Philadelphia (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"Philadelphia" |"Philadelphia's" |"Philadelphians"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Interviewer: Were you born in this country or were you born in...

Prabhupāda: No. I was born in India, Calcutta. My birthplace is Calcutta.

Interviewer: When did you come to this country?

Prabhupāda: I came here in September, 1965.

Interviewer: Did you come with the purpose of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I am an ordained minister for preaching these missionary activities. So I came here in September, 1965. Then, for one year, I was traveling in many parts of your country. In the beginning I was in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and then I went to Philadelphia. Then I came to New York. And in this way I was traveling, not very much. And in 1966, in July 1st, I started my class in New York at 26 Second Avenue. That is my first starting. Then the younger generation began to come to me, and they started the San Francisco branch, Montreal branch. In this way the institution is going. And we have sent our students to Europe also. They have already started one branch in London, one in Hamburg. And we have sent our students in Honolulu. They have started a branch there. So our program is to start several..., as many branches as possible to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Interviewer: Did you come with the purpose of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I am an ordained minister for preaching these missionary activities. So I came here in September, 1965. Then, for one year, I was traveling in many parts of your country. In the beginning I was in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and then I went to Philadelphia. Then I came to New York. And in this way I was traveling, not very much. And in 1966, in July 1st, I started my class in New York at 26 Second Avenue. That is my first starting. Then the younger generation began to come to me, and they started the San Francisco branch, Montreal branch. In this way the institution is going. And we have sent our students to Europe also. They have already started one branch in London, one in Hamburg. And we have sent our students in Honolulu. They have started a branch there. So our program is to start several..., as many branches as possible to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is very easy. We simply invite persons to come and chant with us. It doesn't matter what he is, what is his language, what is his religion. We don't take into account all these things. And this Hare Kṛṣṇa is so easy to utter, that any man can utter. That we have experienced. Any part of the world, we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and they can very easily imitate and chant. Even child, they also. So by chanting, he gradually becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. His heart becomes cleansed and he can understand what is science of Kṛṣṇa, what is science of God. Then he automatically offers himself for initiation. Then we initiate him and guide him in different ways. But our students are strictly forbidden to have illicit sex life or meat-eating or intoxication or gambling. These four things are strictly forbidden for our students. And they take it seriously. We get our... In your country boys and girls, they live as friend. I don't allow that. If there is such friendship, I immediately ask them, if they become my student, I immediately ask them to be married. And this experiment has proved very successful. I got these young boys and girls married, and they are very happily living, and husband and wife, they are preaching. All my students in London—there are six boys and girls—they were married by me, and they are doing very nicely. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice in everywhere, especially in this country. That is my opinion. And people will be benefited, especially the younger section who were feeling frustration in every respect, and they are now happy. It is practical. Just ask any one of my students how they are happy. You have seen in our temple how happily they are living and dancing from their face. Face is the index of mind. You will understand from their face how happy they are feeling. They are not smoking. They are not taking marijuana or are taking... No. This nonsense we don't allow. Simple food and chanting. That makes them happy. Simple thing.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: You have seen our books?

Buddhist Monk (1): I have seen some of them, not all of them. Because I meet these boys and girls, and... I seen that book about...

Prabhupāda: Our..., this book, Nectar of Devotion, that is a study book in the Temple University, Philadelphia. Similarly, our Kṛṣṇa Book, and what other books? They are...? Especially Kṛṣṇa Book and Nectar of Devotion. Bhagavad-gītā also, As It Is. (pause) We consider Lord Buddha also as incarnation of God.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Bhagavān: We have this festival in very big, in the same scale, in Australia, London, San Francisco, Chicago.

Prabhupāda: Where is that poster? Australia? Yes.

Bhagavān: And in all these cities we are joined... In San Francisco there are ten thousand people who come at least every year to help pull the carts and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: In Chicago also. Philadelphia. There will be Ratha-yātrā. this is the...

Satsvarūpa: This is for Melbourne, Australia, Ratha-yātrā parade, (shows a poster), picture of the parade last year.

Professor La Combe: Last year.

