Expressions researched:
"Boston"
Interviewer: I think the first question is kind of basic, is why is everything always taped at all the...
Prabhupāda: Because we have got so many branches, they want to hear me, my singing, my speech, therefore they record it and send it to different branches. We have got thirteen, fourteen branches: one in New York, one in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Boston, Montreal, Vancouver, London, Hamburg. We have got so many branches.
Prabhupāda: New York, yes.
Interviewer: How many temples are there now?
Prabhupāda: Now we have got six temples. One in New York, one in San Francisco, one in Los Angeles, one in Boston, one in Montreal, and one in Santa Fe. And another one of our students has gone to Buffalo, he's on the professional, for starting another temple.
Interviewer: How many people belong to these six temples?
Prabhupāda: In each temple there are average about fifty people.
Interviewer: Fifty people.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Interviewer: All right, caller, you're on the air on KGO with the Swami.
Caller: I'd like to tell your guest that the other day I received a beautiful letter from the Boston āśrama from Miss Prudence Farrow, Miss Mia Farrow's sister... Are you listening?
Interviewer: Yeah, you got a letter from Mia Farrow's...
Caller: No, her sister, yes, Prudence, from this gentleman's Boston āśrama.
Prabhupāda: No.
Caller: No, her sister, yes, Prudence, from this gentleman's Boston āśrama.
Prabhupāda: No.
Interviewer: No, it's some other group in Boston, she doesn't belong to this Swami's group.
Caller: Okay, okay.
Interviewer: Mia Farrow's sister?
Devotee: He's confusing us with Maharishi.
Interviewer: Yeah, okay. We'll be back in a minute. (break) Could we hear the chant maybe with everybody here? Is it possible? Can we get some microphones over there? You didn't bring what?
Prabhupāda: When the result of the karma is offered to God, then it is karma-yoga.
Satsvarūpa: Swamiji? Can I make an announcement? Swamiji has said there are fifty important pilgrimage cities in India, but as far as we're concerned here, it's whatever city His Divine Grace is residing in. So right now it's Boston. And he will stay here so long as it's the best place to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So you have some taste for it. You can help us to keep Boston this city of pilgrimage. We need engagements for Swamiji. The universities will be closing... Well, some of them are almost already closed. But if you have any access to a nice engagement, a church or a club where people attend, please approach us and help us to spread in this way. Also we have a love feast here in the temple every Sunday at noon, and this is very sumptuous bhakti-yoga love feast with Indian delicacies that you'll certainly enjoy. So approach this way.
Prabhupāda: At the present moment, we have got fourteen temples: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Buffalo, Boston, and Montreal, and Seattle, and one in New Vrindaban. We have purchased about 130 acres of land and developing there, New Vrindaban. And we have got now a temple in London, in Germany, Berlin. And we are in negotiation with Florida friends and we have sent one of our representative in Hawaii. So we have got so many temples. Gradually it is increasing. And boys and girls, especially younger generation... My, amongst my disciples, the oldest disciple is thirty-five years old. Otherwise they are between twenty to twenty-five.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So our engagement should be on that point, that these people will not easily understand, so we are not going to waste time for nothing. If anybody calls for meeting and lecturing, we must charge. Yes. And if they want to hear free, they may come to our temple. Don't become cheap. You see? My Guru Mahārāja used to say that, photar kathara sei usane na(?): "If somebody becomes cheap, then nobody hears him." Especially in this country. If you become free speaker, then he's not taken into very seriously. So we must charge. In Boston, all the lectures Satsvarupa arranged, they paid hundred dollars, at least fifty dollars.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone paid. The Massachusetts Technical College and Eastern University. Eastern University there is...?
Janārdana: I think so.
Prabhupāda: Then Harvard University and Boston University, and one church. They have paid, yes. And one church, Arlington Church, in that church... I think you were present there? Arlington Church?
Govinda dasi: Unitarian?
Prabhupāda: No. You have not been in Boston. Some girls from temple, they were present.
Prabhupāda: We have got thirteen temples. Thirteen. One in this Los Angeles, one San Francisco, one in New York, one Santa Fe, one Buffalo, one Boston, one Montreal, one Vancouver, and Seattle, Columbus, and then London, Hamburg, in this way... Hawaii.
Journalist: Well, there's got to be more than a hundred people in thirteen temples.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, more than a hundred, yes. About a...
Hayagrīva: I don't know.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I have got list. There are more than hundred.
Prabhupāda: There are six centers. Why six? Seven. Seven centers. One in New York, one in San Francisco, one in Los Angeles, and one, Santa Fe, one, Montreal, one, Boston, one, Buffalo.
Interviewer: And do you spend a certain amount of time in each center? Do you yourself travel from one center to another?
Prabhupāda: Yes. I travel... Just like now I am this side, and from here I'll go to New York. Then I shall go to Boston. Then I shall go to Buffalo. Then I shall go to Montreal. In this way I travel.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Devotee: Montreal too, the same thing.
Miss Rose: Yes, but a lot of hippies have gone back to... They've went to Florida, Swamiji. Thousands of hippies went back to Florida. They left Boston.
Prabhupāda: They are, most of them, in Hawaii also.
