Way back in October 2009, we started our first ebook club. The idea was to email out one page of the Bhagavad-gita, about five minutes worth of reading, every weekday until we reached the end of the book. Because everyone in the group was reading the same pages every day, we also offered a forum on Krishna.com where readers could go to discuss what they were reading with each other.
Way back in October 2009, we started our first ebook club. The idea was to email out one page of the Bhagavad-gita, about five minutes worth of reading, every weekday until we reached the end of the book. Because everyone in the group was reading the same pages every day, we also offered a forum on Krishna.com where readers could go to discuss what they were reading with each other.
We started with the Bhagavad-gita, then added more books and more clubs for each book. For example, right now, there are six different groups reading the Bhagavad-gita. We also have several groups reading Krsna, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Sri Ishopanisad, The Science of Self-Realization, and A Second Chance.
The reason I’m excited is that the first ebook club for the Bhagavad-gita is finally coming to a close. At the end of July, the last page will be emailed to our readers. It has taken them two years and nine months of dedication to work through the entire Gita together. That’s commitment, and I think that each of these readers deserve a personal ‘thanks’ and ‘congratulations’.
It’s not been easy. You might think we have some wonderful software somewhere that makes sure each of our ebook club emails goes out to the right group on the right day—almost magically. But the truth is we’re a small organization that can’t afford big software. We rely on people. Each ebook club is the responsibility of one of the people that work here at Krishna.com. Some people have more than one in their care. So every day, someone opens up a text document with the full book (which has been edited into segments by one of our dedicated volunteers), and sets up a group email on our email service.
Every page. Every day, for every ebook club. Each page is set up and mailed out by someone here at Krishna.com as part of their daily service. (Which is why some days we goof up and one page is not mailed, or mailed to the wrong group, or the wrong page is sent out. After all, we’re not perfect. Only Krishna is perfect!)
So as we wrap up the very first ebook club we started, I want to thank each of these 187 readers, as well as Sri who has been the dedicated mailer of this ebook club. Some of our shorter books have since finished up and restarted, but it’s been a monumental commitment to read the entire Bhagavad-gita one page at a time.
As some ebook clubs finish up, we open up new ones to take their place. So look for new books and new clubs soon. If you are subscribed to the Krishna.com Newsletter, you will see announcements in it for upcoming ebook clubs. Or you can check here from time to time to see what’s available:
www.krishna.com/ebook-club
Srila Prabhupada had always said that reading the books, learning about Krishna, is the most important part of Krishna consciousness. It’s wonderful to think that we’re helping people to do that with the help of the internet and digital technology. And of course the dedication of our team and volunteers here at Krishna.com!
-Radha