Prabhupāda: No, this year they are advertising.

Professor La Combe: Which is to come.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Tripurāri: Sometimes the devotees question, if they were pure, then they could get everyone to take a big book. It's simply our fault that we're not pure enough that we can't get everyone to take a big book. Or is it just that we can't engage everyone, we can't get everyone to surrender completely?

Prabhupāda: Well, that is also a devotional attitude. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I do not love Kṛṣṇa. So that's... And if I would have loved, then I would have died without His presence. But I am living now. Therefore I have no love for Kṛṣṇa." This is another thing. One who is too much addicted to the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is very good sign. So your headquarter is now Pittsburg?

Tripurāri: No, now Philadelphia.

Prabhupāda: Philadelphia, oh.

Tripurāri: It's in Rūpānuga's zone.

Prabhupāda: In the Philadelphia University, I think, there was one Mr. Norman Brown.

Rūpānuga: The Temple University.

Prabhupāda: Not Temple, Philadelphia.

Rūpānuga: Temple's in Philadelphia.

Devotee (5): There's one called University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, too.

Rūpānuga: The one who took your Nectar of Devotion?

Prabhupāda: No, that is Temple University. There is another university, I think Pittsburg University.

Devotee (5): The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1976, Mayapura:

Pañca-draviḍa: In Los Angeles they have installed a speed walk at the airport, an escalator that you can walk on.

Prabhupāda: So you are not going to Calcutta? Calcutta?

Jayapatākā: I was going to go in a day or two.

Prabhupāda: So there is no news? (break) Of course, if there is devotee. Otherwise not.

Hṛdayānanda: I was thinking perhaps this year to begin with one car.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Yes. Last year, Philadelphia, there was one car. Oh, crowd was.... Like that.

Pañca-draviḍa: If there's no Jagannātha Deities we can use...?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Jagannātha.

Pañca-draviḍa: Has to be Jagannātha.

Prabhupāda: Don't try to manufacture ideas.

Pañca-draviḍa: Most.... Most of our temples, we have no Jagannātha Deities.

Hṛdayānanda: Anyway, it will be arranged.

Madhudviṣa: You can get some Jagannātha Deities here in India, big ones.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes, that's not very difficult to do. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...men came to see pandal?

Hṛdayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Naturally.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everyone who came saw the pandal.

Hṛdayānanda: There was a big crowd going in constantly, a river of people.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It was impossible to walk.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: This is a photograph of what takes place in India every year. It's a traditional festival in India, we are bringing it to New York. We've got our permits and everything.

Prabhupāda: We have already got in San Francisco, in Chicago...

Rāmeśvara: Philadelphia.

Prabhupāda: In Philadelphia.

Rāmeśvara: In London.

Prabhupāda: London.

Sudāmā: Melbourne.

Prabhupāda: Melbourne.

Hari-śauri: Paris we're beginning also.

Prabhupāda: This year?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: First year Paris.

Hari-śauri: This is our festivals that we've begun in the West based on the one on the front there.

Prabhupāda: You can take that book.

Interviewer: You are participating in it, are you not?

Prabhupāda: Somewhere when I have opportunity I participate, otherwise they do it.

Rāmeśvara: In other words, Prabhupāda doesn't attend every festival all over the world.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: We have got one cow, many cows in Philadelphia. The milk bags, she gives hundred and two pounds daily.

George Harrison: Of milk? Who owns this? Who milks the cows?

Gurudāsa: Some of the devotees.

Prabhupāda: We have got tanks for storing milk, tanks.

George Harrison: Yes?

Prabhupāda: Yes. All up-to-date refrigerator and everything. That extra milk they are selling. Similarly, in New Vrindaban we are getting one thousand pounds milk daily. One thousand pounds.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

George Harrison: How many cows? Must be hundred of them.

Prabhupāda: But the Philadelphia is more organized.

Jayatīrtha: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Through the nozzles, milk carrying, always hot water is washing it.

Jayatīrtha: There's much better facility in that Pennsylvania place. New Vrindaban's kind of.... They built it up from scratch by themselves.

Gurudāsa: Rustic.