Miss Rose: Oh, there's some in Hawaii too?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Miss Rose: Oh.
Prabhupāda: That is... No. So far, if you ask my advice, he should do that work, outside propaganda, preaching. But as you say that his presence is required, therefore I say he may remain here. Otherwise, to remain here is not his duty as a sannyāsī. That is actually your duty, to organize the local management and everything. And his duty is outside work, preaching. He may have one assistant, and he can travel. He can educate your countrymen that "Here is a nice thing we are developing. Please come and cooperate." Invite him, and when he comes you receive him and give him good reception. In this way you have to make propaganda, outside and inside. Just like Kṛṣṇa is making outside and inside propaganda. Inside He is Supersoul; outside He is spiritual master to reclaim these fallen souls. Similarly, we should also work outside-inside. And for making outside propaganda, I think he will be the best man. Suppose if he goes to New York, stays for some time, sees respectable foundation and presidents and just to attract their attention this side... Similarly, if he goes Los Angeles, San Francisco, all other cities, Boston, and sees important men, makes propaganda that "We are doing this. Please come and help," that will be very nice.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is living, and he is doing service. He is almost disciple. Yes. He came to Buffalo and Boston. But I don't think he can follow the four principles. He is meat-eater because his family eats meat.
Kīrtanānanda: I've never been able to figure that out, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Kīrtanānanda: The Hindus, they think it is such a tremendous thing to give up meat-eating, and here we have been raised with meat-eating, and we have no problem whatever. To us it is nothing to give up...
Prabhupāda: Yes, inaction means we do not enjoy the result of your action. Jaya. Wherefrom?
Gurudāsa: I don't know.
Prabhupāda: Where is the original stock? ISKCON Boston, or maybe tapes. (break) He's Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa ara saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). (Hindi) (break) One God, Kṛṣṇa. One scripture, Bhagavad-gītā. One mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And one engagement, Kṛṣṇa's service. That's all.
Prabhupāda: Then they may practice. They may be given to practice, not the actual work. So... But they are scattered in different places.
Brahmānanda: Baradraj is coming to Boston.
Prabhupāda: Baradraj is good. Yes. He can... If he likes, he can do much work.
Satsvarūpa: And Muralīdhara is good and also produces. Devahūti is good, but doesn't produce.
Prabhupāda: So Devahūti has gone. I would have talked with her.
Brahmānanda: Yes. I don't have her address.
Haṁsadūta: The best place to start is Boston.
Prabhupāda: Yes, already. Even in small scale we can start from Boston.
Haṁsadūta: Just like one or two pages.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Never mind. Just like I began in that way. You have seen the...
Haṁsadūta: Yes, I saw the original Back to Godhead. A lot of your articles were commenting about current events.
Prabhupāda: Yes. The editorial board must be very intelligent how to talk about Back to Godhead with current politics. Giriraja, you can do that?
Prabhupāda: One priest in Boston, he issued leaflet regretting that these boys, he saw our students. He appreciated that these boys are so much after God and they're our boys. We could not give them. Actually the same boy was, one year or two years ago, he was not going to church, was not interested in God consciousness, but now this same boy is mad after God. And he's twenty-four hours in God consciousness. They're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours. How they have become so...
Prabhupāda: Yes, (Sanskrit)-mukha. And one American lady, when she saw these boys are chanting on the street, she was surprised. She said that "Are you Americans?" She was surprised. One priest, when I was traveling from Los Angeles to Hawaii, one priest in..., gentleman there sitting, out of his own accord he came to me and began to talk with me that "Swamiji, I see in the face of your students brightness. How you have created brightness?" He admitted that. Another priest, Christian priest in New York..., in Boston, he issued a pamphlet that "These boys and girls, they are our boys. But we see they have got this nice qualification, they are mad after God, but we could not give them." So it is a process. The madness after God is there in everywhere, in every heart. But because it is now covered, we have to...
Prabhupāda: No. Where it is?
Mālatī: Boston.
Prabhupāda: Boston. Also in Buffalo.
Mālatī: Buffalo, yes.
Śyāmasundara: He was speaking in reference to the Pope. The Pope didn't acknowledge your letter to him.
Dr. Singh: Did he or...
Śyāmasundara: Did not.
Prabhupāda: This is the process. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra they will be God-realized. Just like these boys. Four years ago they did not know what is meant by Kṛṣṇa. So now they are so perfect. Of course, we cannot be perfect anyway, but they are far, far better than any Kṛṣṇa-bhakta in the world. Even Indians, they say, "Oh, they are better than us." And what is the process? Simply they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is practical. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra they are becoming God-realized. Even last night we had meeting with the Christian fathers. They very much appreciated. And in Boston one Christian priest issued literature, that "These boys, they are our boys. They are so mad after God, but we could not do." So this is... Why they have become so? Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So anyone chants will get this status. This is practical. Not only... In anywhere. We have got many Chinese, many Japanese, Africans, and Canadians and Europeans, and Australia also, we have got many Australian boys.
Prabhupāda: The Bombay, you have seen our place?
Lucille: No, sir.
Prabhupāda: We have got our place in Juhu.
