Beware of False Prophets (And Monks)

It's my first week at UMass Amherst, and weird things have already started happening to me.

The other day, on the way to my linguistics class, I was stopped by a tall man with arm tattoos, ear piercings, and a beaded necklace. He asked me if I was a student here. "Yes," I replied. He asked me a few other things- what my major was, etc.- and then, out of the blue, handed me a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita, and announced that he was a traveling monk.

I was a bit surprised- he didn't look all that monkish to me- but I was interested, so I kept listening. He said he was part of an organization that was trying to spread the Bhagavad-Gita to more people. He told me a bit more about the book, and said he wasn't selling it, he just wanted me to have it, but could I please leave a donation? The book looked interesting, so I fished in my wallet for a dollar and handed it to him.

He looked disappointed, and told me that the book had cost five dollars, and they tried to cover the cost of the books. I then thought, I'm probably being conned, aren't I? I told him that I was sorry, but I couldn't donate any more. He took the book back and returned my dollar, and I proceeded on to class, amused and slightly bewildered by the encounter.

-Lukas