Jayatīrtha: Yes, rustic is the word. (laughter) Pennsylvania they bought this fabulous farm all made up.

Room Conversation -- July 27, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: In our preaching this is good point, that we do not alienate the communists and stress on the differences between us and them.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhagavān: That can come later.

Prabhupāda: But they see practically that "We are theorizing while they're practically doing." So expand this farming project, self-help and peaceful life for spiritual culture. I saw that Philadelphia farm is better organized than all others.

Jayatīrtha: Yes, in Pennsylvania they have the best farm. It is the best farm. When they bought it, it already had all this equipment and best flat farmland, whereas New Vrindaban, they have such a...

Prabhupāda: Hilly.

Jayatīrtha: Hilly, and the place was originally not very nice. Everything is built from scratch.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: These farming projects therefore I introduced, New Vrindaban, it is successful; Philadelphia, it is going on nicely; New Orleans; here also. In London we haven't got much land, but still we have got sufficient land. (pause) So if we have to go by jet plane on Saturday, then we shall get down Iran.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...fruits, flowers, also grains, milk sufficient. In one farm, Philadelphia, they are producing so much milk that they are selling $1500 per month. And they've arranged so nice, and big tank. And the pipes regularly as they do in dairy farm. When it is not working, only hot water is passing through the pipes to keep them clean. And one cow, the milk bag is so big. He gives 102 pounds daily. Similarly, in France also we have got farm. New Orleans, Philadelphia, West Virginia, we have got four or five.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: San Diego near Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And all of them are successful. This time I installed Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Deity in France.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: Those cows we have in the Pennsylvania farm, the two best ones, they're the two best pedigree cows in the whole of America. They have their pedigree traced back two hundred and fifty years to when the first cows came to America. Purebreds.

Prabhupāda: In our Philadelphia farm we are selling fifteen hundred dollars extra milk. Fifteen hundred dollars per month. So if cow is properly protected, it can supply immense milk.

Dr. Patel: It was Mr. Nehru, he said that we cannot prohibit cow slaughter. Therefore he made so many wrong things. (break) (Hindi)

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So if there is milk, there is food grain, there is vegetable, so what do you want more? Enough we can grow. They have got two hundred acres of land. Some portion of the land they are utilizing. That is becoming sufficient for them. And if they grow the whole land, they can make good trade. Just like in Philadelphia they are producing so much milk, they are selling outside fifteen hundred dollars per month. Fifteen hundred dollars, how much it is?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Fourteen thousand.

Saurabha: Twelve thousand.

Prabhupāda: That is their income. Philadelphia they have organized very nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Port Royal farm.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: As we have organized New Vrindaban farm, and Philadelphia farm, so the farm was also to be organized by you. That was the contemplation. So six hundred acres of land. Very nice land. Very nice land. Six hundreds and it is not with (indistinct) like Vṛndāvana, but very fertile.

Harikeśa: It can produce enough food to feed the whole society.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1976, Aligarh:

Hari-śauri: They had that one in the bedroom in New Vrindaban. This picture, the original. It was in New Vrindaban.

Prabhupāda: Kīrtanānanda has purchased.

Indian man: I have washed my hands with nim soap. Now I will give you...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. And Philadelphia, what is that name?

Hari-śauri: Port Royal farm. Port Royal? That's the nearest place to it. Pennsylvania farm.

Prabhupāda: Ah. Is there any gain there? I have been in Pennsylvania farm. They get enough quantity milk. They sell fifteen hundred dollars per month. Jaya.

Indian man: Mahārāja, you wanted to have milk and apple.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all...

Indian man: What time you like, sir?

Prabhupāda: At nine.

Indian man: Nine. Are you feeling some relief?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man: You will get relief. From two, three applications, absolutely.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: We are giving cow protection in the country where they are eaten by the people. Their staple food, beef, and they are accepting this movement, giving cow protection.

Interviewer: Which are those areas?

Prabhupāda: West Virginia, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and where? Miami, Canada, Vancouver. Like that.

Interviewer: So if you don't mind, what is bad about eating, people who are eating beef? What is bad about it?