Lucille: You know Prajāpati in Boston?
Satsvarūpa: Prajāpati, the president of Boston temple. He's a Dallas boy. He's from Dallas.
Lucille: His name was Chandra but (indistinct)
Guest (2): Is he in Dallas? (several people talking, prasāda being served)
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Śyāmasundara: This... Words and films.
Indian man: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) New York, San Francisco, Los Angles, Chicago, Boston, Buffalo, Montreal. Sixty-six all over the world.
Indian man: (Hindi with Prabhupāda)
Prabhupāda: Oh. Give immediately, on the (indistinct).
Devotee: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Give immediately. And you come to the Imlitala.
Devotee: Yes.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: And I was personally selling these books to the book sellers and to the persons any way. With great difficulty I was pulling on. And New York is a very expensive city, a great city, a great forest. (laughs) And I am poor man. So then it is a long history. Then I began chanting in the Tompkinson Square, and I think, in the first day this boy, Acyutānanda Mahārāja now, he and another boy, Brahmānanda Mahārāja, he is also preaching in Africa, these two boys danced, and this photograph was published in the New York Times with great details. That was the first encouragement. And after chanting in the park, many young men and girls used to come to my apartment and my meeting place. In this way I started, first in New York, then in San Francisco, then Montreal, then Boston. In this way, now we have got about one hundred branches all over the world, forty branches in America. Big, big cities, Australia, I mean to say, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Boston. What is that? Other cities? San Francisco.
Pañca-draviḍa: I was being trained up in this. For one-and-a-half years I was going to MIT in Boston and planning to go into this chemical, chemistry or chemical engineering or metallurgy, something like that. But I could see that actually the people around me, my student body, all the people in the school, they were so maladjusted and miserable that I decided "If this is the result of their scientific training that they are so miserable, I'm going to leave here immediately," and I did so. I got out as quickly as I could. (break) ...see that their training is just simply bringing them misery in life and, therefore, there is no purpose in acquiring such knowledge. And Prabhupāda describes it as being like the jewel on the hood of a snake, more dangerous.
Prabhupāda: Once I was invited to speak in that institution, MIT. So I questioned, "Where is your department of technology to understand the difference between dead body and living body?" So I spoke on this. So the students appreciated. After my lecture, they gathered around me. How do you explain? What is that technology, why the man is dead? Science is simply based on this bodily concept. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).
Prabhupāda: Yes. Māyāpur. Lord Caitanya. And we have got branch in Calcutta, Bombay, Hyderabad. Māyāpur and Vṛndāvana. Five, six... (break) I, I brought with me forty rupees and books. That's all.
Professor: Forty rupees! That was not enough to live in Boston or in New York.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And now we are spending about eighty thousand dollars per month.
Professor: Per month.
Prabhupāda: Yes, śubhāśubha. When I was in Boston, I was thinking that "I have come here. How they will receive me? As soon as I'll say that 'No meat-eating, no illicit sex, and no gambling, and no intoxication,' immediately they will say, 'Please go home, don't preach here.' All right." So for one year there was no success, you see? And I was going to the shipping company: "When your next ship is coming to return back?" So the manager was telling, "Swamiji, you are always inquiring, but you never go." (all laugh) I said, "Yes, when I am too much frustrated, I come to here to ask you. Then again I go back: 'Let me see two months more.' " It was going like that. Nobody was there with me.
Prabhupāda: And last year we have sold four millions pieces of literature in the western countries. So we are encouraged. And these boys, young boys, they have encouraged me by joining this movement. And one priest in Boston, he issued one pamphlet that "These boys are our boys. How is that? Before that, they did not come to church. They did not inquire what is God. And now why they are mad after God?" This was his remark. And some of the American public, they inquire from them, "Are you Americans?" So this movement is getting ground all over the world, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And amongst the higher scholarly section also. This is sum and substance of our movement. Our principle is to become sinless. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find this verse. Find out.
Prabhupāda: No, no, we are talking with you. You are a representative of Christian kind. So instead of keeping the churches locked up, why not give it us? We shall chant twenty-four hours. Actually this is fact. Many places we have purchased churches. And before our purchasing, the church was practically locked up. Nobody was going. And because nobody was going, therefore it was available for purchase. In London I have seen. Hundreds and thousands of churches are locked up, or they are being used for different purpose. There are many hundreds and thousands churches, but they are not going on. So this experience... In Los Angeles we purchased one church. So it was sold because people were not coming. Now you go to the same church, and the same men, they are coming by thousands. And one Christian preach in Boston, he issued one leaflet that "These boys are our boys. Before accepting this movement, they were never coming to the church. They never inquired about God.
Prabhupāda: I first saw this machine in the Commonwealth Pier, Boston. (machine moving around, crashing sound)
Jayatīrtha: What are you doing, Śruta-śravā?
Rāmeśvara: Sometimes because of that roof you can't see what you're doing.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: So usually he's very careful.
