Answering Inquiries

He had a broad mission, broader even than translating Srimad-Bhagavatam, and so he gave much of his time and energy to meeting visitors.  Had his only aim been to write, then there would have been no need to have taken the risk and trouble of coming to America.  Now many people were coming, and an important part of his mission was to talk to them and convince them of Krishna consciousness.  His visitors were usually young men who had recently come to live on the Lower East Side.  He had no secretary to screen his visitors, nor did he have scheduled visiting hours.  Whenever anyone happened by, at any time, from early morning to ten at night, Prabhupada would stop his typing or translating and speak with them.  It was an open neighbourhood, and many visitors would come by right off the street.  Some were serious, but many not; some even came intoxicated.  Often they came not to inquire submissively but to challenge.

Once a young hippie on an LSD trip found his way upstairs and sat opposite the Swami: “Right now I am higher than you are,” he announced.  “I am God.”  Prabhupada bowed his head slightly, his palms folded: “Please accept my obeisances,” he said.  Then he asked “God” to please leave.  Others admitted frankly that they were crazy or haunted by ghosts and sought relief from their mental suffering.