Dada Anudhyanananda which is one of the monks living together in the Center told me that he had before the idea of selling books on the road but he didn't have the permission and he suggested to get one so that we could go together with his car.
The idea was very appealing indeed! I came back from Central Park dead tired and in the morning I slept in order to forget the pain I had in all body. I thought that I had enough of biking. I went on the internet looking for the place to get a permit and after a brief chat with 311 I got the best answer: NO NEED OF PERMIT TO SELL BOOKS IN PUBLIC PLACES IN NEW YORK!
Magically I forgot all the pain. I took out all the books, a table, the flute and the Chinese harp and I started loading the bicycle with the trailer. Dada in the meantime was out for his visits. It took me sometime to figure out how to load the trailer and secure all the stuff. I struggled and finally I reached the central post office where Falun Dafa had secured a good spot. I inquired if I could set up selling books nearby and they suggested to move 5 blocks ahead.
When I reached the central library I asked the same question to a person selling for an insurance and the reply was that I could set up any place I wanted. I armed the table, displayed the books and set the Chinese harp. The lady in the picture tried to get a bargain for a book and I was not ready for it. She didn't buy but it was a first exposure and few others stopped and looked at the books. No sales though.
Rain came. There was no time to think. I packed everything and set the bicycle on the side of the library where there was a bit of roof. Rain continued. I called Dada and in the wait I could do meditation and sing literally under the rain. I was very happy. I considered how everything was safe and a bit of rain was so graceful for the trees and not disgraceful for myself. People where hurrying and rain became more and more insisting. When Dada arrived I loaded the precious instrument, the books and the table on the car and I remained with the bicycle and the flute.
I went inside the library which was quite packed with several people obviously waiting the rain to be over. Several young people where sitting on the floor and I start wandering around for quite some time. Being in a library could be a good opportunity to read some books, I thought. I requested Permaculture of Bill Morrison but it was available in another branch. Finally I started looking in the rows of books reading the labels. Chinese, Korean, Fiction, etc. I had the desire to read something in Italian. After some search I located the section of the Italian books and I started to browse the titles.
Some were classical and other not. I started reading one but I got quickly tired and I put it back in his place. It is the time when I noticed a book on the life of Padre Pio, an Italian saint living during the second world war and known for his great miracles and devotion. The account given by the author was a bit too fictional in my opinion and I put it back. Other lives of saints where nearby. Santa Rita, Santa Francesca Romana, San Francesco. "They have done so much for others in their life with great sacrifices and I am not doing anything comparable" I thought.
After these reflections which I felt deeply inside I thought that this was the reason why the rain was not finishing. Now I felt sure that the rain would be over and I went out. I was correct. Rain was now very little and I rode the bicycle towards the Center. After eating I asked to Dada Shankarananda, the most senior monk living with us, if there were saints in India which became famous for their charitable work. Saints like Kabir, Miira, Tulsi Das, Guru Govind Singh. They were all great and they sacrificed everything for the welfare of the people. But actually none of them was particularly dedicated to the cause of the poor and unprivileged people. I had to recognized that only Shrii Shrii Anandamurti set the Eastern spiritual tradition on the path of service to humanity as an integral portion of the path to salvation.
I continued to reflect until writing these lines as I think that the call for serving humanity is very strong for me as well for most good people in the world. What can I do to make the world a better place to live? What is in my direct possibility and control? Just writing and publishing books with Ananda Marga Publications? Selling on the road every day? Maybe it is a start and maybe I will have to bike for some time more. I remembered Baba saying that the only requisite for doing service is sincere love for humanity. Dada Shankarananda used to repeat "Love One , serve all". In concrete terms I have to sell more Baba's books where more inspiration is available for everybody on earth. Online too:
Anandamargabooks.com