Prabhupāda: Sometime they are breaking also.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, these boys they are coming from your Christian group, Jewish group, but they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One priest in Boston, he issued one pamphlet that "These boys are our boys, and before this movement, they didn't care to come to the church. And now they are mad after God. How is it? The same boys." So indirectly he accepted this process as easier to understand God. And actually it is easier. What do they do? They don't go to the forest, or meditate, or make any very austere, what is called, penances. They simply chant in the morning and dance in ecstasy and then eat sumptuously. That's all. And now they have given up everything. Now, you bribe them, "You eat meat." They will never eat. They will not drink tea even.
Prabhupāda: That is a foolishness. They are not eating meat for the last ten years. Do you think they are reduced in their health? Rather people say bright faces. In Boston one priest, I was going from Los Angeles to Hawaii. One gentleman in plain dress, he is a priest, he said, "Swamiji, how your students look so bright?" And sometimes we are advertised as bright faces. In Boston or somewhere the ladies were asking, "Are you American?"
Brahmānanda: ...wants to come and see you, he likes your movement very much. He has written one review of one of your books. He also met you I think briefly. He is from Boston, Mr. Leo Prudden, Professor Leo Prudden. Now he lives here in Los Angeles.
Jayatīrtha: There will be many professors coming over to see you while you are here.
Prabhupāda: Yes...
Jayatīrtha: Ph.D.'s, and psychologists,...
Prabhupāda: Ask them to see me. What time we should fix up?
Prabhupāda: Dr. Judah, he wanted to see me earlier, no?
Bahulāśva: Yes, he'll be coming here probably on Tuesday or Wednesday. He's just coming from Boston. They had a big library convention there for the theological schools in the United States. So he had to go to speak at that, and then he'll be coming back.
Prabhupāda: Did he speak anything about Hare Kṛṣṇa?
Bahulāśva: He's always speaking about this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. (Prabhupāda chuckles) He gave one lecture just about two weeks ago. It was very very nice. I attended, and I was also speaking something.
Prabhupāda: No, he is serious about studying this movement.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Let him come. I shall talk with him.
Bahulāśva: Dr. Judah now is in a theological convention in Boston, and he'll be getting back on Tuesday. So he said he'll come down then immediately.
Prabhupāda: Regulative principle is the groundwork foundation of everything. Academic career has nothing to do with it. (break) ...bhaktasya kuto mahad guṇā. Anyone who is not factual devotee, his good qualification, academic qualification, has no value.
Prabhupāda: Where he is?
Bahulāśva: He'll be arriving tomorrow night. He just got in from Boston and he wanted one day to rest a little bit, and then he'll be coming tomorrow night. He'll probably get here around seven o'clock and then he'll come on the walk in the morning and then you can, as you like, you can speak with him that day. He has spoke already with the publisher, the Wiley Company and he is getting permission that you wanted him to publish some part of his book, that preface. So he is getting permission from them to do that. He also... I was speaking with him. He also said that if you wanted, he would write more different things supporting our movement.
Prabhupāda: ...resembling Boston. That students' quarter?
Brahmānanda: Yes. (break)
Prabhupāda: Go to the beach now. (break) Sweet water?
Bhavānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: No.
Bhavānanda: This is fresh water. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...Angeles, I have seen while going to the beach, one man has made a boat of concrete cement. Did you see? Nobody marked?
Prabhupāda: That... They do not see Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Just like yesterday we purchased one house, and according to Indian exchange, twenty-four lakhs. So I had no money, but I have purchased. That is... They do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa's mercy.
Ādi-keśava: In Boston when we bought the big temple there, they said... They asked us, "We saw you dancing and chanting in the street right in front of there the other day, and now we see you going into a house on the richest block in the whole city."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One boy who joined us in Boston...
Prabhupāda: (break) Chewing the chewed. This is going on. Material world means chewing the chewed.
Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think this narrow path is smoother.
Prabhupāda: Better.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...go ahead and get the projector do you think, new projector?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...government, Mr. Chaudhuri can do.
Prabhupāda: Where I went?
Rāmeśvara: Yes, I can see it. Gribblehurst Road. Same house. This is the old temple in Houston. They're buying a new one.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Boston, oh, it is very nice.
Rāmeśvara: This is one of the best neighborhoods in all of Boston.
Prabhupāda: They are framework or brick?
Satsvarūpa: It's called brownstone.
Prabhupāda: Oh, brown... Stone it is. That is nice. (break) ...new temple? No.
Rādhāvallabha: That's Ottawa, Canada.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Well, we had almost finished two. They'll be added in June, so that will make eight, a total of eight. And they're having a normal program going on nicely. And Madhudviṣa Mahārāja also went to visit the other temples. He said in Boston they've gotten.... I think they've already gotten it, right? That restaurant? Ambarīṣa Prabhu has gotten the most wonderful restaurant there, just around the corner from the temple. So it will be very, very high class restaurant with waiters, and...
Prabhupāda: Now, this New York restaurant being organized, other restaurant will follow.