Prabhupāda: Bad means you become bad. That's all. You can see these things are...

Interviewer: But we can eat goat's meat, and other animal's meat.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And the thing is that cow is especially recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). That you must produce enough food grains by agriculture and give protection to the cows. That means if you have got enough food grains to eat and if you have got enough milk to get fatty substance, then your whole economic question is solved. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). If you get sufficient food there is no question of agitation. Everyone is satisfied. Animal and man. So you must produce. That is recommendation in the Bhagavad-gītā.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The cow will be subsisting on the grass, and refused things he'll take. And the substance you take. And even if does not give milk, the stool is useful. And you get food grown by the cows and bulls and milk. You subsist. So by mutual cooperation you subsist. You save time. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why you are bothered?

Girirāja: No bother.

Prabhupāda: This I want to introduce. And it has become successful in the Western countries. They are doing very nicely, New Vrindaban. Very nice. And Philadelphia, New Orleans. Men, they're happy. So why not in India? India is mainly agricultural country. On this principle you can take. There is no objection. I left Haṁsadūta in charge, but he left everything.

Girirāja: Actually, it seems that in your system of management, the basic principle is to depend on Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not? He says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo (BG 18.66). Distress will be if I am disobedient. This is nature's law. And if I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, where is the question of distress? Sukha se saba hari bhaje duḥkha se haje. This is one Hindi poetry, that "When one is in distressed condition, he goes to God: 'Please save me. Give me this mercy.' " So duḥka se means: "In distressed condition he becomes a devotee." But if he becomes a devotee when he's happy, then where is the question of duḥkha, or distress? Sukha se saba hari bhaje. When you are happy, at that time if you worship Hari, then there is no question of duḥkha. That Vivekananda's policy, daridra-nārāyaṇa-seva. Why not seva-nārāyaṇa? Why He should become daridra? Why not engage in? That he does not know. "He becomes a daridra-nārāyaṇa, and I become his servant." Foolish rascal. A discovered philosophy. (end)

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: The color? That's possible. I can talk with Gopāla to see if it is less expensive.

Prabhupāda: Because Hindi composition is not possible there. So after composing here, if they send you the photography, finished copy, from that copy, whether you can print there?

Rāmeśvara: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: I think you can work out.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Print there.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: In America. The art pages?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, everything.

Rāmeśvara: Everything? It will be more expensive because in India they print on cheap paper. If we use the same cheap paper, they'll still have to pay more because it has to be shipped back to India. But I can check.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (pause) So?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm? Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Without condition, kīrtana should go on. And that is the panacea of all troubles. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given, jāy sakal bipod, bhaktivinod bole, jakhon o-nām gāi. This is a fact. If you always continue kīrtana, there is no danger. You are above all danger. Our Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja knows very well. He has no danger. He's sticking to that New Vrindaban program, improving, very good example. They eat first-class, nutritious food, and in Philadelphia also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pennsylvania, Port Royal.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In our Port Royal farm.

Prabhupāda: Yes. First class. Satyabhāmā gave me...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, that cāpāṭi.

Prabhupāda: "Too thick. How shall I eat it?" Oh, it was so nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Satyabhāmā gave Prabhupāda this black cāpāṭi. He thought, "So thick. How will I be able to eat it?"

Prabhupāda: Very delicious and easily digested. They are living very happily.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Introduce this, rascal. This party government, that party government, big, big belly, big, big monkey, eating cows and hogs and dogs, and they have become big, big minister. What they can do? That is not... This is the secret. What is the second line?

Yaśomatīnandana: Nadyaḥ samudrā girayaḥ...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no.

Yaśomatīnandana: Siṣicuḥ sma vrajān (SB 1.10.4).

Prabhupāda: Ah. Let them remain happy and automatically... Just like in our Philadelphia. Oh, such a big... Giving him thousand pounds. Yes, we are doing this, fatty. Cans of milk. Even the cat is happy. The dog is happy. There is no fight. Cat is so happy, stroking on the back of the cows. Similarly, the dog is... There is no "Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow!" barking. I have seen it. Only through the medium of milk. These are not stories. I have seen.