Why some can distribute books and some not?

Book distribution doesn’t require any material qualification. It commands absence of mental and sentimental platform. It doesn’t in ultimate sense permit any other form of motivation as pure surrender to Srila Prabhupada and His books. It makes the need to open ones heart and be truly compassionate to the conditioned souls to a necessity.

There is no need of any academic preparation to do so; there is no need of any fancy vocabulary. What is required is honesty. Honesty in regard to one’s own conditioned situation and the consequent absolute dependency on mercy of guru and Krsna.

True, for a while other motivations can prevail and Krsna will, during the time the aspiring bhakta is in a testing period, permit even those who are powered by passionate pursuit of social recognition, strive for name and fame, pursuit of economical needs, or simply mitigation of one’s own pain, to take part in book distribution. But ultimately it will stop, even the taste, once acquired, will never perish.

Book distribution is the ultimate test of faith towards the instructions of Srila Prabhupada, nothing else is required. It enforces purity in one’s own personal conduct, freedom from hypocrisy and duplicity and selfless, sharing attitude with the gifts one received in Krsna consciousness.

Only madhyama adhikaris and uttama adhikaris who descend to the level of madhyama adhikaris on their own terms can distribute books. Others will be finally not permitted, regardless of their exhibition of devotion to the Supreme Lord. When, if at all, they find themselves addressing the conditioned souls with Srila Prabhupada’s books in their hand, they will quickly find out on what false "vimukta maninah" platform they operate. Not willing to accept such a realization, they will have to return to their institutional designations, academic pursuits of spirituality, or even worse, to their sensual pursuits of music, art and other forms of expressions of their not yet purified material desires.

It is for this reason that Srila Prabhupada stated that “all members of this movement should know the art of book distribution.” He knew that when this principle is established, along the principles which are absolutely necessary to serve this principle, the purity of His ISKCON will be easily preserved.

It is here, in the field of book distribution we can be absolutely sure that our dormant material desires will be addressed and dealt with. It is here where we can be sure of the blessings of the guru parampara and it is here where we can be sure that Srila Prabhupada’s movement will be preserved in most dignified form.

As Srila Prabhupada’s books will stay and we will have to move on, leaving our bodies behind, we can be sure that in this form Srila Prabhupada’s message will stay preserved, regardless to what a degree it can be understood by the public. It is in this way Srila Prabhupada will live forever and those who dedicate their lives to distribution of His books will live with Him.