Prabhupāda: No, although the volume of work has.... (break) ...a hundred times, but these American disciples, they are helping me, so I haven't got to work personally so much. I simply give the instruction and they carry out, but the work has increased voluminously, there's no doubt it. I came here alone in 1965 without any help practically. Where to live, where to sleep, there was no destination. Sometimes some friend's house, sometimes some friend's house, practically loitering on the street. And in this way were passed more than one year. I arrived here in 1965 in September, end of September, 17th of September, in Boston. Hm. Is it Boston?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then, in Boston, I stayed on the sea, on the only, but I saw the Boston city. Then I was brought to New York. So I had one friend in Butler, Pennsylvania. Hm. After my arrival, I was received by some representative of my host. So he took me to Butler, and there I stayed for twenty days. Then I came to New York. (break) One (indistinct), one Dr. Miśra, so that is the beginning of my life in New York. Then struggling, then gradually, when these boys came to me, I got some relief. And in this way, we are propagating, opening branches, and the movement is going forward.
Prabhupāda: And when I arrived in Boston I wrote that poetry.
Hari-śauri: If you were only sponsored for one month, how is it that you were able to extend your visa all the time?
Prabhupāda: I was extending. The immigration officer came in Boston in my boat. He inquired about this. So he asked me, "Sir, Swamiji, how long you want to stay?" So I thought that I have no shelter, I have no money, but I have got the return ticket. So I did not know how long I... (laughs) He asked me, "How long you want to stay?" So I thought, "In these circumstances, I can stay at most two months, because I have no means where to stay, how to eat, and where shall I go? So I may struggle for two months." So I told him: "I may stay at most two months." He immediately, two months, sanctioned immediately. I could not think that I shall be able to... (laughs)
Prabhupāda: Brass, just like our Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities in Māyāpur, how dazzling. Here also, in Boston.
Bharadvāja: I think Kṛṣṇa is German silver.
Prabhupāda: No. Maybe.
Bharadvāja: Not so much brass casting going on in this country, mostly bronze casting.
Prabhupāda: Bronze, but it will not be polished. We want polished.
Bharadvāja: I have to investigate it.
Ambarīṣa: In Boston, they built a very tall building, and already it's sinking. And the windows are falling out, and it cannot be used. Millions of dollars they spent on this building. (break)
Devotee (1): ...percentage of unemployment in the city. They are always trying to make new jobs for the people because there are so many people not working. And then they claim welfare and the state supports them.
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Prabhupāda: There is possibility of another civil war?
Ambarīṣa: Yes. Possibly some sort of a race war or something. In Boston, they have a lot of trouble because of this bussing. They bus the black children into the white neighborhoods to go to school to achieve equal education, and the white communities do not like this. In Boston there has been a lot of violence between the black people and the white people. Very much hatred, very much hate each other.
Prabhupāda: So only remedy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Prabhupāda: So only remedy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Ambarīṣa: Yes. About a month ago there was a black lawyer, and he was walking out of the City Hall in Boston, and some white people beat him with an American flag. They beat him with an American flag and hurt him very badly, and this caused very much...
Prabhupāda: Commotion.
Ambarīṣa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: There is hatred within. Artificially they have given equal rights. (break)
Prabhupāda: Fifty?
Śrutikīrti: People are very interested, the location is excellent. It's on one of the most important streets in all of Boston.
Ambarīṣa: Once we get open we'll be able to serve a thousand people a day.
Prabhupāda: Oh. And what you are charging?
Ambarīṣa: We're charging anywhere between three and eight dollars. Eight dollars for a very big, many preparations and different nectars and very sumptuous feast for eight dollars. And then if you just want a sandwich or something a little smaller you can pay just three dollars. We think we'll be making about half a million dollars a year, which will all go to you, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: No, he should not be admitted.
Ambarīṣa: Also in Boston there's a lady who may be donating a million-dollar farm to the Boston Temple. This is just a project that's a little bit..., that's just started, and she wants to donate her farm. So that is also going on, and also the temple is purchasing the building next door. I gave them some money for a down payment on it so they could buy the building next door to use it to house the people that are living in the restaurant and also for the Bhaktivedanta Institute, because I think the Bhaktivedanta Institute is going to be in Boston. Mādhava is there.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Boston is nice place for the Institute.
Śrutikīrti: It's in a very nice area in Boston. Commonwealth Avenue was the most aristocratic street in Boston. The temple is right there, just one block from downtown.
Prabhupāda: Near Commonwealth Pier?
Śrutikīrti: Near Boston Commons. Boston Commons? The big park.
Prabhupāda: Not park, there is a pier, pier (pronounces "pire") what do you call?
Ambarīṣa: Oh, pier, pier. Oh, yes, it is near there, Prabhupāda, that's where you landed.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs)
Ambarīṣa: Yes, it is not far. We're having Ratha-yātrā in Boston for the first time this year, and we're going to take the Ratha carts down to Commonwealth Pier in honor of your arrival.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) There is one A.P. store?
Ambarīṣa: A P?
Prabhupāda: A-P, A-P store.
Ambarīṣa: Market? Yes, it's still there.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that I saw first. (laughter) I remember.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that I saw first. (laughter) I remember.
Ambarīṣa: So there are many nice projects going on in Boston. We are hoping that maybe sometime you can come. That would be very nice.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. From New York it is not...
Ambarīṣa: No, it is very close to New York, half-hour airplane ride.
Prabhupāda: So it is ready?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We were talking about different names for the restaurant yesterday.
Śrutikīrti: Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja did not care for "Saṅkīrtana Restaurant." (laughs)
Prabhupāda: One priest in Boston, he issued one booklet that "These boys, they're our boys, mostly they are coming from Christian or Jewish families. But before this movement, they were not coming even to the church, never inquired about God. Now they are mad after God." He issued one pamphlet like that. These boys.
Scheverman: Oh, you're referring to the young men right here, coming from Boston, that's what you're saying, I see. Right.
Prabhupāda: O'Connell knows me from a such long time. Yes. We first met in Harvard University. Next he saw me in London, Bhaktivedanta Manor. I think Boston also.
Viśvakarmā: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He's interested in Vaiṣṇava philosophy.
Viśvakarmā: Yes, he wrote his thesis on Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism.
Prabhupāda: So he has got his doctorate?
Prabhupāda: No. I was not very much hopeful. That I wrote one poetry, that "Kṛṣṇa, why You have brought me in this country? What can I do? How I shall convince them how they will understand the philosophy? So, but because You have brought me here, must be there is some purpose. So all right. You make me dance as You like." That poetry, I (wrote) in Boston, Commonwealth Pier, on the sea. I came by ship. So I wrote that poetry, that I do not know what for I have come here, why Kṛṣṇa has brought me here. As soon as I shall say that there is no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no drinking, and no gambling, they'll say, "You go home. Don't talk." I knew this. Still I attempted. But these boys kindly accepted. I never made any compromise.
Kīrtanānanda: Prabhupāda knows how to flatter. Well, I think even we could not cook so good in Boston or New York. Without being in Vṛndāvana and the natural ingredients, it is not so...
Prabhupāda: You can supply them ghee.
Kīrtanānanda: Yes, we can do that.
Prabhupāda: You grow podina? Podina? Mint? Mint?
Kīrtanānanda: Mint? Yes.
Prabhupāda: Chutney.
Prabhupāda: "This is our religion." What is religion? "No God." What is religion? Then, those who are godless, they have got religion. Atheism has got religion. Then why bring this religion? What is the meaning of religion? Just see.
Pradyumna: One time we went to a church in Boston to speak. They had only a pulpit for the preacher, and behind, no altar, no crucifix, nothing, just big map of outer space with planets on the wall. Not even any Christian church, but no cross, nothing. Only universe. Universalist Church, it's called. The Universalists.
Prabhupāda: That's nice, but give some information of the universe.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So in fact, one of the remarks of a scientist, Nobel laureate actually, in Harvard, Mādhava told me he was in American Association for the Advancement of Science. This professor is a professor in biology in Harvard, Boston. His answer was that, "In order to have man in this planet, the stars have to die." That means we come from the stars. The particles, from the stars, then the main involved from those molecules, that star, that come from the stars.
Prabhupāda: You do something. I can give you the idea. But it is fact. What ideas I am giving, that's a fact. Now it is up to you to put it (into) so-called scientifics. He'll... In future millions of years after it will create one living entity in the laboratory, so he's taking all the credit, and God is creating millions and millions already, He has no credit. You'll see their intelligence. What the people will gain even if you manufacture one life in the laboratory? So what is the gain? Why you are spending so much money?
Yadubara: They want to become God.
Prabhupāda: God becoming is far away. First of all, make some living entity. But even if you do it, then what is your credit? Why you want to take so much great credit?
Prabhupāda: Yes, kindly do that. So you talk with him in detail how to, if you..., whether our, this branch will be situated... They say here it is good?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: For Institute? Yes... I am also going to Boston to see the facility there.
Prabhupāda: But he can write. He give you.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes, he can furnish it in so many ways, and we are going to need Dr. Sharma's help, because he's in the government agency in the scientific field, so...
Prabhupāda: Yes. If he wants to help us, he can help us in so many ways.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They think that we're worshiping a person, some material man by the name of Harry Kṛṣṇa. They think that your name is Harry Kṛṣṇa. (laughter)
Ādi-keśava: In Boston they once wrote an article in the newspaper, the Boston Globe, they said "I walked into the temple room and there he was, a big picture of Harry Kṛṣṇa sitting on a big throne." (laughter) On the vyāsāsana.
Hari-śauri: Harry is an English...
Prabhupāda: Harry, Harrison, like that.
Prabhupāda: By Thompkins Park I was chanting, and these boys gradually came. First picture was published by the New York Times. Then we started branches in San Francisco, in Montreal, Boston. And then Los Angeles. In this way...
Interviewer: So you just chanted in Thompkins Park, and people came?
Prabhupāda: Yes, I was underneath a tree. I think that picture was published by that Voice, very big article, published.
Interviewer: What did you have to offer then. If you were chanting in the park and I said "What are you doing? Why are you chanting? What's your thing here?"
Bali-mardana: He said what did you have to offer.
Bali-mardana: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There were devotees from Miami, Gainesville, Atlanta, Washington, Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, Vancouver, South America—all over South America, I think. A gigantic turnout of devotees. Very international group.
Bali-mardana: This could be like Lord Caitanya used to invite all His devotees to come and see Him at Ratha-yātrā...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So where is Ambarīṣa?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was not in the parade.
Bali-mardana: He is going back to..., I spoke to him for a little while. He's going back to Boston right after the parade, I think, with Aja? I spoke to him; he seemed to be a nice boy. I asked him, because we were meeting with reporters. So they like to ask who is giving you big donations. I wasn't sure whether he wanted his name to be used or not, but he said, "Oh, yes, you can use it without any question. I do not mind at all." (pause)
Prabhupāda: All right, go take rest, you have worked so hard.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we didn't. (end)
Prabhupāda: One German girl has prepared. We are introducing restaurants like this, and people are liking very much. We have got one restaurant in Hawaii, another restaurant we are organizing in Boston. That is being directly done by Alfred. You have met Alfred?
Gurudāsa: Alfred Ford, the grandson of Henry Ford.
George Harrison: No, I've never met him.
Prabhupāda: Oh. He is also a very nice boy. Of course, younger than you. He's only twenty-four years. What is your age now?
Prabhupāda: You take this paper. Make a list of important cities. Now suppose if you go from Delhi. So you can go first to Paris, Geneva, Rome, then London, Amsterdam, Stockholm. Then from London I think New York, Boston, Montreal, Canada. Then you go to the western side, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver. Go further, Honolulu.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Then you could go to the Pacific, Australia.
Prabhupāda: Ah yes.
Prabhupāda: ... because as soon as the ship stopped, Commonwealth Pier, Boston, the immigration department came and took their papers. So I entered America in Boston. There was no checking in New York. The ship stopped in Boston. The official entrance was done there. Then when I came to New York, it is just like one day's travel.
Harikeśa: And then you went directly to Pennsylvania? By bus?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Then one agent, appointed by my host, Gopal Agarwal. He was in Butler. So he arranged with some professional what is called, host.
Hari-śauri: That's a very accurate prediction.
Prabhupāda: Third-class, fourth-class men, dressed like President and king. Business: plunder money from the citizens and kill cow. 1965, 17 September, I landed at Boston.
Hari-śauri: You've done a lot of things since then.
Devotee: Changed the world.
Prabhupāda: Much water has gone down.
Prabhupāda: Not indifference. They are... You see, there is a remark of a politician. There is no indifference. They are appreciating that it is spreading like epidemic. There is no question of indifference. But the leaders, they appreciate. Some of the fathers of my disciples, they come to offer their thanks, "Swamiji, it is a great fortune for us that you have come to our country." They say like that. They appreciate that their sons were going to be hippies. Now they are devotees, God conscious. So any sane man will never object to this. The priests also, they say that "These boys are our boys..." In Boston, one priest said. "And they never cared to come to the church or inquire about God.
Girirāja: I met a very, very nice boy yesterday. His father is a life member, but he's studying in Boston at MIT.
Prabhupāda: Oh, technology.
Girirāja: Very superexcellent student. But he was so submissive and inquisitive that he could really... And because he lives there...
Prabhupāda: He qualified? No.
Girirāja: He's finishing his Ph.D.
Prabhupāda: Oh. So he's very qualified.
Prabhupāda: So our triumph is ahead.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So Sadāpūta told me that he's going to give lectures in these coming few weeks in Boston.
Prabhupāda: Who?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are together, the two scientists. Our two scientists.
Hari-śauri: Sadāpūta.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Organize...
Prabhupāda: Base.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...temple. And...
Prabhupāda: But you have got enough place there?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. And Boston is also a good place. Right beside the temple... (end)
Satsvarūpa: Anyway, on the whole, this report, it's a little more in our favor than not, I noticed. The good things are...
Prabhupāda: No these things should be protested. They must publish. Answer.
Satsvarūpa: They had a nice statement in here by the president of Boston temple, Aja, Aja dāsa.
Prabhupāda: But the name Kṛṣṇa is there.
Satsvarūpa: Oh yes, everywhere. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: (chuckling) That is our advertisement. What is the heading?
Satsvarūpa: "The Hare Kṛṣṇa Puzzle."
Prabhupāda: But they are trying, such brainless. They have no brain, and they're trying to make another brain.
Hari-śauri: Svarūpa Dāmodara mentioned about that place he went to in that university in Boston.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: They have a whole department called "artificial intelligence."
Prabhupāda: Spending millions and millions in America. You know that? Where it is being done?
Hari-śauri: I think he said it was in Boston.
Prabhupāda: In M.I.T.
Hari-śauri: Yeah. And when he asked them, "What was the purpose?" they said, "Well, it's fun." He asked what the purpose was, they said, "Well, it's fun."
Prabhupāda: Fun?
Hari-śauri: Fun.
Satsvarūpa: Amusement.
Hari-śauri: It's amusement.
Prabhupāda: And our doctors also, Ph.D., they can go.
Ādi-keśava: We wanted to have our Ph.D.'s go.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Hm.
Ādi-keśava: Especially I've been speaking with Mādhava in Boston, but Rūpānuga was telling them that they should just stay and write for the journal and not go out and preach. I wanted them to go and speak on our behalf as Ph.D.'s.
Prabhupāda: No, no. It is now necessary.
Ādi-keśava: They are eager to do it.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Satsvarūpa: Then for the division of the United States, for myself, for being editor of Back to Godhead, I would go to Los Angeles for that, Back to Godhead, but would also supervise the Northwest US zone, which includes Berkeley, California; Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and the Dallas temple. Rāmeśvara Mahārāja would continue being the GBC for Los Angeles, San Diego, Laguna Beach, and Denver. Balavanta Prabhu would keep his same zone—Atlanta; the Tennessee farm; Gainesville and Miami, Florida; New Orleans and the Mississippi farm; and Houston, Texas. Rūpānuga would also keep his same zone—Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Philadelphia; St. Louis; the St. Louis farm; Ottawa; and Montreal, Canada. Kīrtanānanda would keep his same zone—New Vrindaban, Buffalo, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja was accepted as your permanent secretary, and therefore, for the vacancy created in his absence in New York, Pennsylvania farm, Boston, Puerto Rico...
Rāmeśvara: And Rādhā-Dāmodara.
Satsvarūpa: ...and the Rādhā-Dāmodara party, it was decided that he should keep the responsibility of being the GBC for that area. However, Ādi-keśava Mahārāja will act as special assistant to the GBC and take the on-the-spot responsibility.
Prabhupāda: That means he'll be trained up in his place. Is it not?
Prabhupāda: And Boston also? No.
Satsvarūpa: No. Today also with new preaching centers, Svarūpa Dāmodara was assigned the development of Manipur.
Prabhupāda: Vaiṣṇava state. Do you like this idea?
Rāmeśvara: Svarūpa, do you like the idea?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He plans to meet with Svarūpa Dāmodara in Boston when he returns in July to discuss the possible films to make. He says he decided with Svarūpa Dāmodara that it would be best to wait before making a film until they have published their thesis and had some feedback from the material scientists. It's a good point. "Because their theories are always changing, our scientists also have to change their approach. It is for this reason that a film does not seem so suitable for their purposes, because it cannot be so easily changed as with a slide presentation. Also Svarūpa Dāmodara's presentation is highly scientific, and I feel somewhat dry for the film medium, which is more an artistic medium."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I also found that in Boston, the Indian communities, they are very interested.
Prabhupāda: Must be. Everyone should be. This is the genuine program. So (Bengali), talk and make program. (Bengali)
Dr. Sharma: That is disease. It has become now plague.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So both of you are very intelligent boys. I want to see that you are always busy in these affairs. (Bengali) Bhaktivedanta Institute and Gurukula for Higher Studies. (Bengali) I want to see that you are always busy. Busy-ness. That will give me pleasure. Laziness I don't want. Personally I was never lazy. I did not like laziness.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sometime we are preparing, called, a brochure for this lecture series. We'll make it color. So I already have the outline in Boston. So we're titling, "Announcing a Worldwide Lecture Series on the Origin of Life in the Matter, sponsored by Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies and Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda." And we have some colored pictures inside and a little also, synopsis of the theme, the topics. We said, "Chemical Evolution-A Molecular Fairy Tale," and we have about three or four lines describing what the lecture should be about and what is the main theme of the talk. And we also have photographs of four or five of us who are going to speak and a little background of the candidate. So we wanted to make it very official.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I have taken that idea because in the United States there is a conference called Garden(?) Conference, and I want to develop this in the future as a regular feature of our movement, organize this conference all over the world. We'll title as "Bhaktivedanta Vijñāna Conference," and it involves all sources of knowledge. Just like Garden Conference. They have a meeting in Boston, in Harvard, in chemistry, and Garden Conference is in all fields, in physics, chemistry, the humanities. It is very respected all over the academic world. So we also wanted to generate a spiritual scientific conference along these lines.
Prabhupāda: Bhaktivedanta is spiritual.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Recently I saw a book in Boston. It was from England, that book. The title was called The Origin of Johnny. Johnny's the name of a little boy.
Prabhupāda: Johnny Walker. (laughter)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: And it was very interesting, that book. That was... This is the Origin of Species. That was Darwin's book. This was the modern version of Darwin's book. It's about this big, and it's full of nice colors with all molecules, DNA and all these nice, modern-looking molecules, and then they say... They start... It starts like this, "In the beginning there was a big blank." (Prabhupāda laughs)
Prabhupāda: So do they accept?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, and some Indians are on our side, specially this Indian Student's Association, and also there is an association called Indian Association for Greater Boston. The president and the secretary came to me, and they are supporting us.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So they're organizing these lectures, so we have a show on July 10th.
Prabhupāda: Make a great agitation. It will be done, if you work. (pause) A great challenge of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, for the whole world. Is it not?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mad civilization. It is a mad society. They eat anything.
Prabhupāda: One gentleman was taking the lobster, some preparation, liquid.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were observing this on your arrival in Boston harbor?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that's where the lobsters are kept, near the harbor. Nowadays the fashion is that you go to a seafood restaurant, and they keep the lobster...
Prabhupāda: The lobsters, I do not know. They take it from Indian foods. It is from Cochin. Cochin, South India. I do not know... Huge quantity of lobsters are there, and they are exported to America.
| Page Title: | Boston (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 19 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=84, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 84 |